What are headings and why would I need them in a report?
Headings are the titles and subtitles that name a document or name sections and subsections of a document. So, for example, the title of this blog post is a heading.
Read MoreAre you allowed to use “I” in reports?
"...Since a report’s job is to present information, the content, organization, and formatting of the report work towards that purpose...Of all the challenges capturing information in an easy-to-read report presents, perhaps the hardest is avoiding the word “I”. Many of us were told that we couldn’t use the word “I” in a report. It was a rule given to us by our biology teacher for our lab reports or our English teacher for a book report. The rule seemed arbitrary and made us write in strange ways..."
Read MoreListening is 50% of effective communication
When we think about communication, we often focus on what we are trying to say to another person. But the act of producing language–whether writing or speaking–is only half of communication. Effective communication requires a reader or a listener. If you write something and no one ever reads it, the content is not communicated. If you say something but no one hears you, your message hasn’t been communicated. In other words, effective communication isn’t just what we produce, but also how well we listen.
Read MoreWhat You Don’t Say Still Speaks
As an expert in business writing, I focus mostly on how we use language to communicate ideas effectively. But communication is more than words.
Read MoreGrammar "Rules"
Recently I got into a little text message exchange with my aunt. She wrote to me about sitting next to someone on the plane who had terrible grammar. They were talking and the other person kept saying things like “Me and my friend” instead of “My friend and I.” Which made my aunt a bit crazy. She texted me because, since I’m an English person, she thought I would understand her frustration.
And I do understand. But I don’t think speech has the same grammar rules as writing. And I definitely don’t think it’s appropriate to correct a stranger’s grammar on an airplane.
Read MoreWhat is Professionalism?
… Knowing how to be professional for a particular audience in a particular context is what allows us to build, create, or maintain credibility…Professionalism linked to suits in the workplace is one example of the ways we generalize “professionalism”, even though suits in the workplace aren’t professional for every situation and every audience. Professionalism really depends on the context rather than a fixed set of rules…
Read MoreClosings: How do you say goodbye?
If you read our January blog post, then you already know: Email is a slow, written conversation. Once you start that conversation, you will inevitably need to end it.
The closing is important because it marks the end of the message. It reassures the reader that they have received your complete thoughts, all that you intended to send them…
Read MoreWhat makes a great subject line in business writing? ACTion
Subject lines are a critical part of email format. They’re the first thing people read. They can help a person decide whether to open the message or not. And they can help a person find an email in their messy inbox at a later date.
Read MoreGreetings: How to start your email with the right tone!
Email is a slow, written conversation. The greeting is how the conversation starts. It’s the first thing the reader hears in your voice (The subject line is technically first, but we don’t read it in the voice of the writer). And it has a big impact on how the reader interprets the rest of the message.
Read MoreParallel Structure: 1, 2, 3 not 1, A, Blue
Is the grammar in your lists and bullets correct? Whenever you create a series, whether horizontal (sentences) or vertical (bullets) the items in those lists need to match!
Parallel structure not only maintains consistency in your lists (sentences and bullets) but it establishes clarity and credibility for your audience. How can you make sure that your sentences and bulleted lists are parallel? When thinking about parallel structure think 1, 2, 3, not 1, A, Blue.
Read MoreMake Every Word Count Because Nobody Wants to Read Anything
Our professional writing has to be concise because, unfortunately, no one wants to read anything. Most of the people who are reading your messages or are writing to you are doing so because they need to get things done, or we need them to get things done. They need to have information. Rather than reading to enjoy your emails, like they would a good book, they are reading the message trying to figure out: Why are you writing to me? And, what am I supposed to do with this?
Read MoreMimicry: One Tool to Build Trust
Recently, a few videos on “psychological tricks” have been popping up in my social media feed. One of the tricks that gets a fair amount of attention is that of mirroring. The idea is that if you mirror people’s body language, they are more likely to trust you. For example, if a person reaches for their drink, and then you reach for your drink, the similarity of the action subconsciously suggests that you are alike, which can build trust. So, if the person leans forward, you lean forward; if the person crosses their legs, you cross your legs.
Read MoreComma Splices: How to Identify Them in Your Writing and Fix Run-On Sentences
You might be thinking, do commas or run-on sentences really matter that much? Or, I learned about commas back in grade school, but I don’t remember any of the rules. Don’t I just a throw a comma in before “and” or anytime I pause to take a breath?
The short answers: comma splices and run-on sentences do matter. Not only are they correctness issues, but they help with clarity, so you can clearly articulate what you want to say to your audiences. And, both correctness and clarity establish credibility with your audience.
And, there are pretty straightforward rules for when you should use commas in your sentences (not just when you see “and” or take a breath). Basically, the reason that commas exist is to help us sort the pieces of a sentence.
Read MoreGrammar "Rules"
Recently I got into a little text message exchange with my aunt. She wrote to me about sitting next to someone on the plane who had terrible grammar. They were talking and the other person kept saying things like “Me and my friend” instead of “My friend and I.” Which made my aunt a bit crazy. She texted me because, since I’m an English person, she thought I would understand her frustration.
And I do understand. But I don’t think speech has the same grammar rules as writing. And I definitely don’t think it’s appropriate to correct a stranger’s grammar on an airplane.
Read MoreWriting Personalities
Just like the way we talk, move, interact with our families and friends, and move through our day, our writing reveals a slice of who we are. But writing, like all communication, involves two sides: a sender and a receiver. As the writer, we know what we want to say. And most of our education has taught us how to get our thoughts onto the page or screen in front of us.
Read MoreOxford Commas
What is the Oxford comma, and how would I use such a thing?
Our March newsletter on apostrophes was quite popular—thank you! And, it yielded a request for a blog post on Oxford commas. Thank you, dear reader, for your request! We hope this month’s blog post and newsletter will be illuminating.
Read MoreStandardized Spelling
Spelling in English is hard. There are languages where the idea of a spelling bee is ridiculous because everything is spelled just the way it sounds (looking at you, Spanish). Not English. That’s why we are so lucky the computer programmers have invented tools like spellcheck! For centuries, spelling was the most common error in writing. Enter spellcheck! Now the most common error isn’t misspelling; it’s using the wrong word—a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently. (your/you’re there/their/they’re, anyone?)
Read MoreThe Madness of Apostrophes
Apostrophes in English are that little emoji where the brain is popping out of the smiley face. Did you know there are languages that don’t use apostrophes? They just put an s at the end of the word; no punctuation, no problem. But not English, no. We like complicated.
Read MoreAre you reading this? Or have you already skipped to the next line?
Professionals use writing to communicate. That means, when I write a message, I want the person on the other end to read it and then take some action like write me back. And when I read, I’m skimming the person’s writing trying to figure out what the writer wants me to do.
How does this affect you, as the author? How can you adjust your writing with this knowledge?
Helping Your Reader Read: 3 Ways To Make Your Writing Easier To Read
Research shows that people are more likely to read things that are written in easy or familiar fonts. As professionals who write, we are most concerned with efficiently communicating information in order to generate new business, maintain business relationships, or just get work done. Most of us focus on what we need to say in order to accomplish those goals. But communication is a process that requires a message to be created and received. When we focus on creating the message, sometimes we forget to consider how that same message will be read by the person on the other end.
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