Style Basics
1. Place yourself in the background.
Does this mean you can never use the first person "I"?
Of course not. It simply means keep the focus on what is important
in your communication.
Examples:
No: I would like you to bring your signed contracts to the Provost's
office by Wednesday.
Yes: Please bring your signed contracts to the Provost's office
by Wednesday.
2. Work from a suitable design.
Always have a plan in mind. Determine what the audience of your
communication will be; determine what the purpose of the communication
will be. Try a rough outline, if necessary.
Example:
Your assignment is to explain to students the procedure for submitting
work study sheets and the importance of completing them and submitting
them on time. Your plan might look like this:
paragraph one: alert work study students to existence of forms,
where and when to pick them up
paragraph two: explanation of proper way to fill out sheets, what
signatures are required
paragraph three: explanation of when to submit them; warning about
consequences if not completed correctly and one time (no pay?)
3. Write with nouns and verbs. Don't rely on adjectives and adverbs
to do all of your work.
No: Mark Stefanovich spoke convincingly to the
board about the urgent need to hire a new library director.
Yes: Mark Stefanovich convinced the board of the urgency of hiring
a new library director.
4. Revise and rewrite.
No explanation needed here. Even the best writers, professional
writers, take the time to revise and rewrite. Your best bet is
to write out your memo or letter straight through, without stopping
to agonize over every word. Then take the time to go through it
carefully. Review organization. Cut and paste paragraphs if necessary.
Always consider it in terms of your audience--what will be easiest
for your reader to understand. Review usage, punctuation, grammar.
Use a writer's handbook if necessary.
5. Do not overwrite.
Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest. Stick to simplicity.
No: While President Watkins is engaging in a much
needed respite, Barry Chambers will execute all administrative
duties associated with her post.
Yes: While President Watkins is on vacation this week, Barry Chambers
will be in charge.
6. Do not overstate.
Try not to exaggerate. This will only convince your readers that
your judgement is faulty.
No: The stress of waiting for a decision on whether
or not I will receive my quarterly salary adjustment has been
like crouching before the guillotine.
Yes: Please inform me about your decision on my quarterly salary
adjustment as soon as possible.
7. Avoid use of qualifiers. Rather, little, pretty, pretty much
These suck all the life out of the words they modify.
No: We are rather upset by....
Yes: We are upset by...
No: If our work study students could work a little harder....
Yes: If our work study students could work harder..
8. Do not affect a breezy manner.
While you should use "natural prose" (as stated earlier),
don't let your writing slip into "uninhibited" prose.
No: While Slava and I were in Sophia, we stopped at the U.S.
Embassy where a
young marine tipped his hat and said "Good morning ladies,"
in a southern accent, then apologized that the shipment to AUBG
would be delayed.
Yes: At the U.S. Embassy in Sophia, Slava and I learned that
the shipment to AUBG would be delayed.
9. Use orthodox spelling.
No: R U going to Varna today?
Yes: Are you going to Varna today?
10. Do not explain too much.
Usually, your reader doesn't need to know the whole history--just
the outcome.
No: We would like to announce that after seven
separate meetings, spread out over the course of the past three
months, in which administrators, staff, faculty and students argued
repeatedly over smokers versus non-smokers rights, safety hazards,
and air quality, the administration of AUBG decided to prohibit
smoking throughout the interior of the building.
Yes: Smoking is no longer allowed in the building.
11. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.
Particularly in business communications, you are often asked to
compose a letter for your supervisor. Make sure that the "speaker"
of the communication is clear (this can be done with the closure);
don't confuse the "I" of the letter with yourself.
Sometimes you will write in third person (Steve Kenney would like
to announce.... Rich Roesing asks that all applicants...). In
this case, use the first person plural "we" (meaning
"the finance office") as the "speaker."
12. Avoid euphemisms.
Euphemisms are "nice sounding" words or phrases substituted
for words thought to be harsh or ugly. These tend to be wordy
and indirect, often obscuring meaning.
preowned automobile=used car
economically deprived=poor
selected out=fired
negative savings=debt
strategic withdrawal=retreat or defeat
revenue enhancers=taxes
correctional facility=prison
13. Don't play the thesaurus game.
This is what you'll find in the thesaurus under "Staff":
[employees of an organization]
agents, assistants, cadre, cast, crew, deputies, faculty, force,
officers, operatives, personnel, servants, team, workers
14. Do not inject opinion
Unless your purpose is to argue your point, and you have made
it clear in the course of your communication that this is the
case, keep your opinion out of it.
No: Although I think she is making a mistake,
Norma Tucker has decided to close the Washington Development Office.
Yes: Norma Tucker has decided to close the Washington Development
Office.
15. Use figures of speech sparingly.
A figure of speech is an expression that uses words imaginatively
(rather than literally) to invigorate an idea or make abstract
ideas more concrete. These include simile and metaphor. Figures
of speech are more appropriate for poetry and creative writing
than business communications.
No: Our office has decided to put that on the
back burner.
Yes: Our office has decided to delay that decision.
16. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.
Here we're talking about using acronyms and abbreviations. Identify
everything in full, then, immediately following, an acronym or
abbreviation. Then you can use the abbreviated version throughout.
The American University is Bulgaria (AUBG) is
a liberal arts college located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. AUBG
offers degrees in.....
We will soon hire a new Director of Library Services (DLS). The
DLS will be responsible for administering....
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