Why good readers may not read all your text
'Just tell me what you’ve gotta tell me, clear and straight, and get to the point
fast.' John Wayne (in The Sands of Iwo Jima)
Reading for purpose
Business readers read for information, not for pleasure.
They are usually busy and eager to put your document aside as soon as they can, after they have all the information they need. Often a reliable headline is all readers need.
Maximum meaning, minimum reading
In choosing not to read an entire document, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; they are reading only for information. They are eager to get information quickly and then move on.
So, don’t hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Convey as much information as possible, accurately and clearly, in as little reading as possible.
Start with the conclusion
Have your point at the beginning, and then support and explain it throughout the rest of your document it. Never make readers wonder, “What are you getting at?”. (There are some exceptions, but generally it’s unwise to place the most important information near the end.)
The lift door statement
When really pressed, like when talking with someone while waiting for the lift door to open, we can usually condense our message to a single statement.
Find the one statement about which you could say: “It's all right if my readers read nothing else”. That statement should appear at the beginning. It may truly be OK if the reader does read nothing else.
Leading the reader along the path
It is always easier to grasp an argument if you are told the conclusion first. Even if the reader will read every word in detail, they will read better if they have the conclusion first.
Without a summary statement overview, the reader’s brain receives isolated bits of information and does not know what to do with them until the end. An overview helps the reader understand the details better. This is not so much a principle of writing as it is of learning.
This approach is different to that learnt by most of us in school. The structure we used then was usually:
….. therefore
….. therefore
conclusion.
However, readers generally find this structure much easier:
conclusion
because…..
because…..
Mastering apostrophes
Rule 1 Use an apostrophe when omitting a letter.
Can’t – short for cannot
You’re – short for you are
They’re – short for they are
It’s – short for it is
If you have trouble with this one try mentally substituting it is in the sentence. Eg The cat bumped it’s head means The cat bumped it is head – rubbish. So write The cat bumped its head without the apostrophe.
Hadn’t – short for had not
Don’t – short for do not
Won’t – short for will not (this contraction is a bit odd)
Mustn’t – short for must not
Rule 2 Use an apostrophe to indicate possession
The apostrophe is placed immediately after the entity that possesses the object. So,
The boy’s ball refers to the ball owned by the individual boy (only he owns the ball).
The boys’ ball refers to the ball owned by the boys collectively (they all own the ball).
Children’s games refer to games possessed by children.
Jones’s house refers to the house owned by Jones.
Rule 3 Use an apostrophe in abbreviated verbs
These verbs have become part of our language and need an apostrophe to make sense.
She OK’d the merger
He was KO’d in the fifth round
They OD’d on barbiturates.
Common mistakes
Inserting an apostrophe just because a word ends in nt.
Both these are wrong:
I mean’t to clean it but forgot.
The girl lean’t over the railing.Inserting an apostrophe just because a word ends in a s.
All these are wrong:
Please close all gate’s after you.
Tomatoe’s $4/kg
The teacher’s were granted a pay rise.Inserting an apostrophe in abbreviated nouns.
These are wrong:
All the PC’s crashed.
The MD’s met together.
(Adapted from R. Palmer, Write in Style)