Learning Approach 2

by Prof. WILFREDO R. REYES

EFFECTIVE
WRITING
PROCESS and
TECHNIQUES
I. Writing for Easy Reading
Aim to write a material
that is:
>well organized
>easy to read
>clear
>interesting
II. Think First, Then Write
Figure out what you want to
say and why you want to write
them. Only then you can
expect: >Clarity
>Conciseness
>Consistency
>Accuracy.
Get the human interest items
and write it:
>according to what
happened first; what’s next;
>according to the most
important point first to the
next most important;
>chronological order;
>Logical arrangement.
Pattern most used:

>Who-What-Where-When-Why
order of a news story.
>State your main idea briefly
at the beginning.
>Then give the points and
details supporting this idea.

>Or the Angle or Slant Story.

A good rule would be:
>Get your reader
interested.
>Lead off with something
interesting and
promising.
>Wind up with something
you want him to
remember.
 III. Get to the Point
The beginning of a story is the
most important part.
>Start punching right off - start
with something that matters.
>Get to the point - tell some-
thing concrete and specific.
>Get the reader into something
that is of interest to him.
>Don’t start off in a round
about fashion.

>Don’t bore your reader

with a long-winded
introduction.
If you do, he’s likely to
quit reading before he
gets to the main idea.
 IV. Use Familiar Words
• When you want to communicate
with somebody, you have to use
the words he has in his head.
• If he doesn’t understand some of
the words you use he is likely to
miss your meaning.
• Bear this simple truth in mind,
unless he understands, you have
accomplished nothing.
COMPLEX COMMON
Indisposed ill
Contribute give
Monumental big
Request ask
Terminate end
Endeavor try
Witness see
Summon call
Purchase buy
Category class
Utilize use
Prevaricate lie
Majority most
Incarcerate jail
Reside live
Inaugurate start
Procure get
Facilitate help
Proceed go
Inundate flood
 V. Omit Verbal Deadwood
Effective writing is concise.
>for the reason that -because
>united in holy matrimony -married
>used for fuel purposes -fueled
>at the recent time -now
>held a conference -met
>tendered his resignation -resigned
>in the immediate vicinity -near
>told his listener -said
>was able to make his escape -escaped
>affixed his signature -signed
The italic words in the following
examples should be omitted:
-Advance prediction
-Fatal killing
-Definitely decided
-New recruits
-The other alternative
-Free gift
-For a period of two week
-Past history
-Final conclusion
-Dead body
The rule is:
Chop out the verbal deadwood.
VI. Keep Sentences Short
• The logic of writing short sentences
is for the readers to absorb the idea
faster.
• The longer the sentence, the more
words. The more words, the more
relationships. The more relation-
ships, the more effort for the reader.
• The chance he will misunderstand,
the sooner he will quit reading.
Average sentence length in
words that fits an audience
reading skill.
Very easy -8 or less
Easy -11
Fairly easy -14 or less
Standard -17
Fairly difficult -21
Difficult -25
Very difficult -29 and above
VII. Shorten your
Paragraphs
Short paragraphs are better:
• Visually, they are easy on the eye.
• Short paragraphs act as a brake on the
writer who strings too many ideas or
facts together.
• Short paragraphs make for easy
reference
• As a rule, begin paragraph with a
sentence that suggests the topic or a
transition sentence.
 VIII. Use Specific,
Concrete Language
• Shy away from abstract words.
• Use lots of concrete, specific
words that stand for things you
and your reader can see, hear,
taste, touch, and smell.
• 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.
Tragedy (fire, explosion, drowning)
Accident (collision, a fall from a
building)
Organization (Jaycees, YMCA?)
Ceremony (wedding? Mass?
Award?)
Legal action (suit for damages?
Criminal case?)
Document (deed of sale? Treaty?)
Monetary consideration (salary?
bribe? reward?)
Community (town? barrio? city?)
Vague His head was injured by a blunt
instrument.
Precise His skull was fractured with a
hammer.

Vague Officers removed a gun from his

clothing.
Precise Police took a 32 caliber
automatic from his hip pocket.

Vague A large number assembled for

the protest rally.
Precise Five hundred attended the
anti-GMA rally.
IX. Prefer the Simple to
the Complex

“Corazon Amurao walked

a dozen steps from the
witness stand here today,
pointed her right hand at
Richard Franklin Speck,
and said, “This is the
man.”
“There was absolute silence in the
courtroom. Not a soul stirred as
the words rang out in a clear girlish
voice tinged with the soft Spanish
accent of the tiny Filipino nurse.”

“Her extended fingers did not touch

Speck, the murderer of eight of her
classmates at the South Chicago
Community hospital nursing school.
But in that dramatic moment, they
did not waver.”
“Her small featured, moon-
shaped face was expression-
less. It was in the depths of her
jet black eyes that emotion
showed.”

Four hours, Miss Amurao re-

counted the events of July 13
which led to the death of eight
girls, two of them Filipinos like
Corazon. At one point:
“Her voice broke. She struggled
to regain her composure, but
failed. Finally she gave in to the
tears that wracked her small
body and flushed her face. She
buried her face in the
handkerchief and cried and
cried, a silent grief that was
more sensed than heard.”
 X. Be Positive
State a fact or an idea directly.
Use direct rather than indirect sentences.
>Follow the natural order of thought:
Subject verb object.
Avoid round-about language like:
>“With respect to the question of pets,
Mary exercised rights of ownership over
a certain juvenile member of the sheep
family.”
But a child simply says:
>“Mary had a little lamb.”
 XI. Use the Active Voice
Write according to natural order of
thought, the subject-verb-object
agreement.
>This is normally the way you
talk.
>It is the natural method by which
a person breaks news to another.
We call this active voice. It gives
snap and punch to writing.
Consider this example from a
local paper:
>Congressmen demanded today
the firing of all NFA officials
(active)
>The firing of all NFA officials
was demanded today by
congressmen. (passive)
>The demand for the firing of all
NFA officials was made by
congressmen. (passive)
The habitual use of the active voice
makes for effective writing.

>When a sentence is recast into the

active voice, it becomes shorter.
>Whenever possible use verbs
rather than nouns in your
sentences.
-Nouns, especially abstract nouns
tend to be static.
-Verbs imply action, movement and
make the story sparkle.
 XII. Write as you Talk
• Oral reporting gives a natural,
rapid narrative story telling,
leaving out non-essentials.
• Using personal pronouns,
contractions, and fragmentary
sentences in writing are more
effective.
• A conversational tone makes for a
readable writing. It increases
interest and helps better
understanding.
 XIII. Revise and Sharpen
Improve article by rearranging it.
>Look for fat words that say nothing.
>Look for unnecessary sentences.
>Look for paragraphs that don’t carry
their own weight.
>Underline important words and
thoughts.
>Highlight thoughts by putting them
into a separate paragraph.
>Repeat main point to make sure the
reader gets it.
XIV. Write to Express,
not to Impress
The biggest fault of most
writers is they try to impress
someone.
Writing is primarily to inform,
use words generally familiar to
the readers and keep
sentences reasonably short
and simple.
Lack of restraint in the use of
words can lead to:
Euphemisms – the use of
supposedly pleasing expression in
place of the simpler and more
accurate word.
Churchill told a colleague:
“The Right Honorable Member is
guilty of a terminological
inexactitude.”
What he meant: “You are lying.”
Metaphor – the application of a
descriptive term to an object
to which it is not literally
applicable.
“The strong arm of the law
is marching after the
offenders.”
An arm does not march.

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