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Not a very original idea on my part, but I think George Orwell's six "tips"
from his essay, "Politics and the English Language" are worth including:
(i) Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are
used to seeing in print.
(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.
(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.
(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you
can think of an everyday English equivalent.
(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.
Regards,
Kieran.
________________________________________
Kieran Sullivan
Telecommunications Software & Systems Group, (www.tssg.org)
Waterford Institute of Technology, (www.wit.ie)
Tel: +353 51 302915
E-Mail: ksullivan -at- tssg -dot- org
Blog: http://pureprose.wordpress.com/
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ksullivan=tssg -dot- org -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ksullivan=tssg -dot- org -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
Richard L Hamilton
Sent: 20 May 2010 05:54
To: 'Richard Mateosian'; 'TECHWR-L'
Subject: RE: Writing clearly
Richard,
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Mateosian
>
> I'm putting together a list of tips for writing clearly (for example,
> ensure that your pronouns have unambiguous antecedents). Contributions
> are welcome.
>
Know what you want to say
Know why you want to say it
Know who you are saying it to
The rest is detail (important, but useless without the what, why, and
who).
>
> I posted a similar request on the copyediting list. I suspect that
> this list will produce different suggestions. ...RM
>
I suspect you're right; if nothing else, you'll get all the detail you
can possibly use:).
Best Regards,
Richard Hamilton
---------------------------------
XML Press
XML for Technical Communicators http://xmlpress.net
(970) 231-3624
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