Wednesday, December 7, 2022

The Art of Writing

 How to Write and Speak Better - Reader Digest

The hall mark of good writing

  1. Accuracy
    • appropriateness
    • attentive to your audience
    • avoidance of ambiguity
  2. Brevity or Conciseness
    • brightness or buoyancy
  3. Correctness
    • of usage and grammar
    • clarity
    • consistency
    • concreteness
  4. Be mindful of the reader
  5. Be logical in one's thinking
Remember your Readers

  1. Order your thoughts in the most methodical and logical sequence
  2. Use the most lucid language
Be Attentive and Logical

Be vigilant in using the correct grammar.

Incorrect         The result of all these lengthy legal actions, counterclaims and appeals stretching over                         several months, were simply huge bills from the lawyers and nothing else.

Correct           The result of all these lengthy legal actions, counterclaims, and appeals was simply                                 huge bills from the lawyers and nothing else.

Incorrect        The result of all these lengthy legal actions, counterclaims, and appeals  simply                                    produced  huge bills from the lawyers and nothing else.

Correct            All these lengthy legal actions, counterclaims, and appeals  simply                                                        produced  huge bills from the lawyers and nothing else.


Logical Lapses

False contrast and logic leaps. 

Incorrect        He defrauded his employers ingeniously over the years, but they never found out.

Correct            Since the front was ingenious, it is hotly surprising that the employers never found out                              about it.

 Incorrect        I'm sorry I'm late: it's St. Patrick's Day.

Correct            I'm sorry I'm late. I was held up by a traffic jam near Hyde Park, caused by a big parade                          there. I hadn't realized that it's St. Patrick's Day today, and that almost every Irish person                          in London would be flocking to the park to join the match.







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The Art of Writing

  How to Write and Speak Better - Reader Digest The hall mark of good writing Accuracy appropriateness attentive to your audience avoidance ...