Techniques for Effective Writing
Writers’ knowledge of language and techniques of writings enables them to write skillfully and logically. Written communication skills are important in almost every job. Whether you need to submit reports, correspond with clients via email, create presentation slides, compose articles for your website or write something longer and more in-depth, knowing how to communicate clearly and effectively in writing can help you to perform well and advance in your career.
1. Write for the Reader:
The most important of the techniques for effective writing is to write for the reader. Put yourself in the reader’s place by thinking about how you would react to the message if you were the receiver and not the writer. Putting yourself in the reader’s place means neither overestimating or underestimating your reader, neither’ using language that is unfamiliar to the reader nor talking down.
For example, if you are writing to a customer who is unfamiliar with the special language used within your industry, you want to avoid specialized terms-. “Your account records have been captured on a floppy: permanent housing will be made on-line to our mainframe” would not be appropriate for the average reader.
2. Keep Sentences Short:
Check the sentence length of your message. If most of the sentences exceed fifteen to twenty words, consider breaking up long sentences into shorter ones. Put separate ideas into separate sentences. This practice allows you to keep sentences shorter and makes for better understanding.
For example, the following sentence has too few sentence breaks. I plan to be in Chittagong on October 3-5 and would like to meet with you and your lawyer during that time to talk about the modification of our agreement that we discussed briefly on the telephone.
A better way of presenting this information would be: I plan to be in Chittagong on October 3-5. During that time I would like to meet with you and your lawyer to discuss the modification of our agreement. We discussed this matter briefly on the telephone.
3. Use Paragraph Breaks:
Paragraph breaks are used to divide the text into readable units. This division requires that writers think in terms of main and supporting ideas, and it improves readability by breaking the monotony of long, unbroken blocks of words.
4. Use Short, Simple Words:
Use short and simple words, the reader will easily understand. Long words are not necessary. Short, simple wording is more effective to attain communication objectives.
5. Avoid Jargon:
Jargon is a pompous, trite, and abstract language. Jargon should be avoided to make life simple.
Avoid
Use
I acknowledge receipt of your letter.
Thank you for your letter. I am sorry
I regret to inform you that I am in error
6. Use personal pronouns:
When we write we should use personal pronouns rather than using any indirect and indefinite expressions.
Avoid
Use
It is suggested
I (we) suggest
It is recommended I (we) ‘recommend
I we recommend
Tom told me.
Tom told me
7. Avoid Trite Words and Phrases:
Some of these words and expressions include (but are not limited to) the following:
Avoid
use
Enclosed please find
we are enclosing
or the present time
now
in the event that
if
as per your order
as you ordered
avail yourself of this opportunity
take advantage of this opportunity
awaiting your further instructions
may we hear from you
deem it advisable
think it is advisable
beg to differ
disagree
involve the necessity of
demand, require
involves the use of
uses, employees
during the time that
while
by means of
by
is designed to be
is
at the same time as
while
at an early date
soon
at the present writing
now
in order to
to
8. Use Active Words:
Use action words, fast-paced words that carry your message along at a quick pace. The reader should not have to slow down or reread a phrase to understand it. For example; “This issue vitally concerns you” is faster-paced than ‘This. The issue is something that is of vital concern to you”, “This document requires your signature” is faster-paced than” It's required that this document has your signature.” Say I believe instead of ” It is my belief that
9. Avoid Redundancies:
Redundancies are repetitions using two words when one is correct, for example:
Avoid
Use
same identical
identical
final outcome
outcome
careful security
scrutiny
completely destroyed
destroyed
advance planning
planning
dead corpse
corpse
basic fundamentals
fundamentals
surrounded on all sides
surrounded
raining outside
raining
cooperated together
cooperated
new beginner
beginner
refer back
refer
repeat again
repeat
revert back
revert
and etc.
etc.
true facts
facts
dollar amounts
dollars or amounts
consensus of opinion
consensus
seldom over
seldom
complete monopoly
monopoly
10. Use a Natural Style:
Business letters should be warm, natural, and brief, as they bridge the gap and help to establish respect and relation between you and your reader.
11. Use the “You” Approach:
The “you” approach is the old standby that everyone equates with a good message. It is simply another way of saying. “Remember your reader.” or “keep the reader in mind as you write.” Some people, however, believe that the “you” approach means using you frequently in a letter. But use of the word you, however many times it is repeated. Does not necessarily result in the “you” approach.
For example, You did not include the color costume you wanted in your order; therefore, your order • cannot be completed until you indicate your preference on the enclosed card. This request does not use the “you” approach even though you and you have been used extensively.
A better example of the “you” approach would be Please indicate your costume color preference on the enclosed card. Your order will be sent as soon as we receive the card. Notice that although the words you and your are not used as often as in the first example, the writer has clearly defined the message to the reader’s needs.
12. Don’t be redundant or repeat yourself:
Also, don’t keep writing the same thing over and over and over. In other words, say something once rather than several times. Because when you repeat yourself or keep writing the same thing, your readers go to sleep. Try to explain your inner self in words more specifically
13. Use Correct Punctuation:
Punctuation makes a difference in what the message actually says. Consider, for example:
I left him convinced he was right
I left him, convinced he was right
Thirteen people knew the secret, all told
Thirteen people knew the secret; all told
Note how the messages change in these examples as the punctuation is changed.
14.Proofread Carefully:
A well-written message may be ruined because it was not read carefully for errors that occurred when the message was prepared. You must take responsibility for proofreading your own material. Suppose a meeting is planned for April 14, and the memo informing participants of the meeting is written to read April 13.
How many people are going to be present at the April 14 meeting? How many people are going to be angry when they appear on April 13 and there is one meeting? When you put these techniques for effective writing into use in your business communications, you will write letters and memos that get results while creating goodwill for you and your company.
15. Read what they are writing:
Whenever you are going to write down some topics or any other thing you want to write, you can search for your topic on Google. For that reason, you will get a huge knowledge about your required topic and you will get a knowledge of what other people or writers are thinking about your topic, so your topic will be more readable and fruitful.
So these are some points on the basis that you can improve your Effective Writing. My hard work will make that time :)