Effective Writing

The incorrect use and formation of plural nouns is one of the most common mistakes people make in their writing. Its one of the simpler grammatical rules, so you’d think it would have the least margin of error. However, it is often the simplest elements that trip people up. And you don’t have to be a grammophobe to understand or remember them; all it takes is a little time and a review every so often.
Remember:

1. A common noun is a person, place or thing;
2. A proper noun is easy to recognize because it is always capitalized.

Now on to plurals we go:

The plural of most words is formed by adding –s to the singular form of the noun:

• lake, lakes; sell, sells; crawl, crawls; shade, shades; the Browns; the Andersons; the Rothmans.

For common nouns ending in y and preceded by a vowel, add an –s:

• Sashay, sashays; bay, bays; cay, cays; day, days

For proper nouns ending in y, the plural is formed with the regular –s:

• the two Pattys; the two Scullys; the two Kansas Citys. (Continued)

Have you noticed that you consistently fall into one point of view (POV) when you begin writing an article or other similar document? This process is so routine that many writers don’t think about the importance of the point of view they’re using, though most of us automatically write in the point of view with which we’re most comfortable. When you’re in high school, you’re briefly introduced to points of view and generally told to stay away from the personal pronoun “I.” If you go to college, you tend to write in the third person, as it is often more objective and impersonal. Eventually, consciously or not, you begin to realize that point of view in a professional email or an article is just as important as style, tone and word choice.

Next time you sit down to write, think about which point of view is most appropriate. Is your goal to instruct and advise or to participate and observe? These are questions you need to ask before you sit down and begin your project.

(Continued)

Technical writing bears a special place in the writing world. It requires a diligence and knowledge base that goes beyond a little research; even people who call themselves ‘technical writers’ many times end up taking confusing jargon and changing it to, well, more confusing jargon. Good technical writing requires the author to be neat, organized, and above all, concise.

In the beginning, technical writing primarily referred to writing about technology in the form of content like end-user manuals, white papers, system design documents, web sites, and similar materials for companies like engineering firms and IT companies. In the last few years, however, technical writing has evolved and drifted into many other fields such as finance, business, marketing, and more. (Continued)

The right quote is essential when you’re replying to an inquiry from a potential client. There’s no set formula for creating a quote because each project is different. There are, however, certain elements you can include in your quote to increase its effectiveness.

Here are some tips that will make it easier for you to create a professional, effective writing quote.

One, include a header with your company name/logo and information. This is important as it shows you care about the image you present and that you are professional and know what you’re doing.

Two, use sub-headers, such as “Included Services” and “Price & Terms.” They are essential to creating a well-organized quote that is easy to follow and direct. (Continued)

A professional writing quote should be clear, concise, and informative. The goal is to tell the client exactly what you’re going to do for them and how you’re going to do it. The more detailed and professional the quote, the better chance you have of nailing the job.

Tip: for maximum effectiveness, make good use of bulleted lists, sub-headers, and a professional logo or header. Here is an example format you might use: (Continued)

If you’re looking for specific information about writing, editing, or the like, please let us know; we can probably help. If you have writing or editing questions you’d like answered, leave a comment and we’ll reply.

Recently there have been a slew of questions about writing for Wikipedia. Writing for Wikipedia is actually quite easy; here are some easy steps to follow. Keep in mind that while you can edit a page anonymously, you will be more effective if you do so as a user. Here’s how to start: (Continued)

Bad technical writing. It screams at you from every proprietary page of a comprehensive, network-enabled, specialized technology and advanced application company’s website…

What?

Welcome to the land of techno-babble. Fraught with pitfalls, sinkholes and swamps, it is a land where heavy paragraphs drag you down; sentences trip you up; your eyes glaze over strange words; and service pages provide hazy “solutions.”

Sadly, many people get lost in this land and don’t know where to go or what to do. Give them what they really want and lead them out of confusion; tell them what you do in bold, powerful language that is simple and effective.

Above all else, good technical writing must be accessible. Visitors should leave your site as customers, with a clear understanding of what your product or service does and what it will do for them.

 

A growing phenomenon in the world of words is the use of the suffix -ize. Though it’s acceptable to summarize and harmonize in good taste, there’s rarely, if ever, a reason to utilize or prioritize. Don’t smack -ize onto a noun to create a verb. It sounds worse and a better word always exists.

The word utilize is especially annoying. Use works as well or better, and it doesn’t convey the same coldness and sterility that characterizes the term ‘utilize.’ The same goes for words like prioritize and finalize.

Using the -ize suffix to create a verb immediately separates the viewer from your language. No longer is it intriguing and interestiing, but dull and hollow.  There are some words like harmonize and summarize that can be used sparingly, but please, never, ever containerize!

 

Find Resources at websites like Project Gutenberg and Bartelby’s.com.

Public Domain webisites like Project Gutenberg and Bartleby.com are gold mines if you’re looking for free literature or verse, style and grammar guides, and more.  They provide a plethora of work pre-1920’s, and its all free for you to devour at your pleasure.

Project Gutenberg offers 18,000 books online. These include everything from books by Ovid and Dante to Jane Austen, Mark Twain, and numerous other authors. They are an excellent resource, and all the books can be downloaded as e-books.

Bartleby.com is an open resource, Public Domain site that offers numerous writing and grammar resources, including the American Heritage Dictionary, Strunk & White,  Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, and even Gray’s Anatomy. Their searches are divided into reference, verse, fiction, and non-fiction.

If you’re linking a document, make sure you’re linking to an outside website. Internal links are fine to link directly to the subject as long as its semi-apparent that your site has to do with the link.

If your site has several themes, however, you may still want to put an identifying link in your text.