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Chapter 13

Chapter 13. Revising for Readable Style. Technical Communication, 9/e John M. Lannon PowerPoint prepared by Jimidene Murphy. K. EEP. I. T. S. HORT and. S. IMPLE. Revise for Clarity. Basically, just remember the “KISS” method of clear, concise writing:. Revise for Clarity.

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Chapter 13

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  1. Chapter 13 Revising for Readable Style Technical Communication, 9/e John M. Lannon PowerPoint prepared by Jimidene Murphy

  2. K EEP I T S HORT and S IMPLE Revise for Clarity • Basically, just remember the “KISS” method of clear, concise writing:

  3. Revise for Clarity • Avoid ambiguous phrasing • Avoid ambiguous pronoun references • Avoid ambiguous punctuation • Avoid telegraphic writing • Avoid ambiguous modifiers

  4. Revise for Clarity • Unstack modifying nouns • Arrange word order for coherence and emphasis • Use active voice often • Use passive voice as little as you can • Avoid puffy sentences

  5. Revise for Conciseness • Avoid wordy phrases • Eliminate redundancy • Avoid needless repetition • Avoid sentences starting with “there” • Avoid passive-voice sentences starting with “it”

  6. Revise for Conciseness • Delete needless prefaces • Avoid weak verbs • Delete unnecessary “to be” sentences • Avoid excessive prepositions

  7. Revise for Conciseness • Fight noun addiction • Turn negatives into positives • Clean out “clutter” words • Delete unnecessary qualifiers such as “It seems…”

  8. Revise for Fluency • Combine related ideas • Vary sentence construction and length • Use short sentences for special emphasis

  9. Be Picky About the Words You Use • Use simple and familiar words (although you may think long fancy words make you look smarter, the reader will get annoyed) • Avoid useless jargon that readers won’t recognize • Use acronyms and abbreviations selectively • Avoid triteness • Avoid misleading euphemisms • Avoid overstatement • Avoid imprecise wording. Be concrete.

  10. Adopt the Proper Tone • Unlike strictly academic writing, you can use a few contractions • Address readers directly • Use “I” and “we” when necessary • Use the active voice • Emphasize the positive • Avoid an overly informal tone • Avoid personal bias • Avoid any sexist or otherwise offensive language

  11. Other Tips to Consider • Remember cultural context • Remember legal and ethical implications (you are legally liable for what you say and write) • Use automated editing tools effectively, but DON’T DEPEND UPON THEM ENTIRELY! Know your grammar and spelling

  12. Any Questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at http://www.ablongman.com/lannon.

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