Unit 1: General Writing Skills

Writing for Policy Makers

UNIT 1: GENERAL WRITING SKILLS

GOOD AND BAD WRITING

Bad writing: Good writing 1. Thinks too much of itself. 9. Is written for readers. 2. Is too “clever”. 10.Is written to express, not impress. 3. Gets hyped up. 11.Remembers that every writer is 4. Needs a diet. also a reader: if there’s something 5. Tells lies. you hate when you’re reading, you 6. Is (unintentionally?) ambiguous or should avoid it when you’re writing. misleading. 12.Has a clear direction, makes a 7. Has no direction, or too many. clear argument. 8. Ignores the reader. 13.Is concise.

SIMPLIFY AND SHORTEN Where possible use shorter, simpler words and phrases. For example:

Why say this… …when you could say this utilise use functionality function medication medicine operationalise carry out/do a considerable amount much despite the fact that although through the use of by in many cases often he indicated he said I proceeded to the vicinity of I went to we will ensure a strategic approach we will plan to planning she made a negative evaluation of she thought he was ugly his physical appearance

CLICHES  Avoid over-used phrases such as those shown in this diagram.  If you’ve heard it before, it’s probably a cliché. Writing for Policy Makers

READABILITY  Readability should be your key goal: if your reader has to work too hard to understand your meaning, then your writing is ineffective and time-wasting. Clear prose makes for clear and influential ideas: write clearly, and you will command greater professional respect and power.  If you can combine sentences or phrases so that your prose is more concise, do.  Example: Some people believe in capital punishment, while other people are against it; there are many opinions on this subject. = The death penalty is a controversial subject. Or There are many opinions on capital punishment.  Official writing doesn’t have to be complicated: you can show off your intelligence best by paring your prose down to an essential, clear message – this will increase your writing’s urgency and will win you fans amongst your readers.  Avoid using too many long or too many short sentences in a row.  A good piece of writing mixes up short sentences with long ones. And don’t clutter one sentence with too many ideas. If in doubt, break it into two (but only after checking that you’re not saying the same thing twice and that it can’t be said more concisely)  Don’t use negative formations- “We did not anticipate not hearing from him” is awkward to read. “We anticipated hearing from him” reads much more smoothly and means the same thing.  The quickest way to ensure your work is clear and concise and readable is to look away from the page, ask yourself, “What am I trying to say?” and then say that. If in doubt, try having a friend who isn’t as well-educated or as authoritative as you read your work. If there are words or phrases they don’t understand, rephrase them so that they do. If there are concepts that they don’t understand, it’s possible that politicians – who are very busy and who don’t always read things carefully – might not either.

PRECISION  Use specific and concrete words instead of vague and imprecise ones.  Specific words have specific meanings. Be sure you’re using them correctly. And it’s always better to give a precise (date/time/quantity/deadline/vote/cost/plan) than an estimated/vague/imprecise one.  Avoid flowery language. For example, don’t say “morbidly overweight” when you can say “overweight” or “obese”; don’t say “growth in the third quarter tended towards the lethargic” when you can speak of “slow third-quarter growth”.