Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Clarity Conciseness
Completeness
Correctness
Clarity
Clarity is achieved when the receiver
understands a message as the sender intended. Word choice, unity, and coherence affect clarity; each of these will now be explained.
will understand. A print or electronic thesaurus is a valuable tool in choosing clear, simple words. Clear words are often called talk words because they are used in day-to-day speaking.
Clarity - Unity
Sentences and paragraphs have unity when
they have one main idea and the other information in the sentence supports that main idea. A topic sentence is the most common way to create unity within a paragraph. EXAMPLES: - Today is Monday; London is in England. - Today is Monday; on Thursday we leave for London.
Clarity - Coherence
Unified messages are also coherent. They flow naturally and the ideas in them
relate to each other. Transitional words and phrases and repetition help make messages coherent. Writers use transitional words and phrases as bridges to join ideas. SEARCH the Internet for a list of transitional words and phrases.
Clarity - Coherence
Repeating words and using pronouns in
place of nouns also helps to achieve coherence. EXAMPLES: - The pen and pencil sets are packed 12 to a box. Each set comes in a case that has the look and feel of leather (repetition). - The pen and pencil sets are packed 12 to a box. They come in a case that has the look and feel of leather (pronouns).
Conciseness
Everyone prefers messages that express
thoughts in the fewest words possible. Concise messages are only long enough to present all of the necessary information. The key to writing concise messages, ones that are brief yet effective, is to make every word count. Limit repetition, eliminate excess words, emphasize verbs, and use active verbs.
techniques.
REVISION: Johan Erickson was office manager for Ador and Smith from June 11, 1995, until February 27, 1998. Johan was efficient and effective. He worked well with the employees he supervised and scheduled their work to assure prompt, correct completion of the tasks assigned to them.
correct grammar or clear meaning. Shorten sentences beginning with It is, There is, or There are. Minimize use of that. Delete up, down, over, and under unless referring to relative position or location.
CONCISE:
Three people can while we met move to Canada combine near return now because the May 10 meeting
powerful words in the English language. WEAK VERBS: - find a solution - conduct an investigation - make a contribution - be a participant - completed the reorganization - made a selection
writing concise, clear, and powerful. POWERFUL VERBS: - solve - investigate - contribute - participate - reorganized
- selected
Completeness
A message is complete when all
information necessary for a receiver to understand is included. What information is necessary depends on the writing situation. Be sure you have asked and answered who? what? when? where? why? and how? questions.
Correctness
Writing is correct when content and mechanics are accurate.
Grammar and
punctuation errors can affect meaning and create a poor impression of writers.
Correctness
You must follow three steps after you
complete a draft of your writing: 1. Revise the draft by checking the content for completeness. 2. Edit the draft to correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling problems. 3. Proofread the draft aloud to yourself to catch errors such as missing words or unclear sentences.
important. Take the necessary time to revise, edit, and proofread your writing. Students often prepare a draft and then submit it. You MUST take the time to revise, edit, and proofread your writing!