Writing That Works

Had the copywriter written, “He always acted as if he knew what he was talking about,”

Choose adjectives and adverbs that make your meaning more precise. Do not use them as mere exclamation points.

One executive suggests a discipline — putting down first what you want the reader to do, next the three most important things the reader needs to understand to take that action, then starting to write. When you’re done, he suggests asking

not all readers will detect your lapse. But those who do may be the ones who count.

it would have seemed both natural and literate. The old rule is simple: Don’t use “like” in any case where “as if” or “as though” would fit comfortably.

If you have distilled your thinking to its essence, you will probably be able to express it in simple words.

energies on a major document or project or speech that will make a difference.

Most people “write badly because they cannot think clearly,” observed H. L. Mencken. The reason they cannot think clearly, he went on, is that “they lack the brains.” We dare to assume that you, as a reader of this book, are brainy enough to think clearly. You know how to organize your thoughts into a coherent order. Now you must make that organiza

First you must know where you are going yourself. Make an outline of your major points, placing supporting details in their proper position. Then, in your paper, use your outline to signal the major points for your reader. Underline and number each important section heading. This serves the same purpose as chapter titles in a book. End with a summa