Writing so readers can understand you

Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com 1

Writing so readers can understand you

2

Good writing

Arouses the reader’s interest Stirs the reader’s imagination Makes the reader feel the text is aimed

directly at him/her Presents believable evidence Gives good reasons for action

3

KIS MII

Keep It SimpleMake It Interesting

*

4

Easy-to-read writing

Use short, simple words Anglo-Saxon,

not French or Latin Use short, varied sentences

Average = 17 words Use short paragraphs

3-5 sentences each

5

“The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out”

—Voltaire 1694–1778

6

Easy-to-read writing

Be conversational Write like you talk Read it out loud

Use personal words I, you, we, our (not one, policy makers, scientists)

7

Easy-to-read writing

Write in a logical order State the main point in 1 sentence Say why it is important Give the details

Check your grammar

8

9

Short words are better than long words Numerous Many Individual Person, man or woman Remainder Rest Initial First To implement To do Attempt Try Sufficient Enough Referred to as Called

10

Use Anglo-Saxon, not Latin or French Facilitate Help Utilize Use Demonstrate Show Initiate, commence Begin In close proximity to Near Despite the fact that Although Endeavour Try

11

Use Anglo-Saxon, not Latin or French Exerts a lethal effect Kills For the purpose of To In view of the fact that Because Is equipped with Has Magnitude Size Prior to Before Subsequent to After Until such time as Until Remunerate Pay

12

Use words the reader can understand The region has an annual surplus of water The region has more than enough water

Women are involved in the disposal of the output of rice production

Women sell the rice

Long aeroplane trips may lead to transmeridianal dyschronism

After a long plane trip you may have jet lag

13

Cut out words

The rural poor face multiple problems which are interlocking in nature

The rural poor face multiple, interlocking problems

He initiated and facilitated in the conduct of meetings and workshops...

He helped conduct meetings...

16

Use short sentences

This cooperative of vegetable growers in the rural village of Paliparan located in the municipality of Dasmariñas, Cavite province in the Philippines, was initiated as an interest group of 17 vegetable growers in 1982(31 words)

The cooperative is located in Paliparan village, about 40 km south of Manila, the Philippine capital. It began in 1982 when 17 vegetable growers formed an interest group(25 words, 2 sentences)

17

Use active verbs, not passives The coop was initiated by the villagers… The villagers started the coop…

It was decided by the governor that the assistance to the project was to be suspended

The governor stopped supporting the project

18

Avoid weak verbs

Am, is, are, was, were Conduct, provide Promote, implement Take place

19

Avoid weak verbs She was a student of Indian history She studied Indian history

They conducted a study of the movement They studied the movement

They promoted the sale of medicinal plants They sold medicinal plants

IIRR implemented a strategy that resulted in the formation of 22 cooperatives

IIRR helped form 22 cooperatives

20

Avoid weak starts

There is… There are… It is important to note that… Interestingly… It is self-evident that… It goes without saying that… I might add… It should be pointed out that…

21

Turn abstract nouns into verbsAbstract nouns often end in -tion Acquisition Acquire, get Demonstration Demonstrate, show Guidance Guide

22

Turn abstract nouns into verbs Clayey soil has maximum water retention ability

Find the noun that is built from a verb Turn it into a verb

Retention ► Retain Find the Anglo-Saxon equivalent

Retention ► Retain ► Hold

Clayey soil can hold the most water

23

Turn abstract nouns into verbs The group plans the acquisition of a new vehicle The group wants to buy a jeep

The aim of the project was to... The project aimed to...

His conclusion was that the funds had been misappropriated by the cooperative leader

He concluded that the coop leader had stolen the money

24

Avoid inflated prepositions and conjunctions With the possible exception of… Except For the reason that… Because He totally lacked the ability to… He couldn’t She was unable to give any

information beyond the fact that… She said

25

Break up strings of nouns

The following innovative project implementation modes were effected

The project tested several new approaches

The vastness, remoteness and endemic drought have posed severe challenges to the pastoral production system

Pastoralists range over huge, remote, dry areas. That makes life for them difficult

26

Get rid of prepositions

Especially of and by

The implementation of this project was undertaken by the project within the framework of the following objectives…

We aimed to do the following…

27

Avoid unnecessary modifiers

Adjectives and adverbs often carry no meaningDelete them, or make them specific

He ran quickly to the shop He ran to the shop

The farmers successfully harvested 3 tons of maize The farmers harvested 3 tons of maize

She earned a good income She earned Rs 500

28

Be precise (1)

Words without much information: Fast, slow, good, bad, unusual, interesting…

Better to say how fast or slow, why something is good, bad, unusual or interesting

29

Be precise (2)

Feed your baby frequently Breast-feed your baby every 2 or 3 hours, or

whenever he or she is hungry

Vegetable consumption rose slightly People in St Kitts ate 5% more vegetables last year

January rainfall is normally heavy The mean rainfall for January is 940 mm

30

Avoid false precision

Too many significant digits The mean millet yield was 4.345 tons per

hectare …4.3 tons…

The average worker earns Rs 30.56 a day …Rs 30…

The population is 34,965,865 …35,000,000

31

Add details if necessary…

…to make sure the reader understands clearly what you are saying

Use words that will build pictures in the reader’s mind

Construction of health infrastructure has the capacity to catalyse significant improvements in rural nutrition

New clinics can encourage rural people to eat better

32

Provide enough information The cooperative is located in the village of Paliparan

in the municipality of Dasmariñas. The cooperative is located in Paliparan village,

about 40 km south of the Philippine capital of Manila

It borrows money from Pamana-ILCF and re-lends it to individual members of the coop at low interest rates

It borrows money from Pamana-ILCF, an IIRR-supported credit cooperative. It relends this money to members at 7.5% interest a year

33

Remember KIS MII

Keep It SimpleMake It Interesting

34

More information

Wikipedia: Weasel word http://tinyurl.com/5wrdw8

Ten quick tips to improve your writing http://tinyurl.com/2h5e4h

Improve your writing: Your role as a writer http://tinyurl.com/lty2rs