Editing for a Professional Style and Tone

By: Anamersy Arce

ENC 3213

FALL 2011

OBJECTIVES

Appreciate the role of style in any document.

Write clear, concise, and fluent sentences.

Use precise language

Achieve a tone that connects with your audiences.

The Role of Style in any Document

No matter how technical your document, your audience will not understand the content unless the style is readable:• with sentences easy to understand.• with words chosen precisely.

Every bit as important as what you have to say is how you decide to say it. Your particular writing style is a blend of these elements:• The way in which you construct each

sentence• The length of the sentences • The tone you convey

Editing for Clarity

Clear writing enables people to read each sentence only once in order to fully grasp its meaning. The following suggestions will help you edit for clarity:

Avoid ambiguous pronoun references, Ex. (he, she, it, and so on).

Avoid ambiguous modifiers (usually an adjective or an adverb) or a group of words (usually a phrase or a clause).

Use active voice whenever possible.

In general, readers grasp the meaning more quickly and clearly when the writer uses the active voice (“I did it”) rather than the passive voice (“It was done by me”).

Use passive voice selectively. Use the passive voice when your audience has no need to know the agent.

Prefer the passive when you want to be indirect or inoffensive ( as in requesting the customer’s payment).

Using the Correct Tone

Avoid Wordy Phrases

Each Phrase can be reduce

to one

Due to the fact that Because

Adjusting Your Tone

Your tone is your personal trademark—the personality that takes shape between the lines. The tone you create depends on:

The distance you impose between yourself and the reader.

The attitude you show toward the subject.

Avoid Offensive Usage of all Types

Guidelines for inoffensive usage:

Be as specific as possible when referring to a person’s cultural/national identity.

Avoid potentially judgmental expressions.

Use person-first language

Avoid expressions that demean

Use age-appropriate designations

END