Business Writing
Workshops:
We understand
that being able to write in a clear and professional style
is important to your business. That is why we have developed
the Business Writing Institute
and the Effective
Business Writing workshop. This practice-driven
business writing
workshop
will significantly improve your ability to write in English,
so that your readers will receive a clear, concise, effective
message. Most professionals spend at least 15-20% of their
time writing for business; emails, memos, business
letters, reports
and other business correspondence. Our customized
approach guarantees an improvement in
business communication skills
that will increase your productivity, success and job satisfaction.
Learn more about our
business writing workshops
here, or contact us for more
information.
Benefits of business writing
training workshops:
- learn how to write a business letter
- discover the skills of writing a
business letter
- learn to create clear business
correspondence
- understand the difference of writing
for business
- improve overall business
communication
Business Writing Workshops Tips for Improving Your Sentence Structure
Is your writing hard to understand? Is it difficult to read? Does it just not engage your reader?
It could be your sentence structure which is at fault.
Creating easy to read and understand prose is important for the quality of your writing. You need to create text that catches your reader's interest and holds it. Otherwise your writing will never be read. Your reader will lose interest and stop long before you finish.
When reading is difficult, it is usually the sentence structure that is the cause. In this article you'll find seven tips for improving the sentence structure of your writing.
1. Keep it simple. Most people can handle short sentences. Even the occasional long complex sentence is acceptable. In fact, a mix is the best way to keep our interest. Where we get lost is when an author writes constantly long, complex sentences. We get bored. We get overwhelmed. So keep it simple. Avoid complex sentences. One thought, one sentence. Three thoughts, three sentences -- or more!
2. Avoid compound sentences. And, if, but, and because are all bad when it comes to readability and understanding. Like a super-strong chili they need to be used with a delicate touch. Too spicy and the mouth is burned. Not enough and the content appears bland. To improve your sentence structure break compound sentences apart. Then add back a few to keep things interesting.
3. Avoid long descriptions and excessive use of adverbs. Actually avoid adverbs at all. In this case I'm mostly referring to the use of adverbs that modify adjectives. Overly long descriptions -- especially those that involve adverbs -- are difficult to read. They cause sentences to be overly complex. In most cases even adjectives are expendable. So kill them!
4. Avoid the use of subordinate clauses. In your search to eliminate compound sentences you'll discover the foul subordinate clause. Typically, they exist to avoid grammar errors. Or more precisely the grammar police. But now that we are adults, we no longer need fear the grammar police. Fragments are allowed. Perfect grammar is no longer demanded. Understanding and readability is!
5. Avoid the passive voice. Ahh, the hated passive voice. Responsible for so many ills of reading. So desired by formality. So hated by informal speech. Spice -- not meat, not potatoes. In fact, think of them as the burned bits. You have to have some. But try to keep them to a minimum.
6. Write it two or three ways. Most of the tips in this article deal with the details of your sentence structure. What to avoid. What to seek. This tip deals with the how. To improve your sentence structure you need to practice. It doesn't just appear. And sometimes it needs multiple tries. That's okay. Write your thoughts out several different ways. Sometimes getting your sentence structure right involves turning your thoughts around. Writing your sentences backward from the initial version.
7. Write like you talk. In school, we're taught to be formal and egotistical in our writing. On the street, we're taught to speak clearly and succinctly. Clear and succinct is good. Don't write your words. Speak them. Even though you'll end up writing sentence fragments. Even though you'll tick off the grammar police. Your thoughts will flow cleanly, clearly and understandably. And that's the whole point behind good sentence structure.
Source: Glen Ford
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