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The Elements Of Effective Writing by Anthony White
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The Elements Of Effective Writing |
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Education
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All of the most effective communications are planned. In the second part of the planning process, we have to think about several important writing decisions. Together these will determine the effectiveness of our writing. Decisions on structure and layout are very important. Subject to the guidelines offered (e.g. word count, running time etc), one choice of structure over another can do much to affect 'standout', readability, look and feel. On some occasions, sections should be used to break up a whole into manageable parts. Perhaps these are better left undeclared or unseen (though they may have been used to structure the piece); perhaps very obvious signposting is an advantage. Longer sentences make for higher density, and slower pace. A paragraph or section full of long sentences is usually more difficult to take in than a shorter one, with shorter sentences - at least at a glance. The use of language itself is more complicated a matter than it first appears to be. Style, voice (impersonal, or personal - I, you, third person, we etc) register, tone of voice, and diction all need to take into account our positioning as author or publisher, given our audience, the objectives of the communication, and the medium. A more or less formal style might be appropriate. A needlessly formal or expansive treatment can seem pretentious and might be alienating. On the other hand, an excessively simplified diction can easily appear condescending. Words and phrases need to be chosen with care, asking more or less of the reader, and creating a particular sort of impression. A similar point needs to be made in relation to idiomatic words or phrases, technical language or jargon, and other culturally-specific references. Proper sentence construction follows on from choices about style and register, but voices and tenses should be kept consistent as far as possible. Grammatical error should be avoided, except where strict construction would make for stilted English; 'this is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put', said Churchill. Finally, spelling errors, typographical errors, or 'typos', and other production errors need to be corrected. Whilst production errors do not necessarily impede a communication's effectiveness, their risk and potential cost tend to vary with the audience. The indignation of a lay readership over a journalist's or editor's fallibility may not stop it from enjoying a piece, or continuing to take a newspaper. On the other hand, a large procurement function trying to form an overall impression of the likely competence, reliability, and accuracy of a professional firm, may, whether consciously or not, look less favourably on the production errors in a technical consulting bid. thesis writing service
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