10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing
1. Use action verbs and avoid the verb “to be” whenever possible.
Initial: Roughly two million U.S. children have a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
Revised: Roughly two million U.S. children suffer from a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
2. Avoid the passive tense.
Initial: Local and national elections were disrupted with violence and fraud by political partisans.
Revised: Political partisans disrupted national elections with violence and fraud.
3. Use as few words as possible to convey your meaning.
Initial: In 2005, GSL offered its program in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to teach 26 students.
Revised: In 2005, GSL joined with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to teach 26 students.
4. Avoid subordinating your main ideas.
Initial: It’s important that those of us in government continue to…
Revised: As elected officials, we must continue to….
5. Avoid negative constructions whenever possible.
Initial: Unlike many of our colleagues, he does not deal in raucous vulgarity.
Revised: Unlike many of our colleagues, he avoids raucous vulgarity.
6. Use primary verbs without auxiliary qualifications such as hope to, want to, and help to.
Initial: We hope to design special courses to involve students…
Revised: We will design special courses to involve students…
7. Avoid using the word "I" too often. Substitute the word “my” instead.
Initial: As a minority, I am also very interested in the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
Revised: As a minority, my personal interests include the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
8. Avoid gender prejudice or awkward constructions by using the plural tense.
Initial: Each team member contributes his/her talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
Revised: Our team members contribute their talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
9. Avoid word repetition.
Initial: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and conserve natural resources.
Revised: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and preserve natural resources.
10. Avoid vague or weak constructions such as "there is" or "this means."
Initial: By 1902, there were 18 buildings adjacent to a new farmhouse.
Revised: By 1902, 18 buildings adjoined a new farmhouse.
Of course, high-level editing requires years of experience. But a strict adherence to the rules above will result in crisp documents written in a concise, direct and engaging style.
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees Writing - To learn more about this author, visit William Gissen's Website.
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Top executives must review documents from subordinates for crucial business presentations, pitches to prospects and training for new employees or programs. Here are ten easy rules to create succinct, well-written articles for nearly any purpose. The examples represent actual editing provided by my firm.
1. Use action verbs and avoid the verb “to be” whenever possible.
Initial: Roughly two million U.S. children have a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
Revised: Roughly two million U.S. children suffer from a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
2. Avoid the passive tense.
Initial: Local and national elections were disrupted with violence and fraud by political partisans.
Revised: Political partisans disrupted national elections with violence and fraud.
3. Use as few words as possible to convey your meaning.
Initial: In 2005, GSL offered its program in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to teach 26 students.
Revised: In 2005, GSL joined with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to teach 26 students.
4. Avoid subordinating your main ideas.
Initial: It’s important that those of us in government continue to…
Revised: As elected officials, we must continue to….
5. Avoid negative constructions whenever possible.
Initial: Unlike many of our colleagues, he does not deal in raucous vulgarity.
Revised: Unlike many of our colleagues, he avoids raucous vulgarity.
6. Use primary verbs without auxiliary qualifications such as hope to, want to, and help to.
Initial: We hope to design special courses to involve students…
Revised: We will design special courses to involve students…
7. Avoid using the word "I" too often. Substitute the word “my” instead.
Initial: As a minority, I am also very interested in the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
Revised: As a minority, my personal interests include the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
8. Avoid gender prejudice or awkward constructions by using the plural tense.
Initial: Each team member contributes his/her talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
Revised: Our team members contribute their talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
9. Avoid word repetition.
Initial: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and conserve natural resources.
Revised: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and preserve natural resources.
10. Avoid vague or weak constructions such as "there is" or "this means."
Initial: By 1902, there were 18 buildings adjacent to a new farmhouse.
Revised: By 1902, 18 buildings adjoined a new farmhouse.
Of course, high-level editing requires years of experience. But a strict adherence to the rules above will result in crisp documents written in a concise, direct and engaging style.
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees Writing - To learn more about this author, visit William Gissen's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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