Back to basics

Back to basics
These ideas are not new – they’ve been around ever since people began talking with each other.

But these principles of writing often get lost in a sea of clever techniques and gimmicks. Get these right and you’re well on the way to communication that makes a difference.

'Man is a talking animal and he will always let himself be swayed by the power of the word.' Simone de Beauvoir

Know your audience and what you want them to do
The person listening or reading is the starting point, you need to know what they are like.
What is important to them?
What do they fear?
What do they already know, or think they know?

The purpose of most communication goes beyond understanding and effectively transmitting ideas. It is more about influence.

Have a clear picture of what you want readers to do as a result of reading your document before you start writing.

Imagine your reader picking up the document for the first time. Imagine what might be going through their head.
How will they react to the words on the page?
What could stop them from acting in the way you want?
What can you do about it?

Know your stuff and organise it well
You won’t be able to tell readers everything you know, so don’t try. Figure out your key message – if you only had 30 seconds face-to-face with your reader, what would you say? Put this vital message early on, just in case your reader doesn’t get to the end of your document. Elaborate, justify and explain throughout the rest of your text.

Organise your material so that it makes sense to your readers. Start with what they know and move to the unknown. Start with simple ideas and move to the complex.

Write plainly and with passion
Never make people guess what you are saying.

Use words that are familiar to your readers, and use simple sentences. Even if some of your readers can handle complex text, keeping it simple won’t stop them understanding. But simple writing will make your material accessible to more people.

Passion is often hidden in business writing. Being objective does not mean you cannot be passionate, they are not mutually exclusive. Allowing a bit more passion in your writing will increase its power because you can appeal to the heart as well as the head.

If you have a good idea, or if you want to change the way things are done, inject some emotion. Of course you will need to back up your case with solid logic and rational argument. But it is passion that provides power.

Get the words right

A or An
if the first letter of the following word is a consonant	if the first letter of the following word is a vowel or a silent ‘h’
a house, a car, a person	an owl, an idea, an hour
Accept or Except
to take or receive	to exclude or omit
I’ll accept your apology.	Everybody is forgiven except Sue.
Adapt or Adopt
to adjust so that it fits	make my own
He adapted the longer chain by removing some links.	She adopted a child from Thailand .
Adverse or Averse
hostile or difficult circumstances	having strong feelings against
High interest rates create adverse economic conditions	I’m averse to paying high interest rates.
Advice or Advise
a noun, opinion or information	a verb, to offer advice or counsel
I gave them my advice.	Jill will advise the president.
Affect or Effect
verb, to have influence on	noun, result or consequence verb, to accomplish
The threat of injury did not affect my decision.	The effect of the falling hammer was a sore head. The new regulations will effect change.
Complement or Compliment
what completes or coexists with	expression of praise
Their drawing skill complements my writing ability.	She accepted the compliment graciously.
Conscience or Conscious
moral sense of right and wrong	having an awareness of
Her crime weighs on her conscience.	I am conscious of my mistakes.
e.g. or i.e.
from Latin ‘exempli gratia’, for example	from Latin ‘id est’, that is
The menu is Italian, e.g., pasta	He is rich, i.e., wealthy
Lay or Lie
to put or set down	to be in a reclining position
I’ll lay that ladder down.	I’ll lie down in bed.
Licence or License
noun, formal authority	verb, to authorise
I have a driving licence.	007 is licensed to kill.
Lose or Loose
to be unable to find	not tight
If he gambles he will lose his shirt	The collar on this shirt is loose.
Moral or Morale
a lesson, often at the end of a story	spirit, level of confidence
The moral is: don’t count your chickens before they hatch	Winning lifted the team’s morale.
Passed or Past
moved on or ahead	events that have already happened
He ran so fast he passed me.	That race is in the past.
Personal or Personnel
relating to an individual, private	group of people, often employed by a business
Can I ask you a personal question?	All personnel are affected by this policy.
Quite or Quiet
to some extent	not noisy or busy
The car was quite large.	Work was quiet today.
Site or Sight
a place or location	the ability to see
She is working at the building site today.	The operation restored her sight.

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