Provide specific detail – answer the reporter’s questions

Use easily understandable words

Limit sentence, word, and paragraph length

Build coherent paragraphs

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2

Unclear:“Put enough air in your tires.”

(How much air is “enough”?)

Clear:“Fill your tires to 32 pounds per

square inch.”Specific detail

Vague word

Reporter’s Questions = who, what, when, where, why, and how

Unclear:“We bought a new machine to solve the

problem.” Who is “we”? What is the “new machine”? When was the purchase made? Where was the machine located? Why was the purchase made—what was the problem? How much did the machine cost?

3

More clear:The marketing department bought a new AABco laser printer ($595) on June 10 for our production room. This printer will produce double-side, color copies unlike our prior printer.

Unclear:

The man asked for a raise.

5

Unclear :

An employee presented a proposal.

More clear:Kelly Jones, production manager, presented a plan to stagger working hours.

More clear: Jeff Jones asked for a 10 percent salary increase.

Unclear:“We are cognizant of your need for issuance of

citations pursuant to code 18-B1

CPR violations.”

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NOTE:

Write to express, not to impress!

Use words that are easy to understand.

NOTE:

Write to express, not to impress!

Use words that are easy to understand.

Define abbreviations like “CPR.”

More clear:“We know you need to send citations

because of code 18-B1 Continuing Property Record (CPB) violations. ”

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• Know instead of cognizant• Send instead of issuance• Because in stead of pursuant

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Source: American Press Institute

Sentence length = 20 or fewer words

Word length = 1-2 syllables average

Not concise“During the month of July, I made a decision to positively impact my writing inabilities by having a meeting with an

instructionaladvisor.”

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NOTE:This sentence is 23 words long, and it uses five words over two syllables (underlined).

NOTE:This sentence is 23 words long, and it uses five words over two syllables (underlined).

More concise“In July, I decided to improve my writing by meeting with a teacher.”

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NOTE:This sentence is 13 words long, and it uses one word over two syllables (underlined).

NOTE:This sentence is 13 words long, and it uses one word over two syllables (underlined).

All words cannot be 1-2 syllables! You cannot shorten words like “telecommunications,” “engineer,” or “accountant.”

Change the words you can; leave other words alone.

What are you trying to say? Position the most important idea at the beginning of

the sentence. Make sure the most important idea is the subject of

the sentence. Place the main idea in a short sentence.

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All production and administrative personnel will meet at 2pm on May 23 in the main conference room, at which time we will announce a new plan of salary incentives.

At 2pm on May 23, in the main conference room, all personnel will meet to learn about salary incentives.

Please prepare to supply a readout of your finding and recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Group at the completion of your study period. As we discussed, the undertaking of this project implies no currently known incidences of impropriety in the Southwest Group, nor is it designed to find any. Rather, it is to assure ourselves of sufficient caution, control, and impartiality when dealing with an area laden with such potential vulnerability. I am confident that we will be better served as a company as a result of this effort.

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Paragraph length = 6 to 8 lines average (less is OK)

General Guideline

What’s your reaction? Hard to read.

Easier to readPlease prepare to supply a readout of your findings and recommendations to the officer of the Southwest Groupat the completion of your study period.

As we discussed, the undertaking of this project implies no currently known incidences of impropriety in the Southwest Group, nor is it designed to find any.

Rather, it is to assure ourselves of sufficient caution, control, and

impartiality when dealing with an area laden with such potential vulnerability.

I am confident that we will be better served as a company as a result of this effort.

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NOTE:Shorter paragraphs are easier to read.

Spacing gives readers a chance to stop, breathe, and digest the information.

These paragraphs are still hard to read, due to the sentence and word length.

NOTE:Shorter paragraphs are easier to read.

Spacing gives readers a chance to stop, breathe, and digest the information.

These paragraphs are still hard to read, due to the sentence and word length.

Use a topic sentence to summarize the main idea of the paragraph All support sentences in the paragraph should relate to

the topic sentence.

Repeat a key idea using the same expression Example: Employees treat guests as VIPs. These VIPs are never

told what they can or cannot do.

Use pronouns to refer to previous nouns Example: All new employees receive orientation. They learn …..

Use transitional expressions to show connections Examples include: however, as a result, consequently,

meanwhile, etc.

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Also Moreover First... Second... For that reason, Therefore, Additionally and

Continuation Pause Reversal

For instance For example, Strictly speaking, In other words, In effect, As a result, or

However, On the other

hand, Conversely, Nevertheless, Otherwise, but