rules on clear and effective writing
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Rules on Clear and Effective Writing
RULE NO. 1: THINK FIRST, THEN WRITE
• You must figure out just what you want to say.
• why you are writing in the first place.
• Know who your readers• Think for the “human interest”• Think for logical arrangements
• According to time• Start with what happened first, what
happened next, and so on. • Arrange the material according to
importance• The pattern you can use most often is the
who-what-where-when-why order of a news story.
RULE NO. 2: GET TO THE POINT
• Get the reader into the midst of things.
• Start with something that matters, such as your main idea.
• Or tell the reader something that will make him sit and take notice.
RULE NO. 3: USE FAMILIAR WORDS
Readers are not buying newspapers for the words used, but for the content
Use words that has three or more syllables, under 10 percent.
• Complex Commoncategory – class contribute – givefacilitate – helpinaugurate – startincarcerate – jail indisposed – illinundate – flood majority – mostmonumental – big prevaricate – lieproceed – go procure – getpurchase – buy reside – liverequest – ask summon – callterminate – end utilize – usewitness – see
RULE NO. 4: OMIT VERBAL DEADWOOD
drop unnecessary words from phrases or sentences
affixed his signature – signedat the present time – nowheld a conference – metin the immediate vicinity – nearfor the reason that – becausetendered his resignation – resignedtold his listeners – saidunited in holy matrimony – marriedused for fuel purposes – fueledwas able to make his escape - escaped
• advanced prediction• a period of two weeks• definitely decided• fatal killing• final conclusion• free gift• new recruits• other alternative• past history
RULE NO. 5: KEEP YOUR SENTENCES SHORT
Readers absorb the idea faster.
Longer sentences
More words
More relationships
More effort
Average sentence length in words:
RULE NO. 6: SHORTEN YOUR PARAGRAPHS
they are easy on the eye
Short paragraphs act as a brake for writers
make for easy reference
RULE NO. 7: USE SPECIFIC AND CONCRETE LANGUAGE
• Concrete nouns help focus your reader’s attention.
• Always prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, and the concrete to the abstract.
• Furthermore, you must watch out for “vague” or “imprecise” words. “Crime” for instance is vague. It may range all the way from jaywalking to murder.
• Tragedy (fire, explosion, drowning, cave-in?)• Accident (collision, a fall from a building, slip?)• Organization (Jaycees, Catholic Action, YMCA?)• Ceremony (wedding, mass, award?)• Legal action (suit for damages, criminal case?)• Document (deed of sale, record, certificate,
treaty?)• Monetary Consideration (salary, bribe, reward?)• Community (town, barrio, city?)
Vague: His head was injured by a blunt instrument.
His skull was fractured with a hammer.
Vague: Officers removed a gun from his clothing.
Police took a .32 caliber automatic from his hip pocket
Vague: A large number assembled for the meeting.
Five hundred attended the caucus.
Vague: He spoke in disparaging terms about the radical element.
He denounced the communists.
RULE NO. 8: PREFER THE SIMPLE TO THE COMPLEX
RULE NO. 9: BE POSITIVE
subject, verb, and object.
RULE NO. 10: USE THE ACTIVE VOICE
1 Congressmen demanded today the firing of all police officials
2 The firing of all police officials was demanded today by Congressmen
3 The demand for the firing of all Namarco officials was made by
congressmen
• Nouns, especially abstract nouns, tend to be static.
• But verbs imply action, movement. Verbs make a story sparkle.
“Newspaper circulation grew steadily”
vs
“The growth of newspaper circulation has been steady.
“It is requested that the production department be notified of any change in
deadline.” VS
“Please notify the production department if there is any
change in deadlines.”
RULE NO. 11: WRITE AS YOU TALK
Effective immediately, the practice of endeavoring by words, gestures, or otherwise, to beg, invite, or secure transportation in any motor vehicle not engaged in passenger travel or hire or otherwise acting as a commercial passenger carrier, by officers or enlisted men or women or both in the naval service at any point within the boundaries of this naval command is forbidden.
Do not ask for free rides!
RULE NO. 12: USE ADJECTIVES SPARINGLY
“The National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority had a
remarkable record for April – it provided water all day round.”
RULE NO. 13: REVISE AND SHARPEN
RULE NO. 14: WRITE TO
EXPRESS, NOT TO IMPRESS
“An exercise that seeks quantitative answers relating to a period that is some distance away in the future must by its
very nature be highly tentative.”
“What followed was largely guesswork.”
RULE NO. 15: ODDS AND ENDS
Euphemism is the use of a supposedly pleasing expression in
the place of the simpler or more accurate word.
The classic examples comes from Sir Winston Churchill. He told a colleague: “The Right Honorable Member is guilty of a terminological inexactitude.”
He meant: “You are lying,”
A metaphor is the application of a descriptive term to an
object to which it is not literally applicable. Mixed metaphors
are a combination of inconsistent metaphors.
1. Scientists at the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission
have announced the discovery of a virgin field pregnant with
possibilities for future research.
2. The strong arm of the law is marching after the offenders.
3. We congratulate the chairman on his skill in piloting
the committee’s ship on the solid ground of reality.
“Carlos Loyzaga took the ball from Tony Renato and had dribbled the sphere to three yards of the goal when…”