rules on clear and effective writing.ppt

7/25/2019 rules on clear and effective writing.ppt

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Rules on Clear andEfective Writing


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RULE NO. 1: THINK FIRST,THEN WRITE

You must figure out just what

you want to say.

why you are writing in the firstplace.

Know who your readers

Think for the human interest

Think for logical arrangements


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According to time

Start with what happened first whathappened ne!t 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.


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RULE NO. 2: GET TO THE

POINT #et the reader into the midst

of things.

Start with something thatmatters such as your main

idea.

$r tell the reader somethingthat will make him sit and

take notice.


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RULE NO. 3: USE FAMILIAR

WORDS%eaders are not &uying

newspapers for the words

used &ut for the content

'se words that has three or

more sylla&les under ()percent.


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*omple! *ommon

category + class contri&ute + gi,e

facilitate + help inaugurate + startincarcerate + jail indisposed + ill

inundate + flood majority + most

monumental + &ig pre,aricate + lieproceed + goprocure + get

purchase + &uy reside + li,e

re-uest + ask summon + call

terminate + end utilie + use

witness + see


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RULE NO. 4:OMIT VERBALDEADWOOD

drop unnecessary words from phrases or

sentences


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affi!ed his signature + signed

at the present time + nowheld a conference + met

in the immediate ,icinity + near

for the reason that + &ecause

tendered his resignation + resigned

told his listeners + said

united in holy matrimony + married

used for fuel purposes + fueledwas a&le to make his escape " escaped


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advancedprediction

a period of two weeks definitely decided

fatalkilling

final conclusion free gift

newrecruits

otheralternati,e

pasthistory


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RULE NO. 5: KEEP YOUR

SENTENCES SHORT

%eaders a&sor& the idea

faster.


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/onger sentences

0ore words

0ore relationships

0ore effort


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A,eragesentence

length in

words1


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RULE NO. : SHORTEN YOUR

PARAGRAPHS

they are easy on the

eye

Short paragraphs act

as a &rake for writers

make for easy

reference


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RULE NO. !: USE SPECIFIC

AND CONCRETE LANGUAGE


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*oncrete nouns help focus your reader2s

attention.

Always prefer the specific to the general

the definite to the ,ague and the concrete

to the a&stract.

3urthermore you must watch out for

,ague or imprecise words. *rime for

instance is ,ague. 4t may range all the way

from jaywalking to murder.


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Tragedy 5fire e!plosion drowning ca,e"in67

Accident 5collision a fall from a &uilding slip67

$rganiation 58aycees *atholic Action Y0*A67

*eremony 5wedding mass award67

/egal action 5suit for damages criminal case67

9ocument 5deed of sale record certificate

treaty67

0onetary *onsideration 5salary &ri&e reward67

*ommunity 5town &arrio city67


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:ague1 ;is head was injured &y

a &lunt instrument.


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;is skull was fractured with a

hammer.


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:ague1 $fficers remo,ed a gun

from his clothing.


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cali&er

automatic from his hip pocket


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:ague1 A large num&er

assem&led for the meeting.


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3i,e hundred attended the

caucus.


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:ague1 ;e spoke in disparaging

terms a&out the radical element.


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;e denounced the communists.


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RULE NO. ": PREFER THESIMPLE TO THE COMPLE#


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RULE NO. $: BE POSITIVE


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su&ject ,er& and o&ject.


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RULE NO. 1%: USE THE

ACTIVE VOICE


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( *ongressmen demanded today the

firing of all police officials

> The firing of all police officials was

demanded today &y *ongressmen

= The demand for the firing of all

?amarco officials was made &ycongressmen


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?ouns especially a&stract nounstend to &e static.

@ut ,er&s imply action mo,ement.

:er&s make a story sparkle.


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?ewspaper circulation grew

steadily

,s

The growth of newspaper

circulation has &een steady.


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4t is re-uested that the

production department &enotified of any change in

deadline.

:S


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RULE NO. 11: WRITE AS YOUTALK


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ffecti,e immediately the practice of

endea,oring &y words gestures or

otherwise to &eg in,ite or securetransportation in any motor ,ehicle not

engaged in passenger tra,el or hire or

otherwise acting as a commercialpassenger carrier &y officers or enlisted

men or women or &oth in the na,al

ser,ice at any point within the&oundaries of this na,al command is

for&idden.


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9o not ask for free ridesB


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RULE NO. 12: USEAD&ECTIVES SPARINGLY


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The ?ational Caterworks and

Sewerage Authority had a

remarka&le record for April + itpro,ided water all day round.


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RULE NO. 13:REVISE ANDSHARPEN


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RULE NO. 14:WRITE TO

E#PRESS, NOTTO IMPRESS


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An e!ercise that seeks-uantitati,e answers relating to

a period that is some distance

away in the future must &y its

,ery nature &e highly tentati,e.


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Chat followed was largely

guesswork.


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RULE NO. 15: ODDS AND

ENDS


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E'()*+-+is the use of asupposedly pleasing e!pression in

the place of the simpler or more

accurate word.


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The classic e!amples comes from Sir

Cinston *hurchill. ;e told acolleague1 The %ight ;onora&le

0em&er is guilty of a terminological

ine!actitude.

;e meant1 You are lying


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A +*/()0is the applicationof a descripti,e term to an

o&ject to which it is not literally

applica&le. 0i!ed metaphors

are a com&ination of

inconsistent metaphors.


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(. Scientists at the


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>. The strong arm of the law is

marching after the offenders.


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=. Ce congratulate thechairman on his skill in piloting

the committee2s ship on thesolid ground of reality.


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*arlos /oyaga took the &allfrom Tony %enato and had

dri&&led the sphere to threeyards of the goal whenD

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