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Report On Memo

The document discusses principles for writing clearly and concisely, including being specific, using active voice, using positive language, and avoiding repetition. It provides examples to illustrate each principle. Being specific means choosing precise words that convey exact meaning. Active voice means the subject performs the action of the verb. Positive language states what is rather than what is not. Repetition should be avoided by removing redundant words and phrases.

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Maria Florida Paraan
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38 views

Report On Memo

The document discusses principles for writing clearly and concisely, including being specific, using active voice, using positive language, and avoiding repetition. It provides examples to illustrate each principle. Being specific means choosing precise words that convey exact meaning. Active voice means the subject performs the action of the verb. Positive language states what is rather than what is not. Repetition should be avoided by removing redundant words and phrases.

Uploaded by

Maria Florida Paraan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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clarity

the quality of being easily understood

the quality of being expressed, remembered, understood, etc., in a very exact way

the quality of being easily seen or heard.

effective writingclarity. Excessive wordiness (often caused by passive constructions) can


confuse readers and require them to spend more time trying to understand your sentences
rather than your ideas. Writing clearly and concisely entails frequent revision, but there are
some guiding principles to help refine your writing:

Be specific.
When we speak, we use voice inflection and hand gestures to convey our points, but we
dont have this luxury when we write. We have words, but words alone require more
effort. Consider the word "dog." For some, this word evokes, or calls to mind, your fourlegged best friend; for others, the word may conjure images of that guy who never
called. If the word dog makes up part of a sentence, we may be able to tell that the
writer refers to an animal that barksbut there are still 5,000 different kinds of dogs, so
which type of dog is it? After all, there is a big difference between a Chihuahua and a Pit
Bull. Getting specific ensures that your reader understands the message you're trying to
convey.

Be active.
Active voice refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb of a sentence.
In an active sentence, the subject carries out the action of the verb, i.e., Joseph (subject)
ate (verb) the burrito. In passive sentences, however, the subject no longer acts but is
acted upon by the verb: "The burrito was eaten (verb) by Joseph (subject)" or "The
burrito was eaten" (if the subject is unknown). Below are some more examples. Note
that in these examples, the sentences become shorter and more specific because active
writing forces the writer to be clearer and more assertive.
Passive

Active

The reason he left his job at the bank was because his He left his job at the bank because his
health began to fail.
health began to fail.
The balloon was blown up by me.
The boat has been destroyed by a hurricane.
The dragon has been killed by the heroine.

I blew up the balloon.


A hurricane destroyed the boat.
The heroine killed the dragon.

Be positive.
Readers enjoy reading what is rather that what is not. When you compose a piece of
writing, be sure to make assertions by avoiding bland or hesitant language. Consider the
following sentence: She did not think that studying algebra was a valuable way to spend
the morning. Now heres a revision in the positive: She thought studying algebra was a
waste of the morning. In the revised version, it is clear what she thinks about studying:
it wasted the morning. In general, avoid using the word not when another word can
replace it.

Negative Form
Not interesting
Not honest
Not important
Not paying attention
Not big
Not known

Positive Form
Boring
Dishonest
Trifling
Ignoring
Small
Unknown

Avoid Repetition.
Sometimes writers strive for word counts rather than precision. Unfortunately, this rarely
fools the reader. While the impulse to write more seems reasonable, it often leads to
repetitive, bland paragraphs. As you revise, look for words that restate sentiments. Here
are some examples:
Repetitive
Terrible tragedy
Large in size
Actual facts
Pink in color
Completely whole

Explanation
Tragedy implies terrible.
Large indicates a size.
Actuality requires factuality.
Pink is a color.
Being whole entails completion.

Coherence refers to a certain characteristic or aspect of writing. Literally, the word means
"to stick together." Coherence in writing means that all the ideas in a paragraph flow
smoothly from one sentence to the next sentence. With coherence, the reader has an easy
time understanding the ideas that you wish to express.

Unity is a very important characteristic of good paragraph writing. Paragraph unity


means that one paragraph is about ONLY ONE main topic. That is, all the sentences
-- the topic, supporting sentences, the detail sentences, and (sometimes) the

concluding sentence -- are all telling the reader about ONE main topic. If your
paragraph contains a sentence or some sentences that are NOT related to the main
topic, then we say that the paragraph "lacks unity," or that the sentence is "offtopic."

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