Working with words in the workplace

Practical tips from news reporters, magazine writers, copy editors, broadcast journalists, tech writers and report editors, public relations officers, advertising copy writers and other professionals who write in order to cover the news, influence public policy, expand the frontiers of science or make things happen in the workplace.

• Keep it simple! Remember what salespeople call the "KISS principle" (keep it simple, stupid). Remember why they use it: If customers don't understand them, won't make the sale. Observe the old newswriters' rule -- when in doubt, leave it out. Even better: Leave it in, but put it in a new sentence.
• Write clearly! Shoot for clarity, not for poetry (the poetry will come back when you're not trying so hard). Don't get fancy. Fancy leads to pretentious, and pretentious puts readers to sleep.
• Use short sentences. Average 17-21 words per sentence (about one line on your computer screen). Keep your subject and verb together. Keep all related words together. That way, you won't confuse your readers. And you won't confuse yourself.
• Read your writing out loud (or under your breath if you embarrass easily), and listen to the sound of the words. Your writing will sparkle as it takes on the cadence and texture of common American speech. You'll catch more errors, too.
• Write like you talk. Let the sentence patterns of common American speech work for you, not against you. Use normal subject-verb-object word order -- and put the important stuff up front, where your reader needs it. Don't get fancy. But I already said that.
• Avoid run-on sentences and comma splices the way the pros do: Average one idea in each sentence. If you only have one idea, you don't to worry about commas and semicolons. Try not to put more than two ideas in the same sentence. If you do, think about joining them with and or but.
• No fragments! Make sure every sentence has a subject and a verb, and remember words that end with -ing aren't always verbs. Be especially careful of subordinating conjunctions -- words like although, as, after, before, because, if, that, unless, until, when, which, who, etc. They turn complete sentences into fragments. Put your subject and verb at the beginning of the sentence. It's easier to keep your ideas straight that way. And it makes things easier for your reader, too.

Photo: NASA

• For a more complete list of subordinating conjunctions, click here.
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