Webster's Word Power Better English Writing: Improve Your Writing Power

By Sue Moody

Effective, written work that people want to read, and remember, stands out. This book will help you write emails, a CV, a thesis, report, essay or novel. This book shows you to how to attack the piece of writing, from planning to effective communication so people will remember your work and want to come back to it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Geddes and Grosset
• Release date: Aug 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781842057872

Book preview

BETTER ENGLISH WRITING

The aim of this book is to help you write clearer and more concise English – whether you are writing emails or writing a thesis.

By the time you have finished this book, you will have learned tips and techniques to improve your written English and make it more readable and interesting. You will be able to write clearly and effectively, and to come across in a memorable and professional way.

The book contains six main chapters. These are as follows.

Better writing for every day

This chapter gives you some general advice to help you write better English – whatever that type of writing is. It covers the importance of plain English, and will help you to apply the principles of plain English to your writing. We have provided some examples of how not-so-plain English can be converted into plain English!

We also focus on the importance of editing and revising your writing in this chapter. Even the most professional and gifted of writers edit and revise their work.

Writing for learning

In this chapter the focus is on writing for learning. You will find out about research and how to tackle writing essays and theses. There are examples of each of these to give you an idea of what is expected.

You can apply this information to writing assignments for all sorts of courses – whether you are at school, college, university or doing a distance learning course.

Writing for work or business

This chapter gives you the advice and support you need to be able to tackle all sorts of writing for work or business – from writing a CV or making a presentation to get the job, through to communicating with customers by email, letter or text.

There are examples of each type of writing.

Writing for the media

Writing for the media involves learning specific writing techniques. If you are interested in writing articles or news items for newspapers, magazines, ezines, websites, TV or radio, then this chapter will help you to understand and apply these techniques.

It also looks at interview techniques and house styles, and provides useful examples.

Writing creatively

This chapter provides an introduction to the different types of fiction and non-fiction writing, and their characteristics. It also gives you advice on composition techniques that you can apply to your own fiction and non-fiction writing.

Again, examples are provided to illustrate these techniques.

Keep reading and writing!

One of the best ways to improve your own writing is by reading other people’s writing. In this chapter, we leave you with some suggestions for material that you should read every day. We also have some suggestions for how you can practise writing regularly – the more you write, the better you’ll get.

We hope that you enjoy using this book, and that it will inspire you to produce clear, concise and memorable writing!

CONTENTS

BETTER WRITING FOR EVERY DAY

INTRODUCTION

PLAIN ENGLISH

What is plain English and why is it important?

How to apply plain English to your writing

Think ahead – plan and structure your writing

Talk directly to your reader – use ‘you’ and ‘we’

Use simple, straightforward words

Words and phrases to avoid

Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise

Use lists to help you manage information

Be active, not passive

When passive can be useful

Avoid nominalisation

Tell it like it is!

Examples of plain English and not-so-plain English

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

REVISING AND EDITING YOUR WRITING

Why it’s essential to revise and edit your writing

Leave it and go back to it

Revise the big picture

Edit the detail

AutoCorrect, spellcheckers, grammar checkers and Google Translate – use with caution

WRITING FOR LEARNING

INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH SKILLS

What information are you looking for?

Where can you find that information?

Organising your information

Acknowledging sources/copyright

References

Main text

Bibliography

Beware of cut and paste and plagiarism

ESSAYS

The process of writing an essay

Planning your essay

Structuring your essay

Writing the introduction

Developing the argument

Writing the conclusion

THESES/DISSERTATIONS

The process of writing a thesis

Planning your thesis

Structuring your thesis

Sections within the structure

Title page

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Contents page (can also include lists of tables, illustrations and figures)

Introduction

The literature review

Materials and methods

Results/Findings

Discussion

Conclusions

References

Appendices

WRITING FOR WORK OR BUSINESS

INTRODUCTION

APPLYING FOR A JOB

How to write an effective CV

Personal details

Education and qualifications

Work experience

Further information

Interests

Referees

Example of a CV

How to write an effective covering letter

Role of the covering letter

Do your research before you write

Format

Date

Address

Greeting

Headings

Main body of the letter

Ending

Enclosures

Example of a covering letter for a job application

How to write a reference

Greeting

Main body of the letter

Conclusion

Example of a reference

Presentations

EMAILS AND TEXTING IN THE WORKPLACE

General approach

Style and tone

Text-speak?

Good practice

EMAILS AND LETTERS

General approach

Style and tone

House style

Good practice

Writing emails to customers

Example of an email to a customer

Writing letters to customers

Example of a letter to a customer

REPORTS

The process of writing a report

Planning your report

Structuring your report

Sections within the structure

Title page

Contents page

Executive summary

Introduction

Findings

Summary and conclusions

Recommendations

Appendix

Staying relevant, objective and factual

PRESENTATIONS

Planning a presentation

Purpose

Audience

Venue

Remit

Structuring a presentation

Introduction

Main points

Conclusion

Delivering an effective presentation

Remember that practice makes perfect

Use body language

Use your voice

Breathe!

Be enthusiastic and energetic

Be prepared!

What type of visual aid?

Flipchart

Handout

OHP

PowerPoint

Video

Whiteboard

Example of a PowerPoint presentation

MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL WRITING

General approach

Audience

Style and tone

Call to action

Writing brochures/leaflets

Example of a leaflet

Writing for websites

Presenting information

Writing content

Plain English

BBC

The Guardian

WWF’s Earth Hour

Social media

WRITING ANNOUNCEMENTS

General approach

Get your facts correct

Presentation style

Beginning: tell the news straight away

Middle: develop the news

End: looking forward and being positive

Style and tone

Example of an announcement

How to announce good news

Example of how to announce good news

How to announce bad news

Example of how to announce bad news

WRITING FOR THE MEDIA

INTRODUCTION

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT WRITING FOR THE MEDIA?

The five Ws and an H

Example of ‘five Ws and an H’

Media style

Example of two openings

Interviewing techniques

Do your research

Plan and structure

Establish a rapport

Ask open-ended questions

House style

Example of house style

Preferred dictionary

Addresses, ages, dates and numbers

Collective nouns

Hyphens and en rules

Abbreviations, titles, capital letters and royalty

Fonts and layouts

Style of language

Spin

DIFFERENT MEDIA, DIFFERENT STYLES

Newspapers

Tabloids and broadsheets

Examples of tabloid and broadsheet headlines

Tabloid headline

Broadsheet headline

Examples of tabloid and broadsheet report approach

Tabloid news report approach

Broadsheet news report approach

Structure and style

Magazines

News features

Profiles

Lifestyle features

Consumer features

Question and answer

Specialist features

Structure and style

Example of a feature profile

Ezines

Research

Write your article

Resource box

Developing your own ezine

Example of an ezine

Newsletters

Blogs

Why do you want to blog?

How to set up a blog

Writing a blog

Examples of blogs

Reviews

What is the target audience/market?

Include basic information

Don’t give away too much

Example of a review

ACKNOWLEDGING SOURCES/COPYRIGHT

WRITING CREATIVELY

INTRODUCTION

FICTION

Short stories

Impactful opening

Introduction of main character(s)

Introduction of setting

Problem/conflict introduced and developed

Problem/conflict develops to a climax

Effect of this climax on the character

Resolution

Novels

WRITING YOUR OWN FICTION COMPOSITION

Setting

Plot

Exposition

Conflict

Rising action

Climax

Falling action

Resolution

Narrator/voice

Dialogue

Characters

Elizabeth

Darcy

Jane

Bingley

Wickham

Mrs Bennet

Mr Bennet

Mr Collins

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Themes

Pride

Prejudice

Love and marriage

Reputation

Class and social standing

A good beginning and a good end

The writing process – fiction

First lines

Setting the scene

Prompts

NON-FICTION

Biographies

Examples from two different biographies

Travel

Travel articles

Examples of a travel article

Example of literary travel writing

Travel guides

Example of a travel guide

Cookery

Theme

Structure

Two examples of recipe structure

Photographs

Writing recipes

Example of recipe writing

Introductions and other content

Technical writing

End-user documents

Examples of end-user documents

Traditional technical writing

Example of traditional technical writing

Technological marketing material

‘How to’ writing

Examples of ‘how to’ writing

Reference works

Dictionary

Example of how to use a dictionary

Other types of dictionaries

Thesaurus

Example of a thesaurus

Encyclopedia

Atlas

Directory

Reference for writers

Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook

Rhyming dictionary

Grammar books

Emotional thesaurus

Names books

Inspirational books

Quotations books

WRITING YOUR OWN NON-FICTION COMPOSITION

Research

What information are you looking for?

Where can you find that information?

Accuracy

Organising your information

Acknowledging sources/copyright

References

Beware cut and paste and plagiarism!

Style and tone

Planning your composition

Structuring your composition

Biography

Recipe collection

Operating instructions for a communication camera

Staying relevant, objective and factual

The writing process – non-fiction

KEEP READING AND WRITING

KEEP READING

Newspapers

Magazines and ezines

Fiction

Non-fiction

Textbooks and ‘how to’ materials

Blogs

Newsletters

KEEP WRITING

Diary

Blog

Letters and cards

Essays and compositions

Newspapers

Magazines and ezines

Good luck and keep writing!

REFERENCES

Better writing for every day

Writing for learning

Writing for work or business

Writing for the media

Writing creatively

BETTER WRITING FOR EVERY DAY

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, we are going to look at what we mean by plain English and why it is so important. We will then discuss the principles of plain English, and how to apply these to everything you write, whether it’s a letter, an email, a marketing brochure or a dissertation.

There are a number of examples to show how not-so-plain English can be transformed into plain English. It really does make a huge difference when you can read and understand something easily the first time round.

Finally, there is a section on the importance of editing and revising your writing, and the role of AutoCorrect, spellcheckers, grammar checkers and Google Translate in this process.

PLAIN ENGLISH

In this section we are going to look at what we mean by ‘plain English’.

What is plain English and why is it important?

Plain English writing always keeps the reader in mind, so it is clear and concise and uses the appropriate tone.

Some people think that plain English is oversimplified and that it talks down to readers, as if they were children.

Some people think that writing good English means writing long, convoluted sentences, with lots of clauses, which have, or try to have, impressive, indecipherable words, with regard to making lots of grandiose points in a pompous and grandiloquent way and it would seem not really going anywhere with them at all and, quite frankly, leaving the reader confounded, disconcerted and bewildered, and not under­standing at all what the sentence is about because regarding this they go and on and don’t seem to know when to stop and in order to get to the end of the sentence the reader has to read the sentence over several times and endeavour hard to understand it, which is quite egregious, don’t you agree?

Confused? You should be. This sentence shows why plain English is so important.

Think about why we write in the first place. We write to communicate a message to our reader – not to show how clever or educated or well-read we are. If we can’t communicate our message to the reader in a way that they understand then what’s the point? We are excluding them, rather than including them.

And apart from anything else, plain English is faster to write and faster to read. People understand your message more easily and respond more positively if it is written using a straightforward and friendly tone, rather than a stuffy and bureaucratic one.

How to apply plain English to your writing

Here are some plain English principles. Apply these to your writing and notice the difference. It can take a while to retrain yourself to write this way, but it’s well worth the effort.

Think ahead – plan and structure your writing

Ask yourself the following questions before you start to write. If you do this, then you are more likely to produce a well-structured and effective piece of work. If you don’t, then your writing is more likely to ramble on, go off at a tangent and not make sense because you don’t really know what you want to say.

• What do I want this piece of writing to do?

• What are its aims and outcomes?

• Who are my readers?

• What do I want them to learn/know?

• What do they need/want to learn/know?

• What is the simplest and most effective way of passing on this information?

Make a plan of the structure of your work. How you do this is up to you. Some people think of their piece of writing as a story, and write out main headings and subheadings. Some people make out a list of points, in a logical order. Some people use mind maps. Use a method that you feel comfortable with.

For example, look at the contents page of this book. The writer used this as a plan for the structure of the book.

Talk directly to your reader – use ‘you’ and ‘we’

Writing doesn’t have to be formal and intimidating. You wouldn’t speak to your reader that way, so you don’t need to write that way. Try to address your reader personally, and call them ‘you’ – it will make your writing seem less bureaucratic and intimidating.

Here’s an example. If you were applying for a job, which of the following would you prefer to read?

It is suggested that job applicants submit a handwritten form and hand it in prior to the interview. Applicants will be notified by telephone of their success or otherwise.

or

Please fill in your job application form and hand it in before the interview. We will phone you to let you know if you have been successful.

In the same way, you should also use ‘we’ or ‘I’ if you are talking about your business or organisation. It gives a much more direct and positive tone to your writing.

Use simple, straightforward words

People sometimes make the mistake of thinking that by using simple, straightforward words, you are patronising your reader. Quite the opposite – if we’re honest, we all prefer to read clear and straightforward text rather than difficult, convoluted text.

There will possibly be times when you have to use technical or more complicated vocabulary because that’s what your reader requires, and they will understand the terms and phrases you use. That’s fine, as long as your writing remains clear and direct.

In general, always imagine that you are talking to your reader, and stick to straightforward English where possible.

Words and phrases to avoid

Try to avoid using words that most people wouldn’t know. For example, you might know what ‘egregious’ means (outstandingly bad) but it’s not a common word, so you’re probably safer to use ‘shocking’ or ‘extremely bad’ instead.

There are a number of words and phrases that are overused. They don’t add anything to your text, but they do give it a vague and woolly feel.Here are some examples – try to avoid them where possible or use the suggested alternatives.

Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise

Sentences containing lots of clauses (not to ­mention parentheses – and this is an example) are difficult to