Category — Editorial style guide

Writing is one of the most effective tools of communication. But how well do we communicate our thoughts to others? A good writer is one who uses simple lucid language, is able to convey ideas clearly, grab the reader’s attention and keep him coming back for more. Sometimes in our eagerness to write concisely, we overdo things, with the result that we end up with a poor draft. In this article, we will have a look at some of the areas where we can improve our writing skills.

Convey Ideas Using Short Paragraphs

While trying to educate, provide instructions and teach people through written communication, it is best to use active voice. Active voice involves the use of verbs which signify action rather than nouns and adjectives. Active voice makes the communication of instructions clearer because the subjects are performing the task or action. Active voice will help give your writing, life. It can also make a weak sentence emphatic and give it greater impact.

Examples:

Passive voice: There were riots in several towns in Northern England last night, in which police clashed with
stone-throwing youths.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened from of a word. Some of the commonly used abbreviations are e.g. for example, cont for continue or continued just to name a few. Even thought abbreviations are not often used by technical writers during the documentation process it is basic for any writer to know.

Acronyms

Acronyms are composed from a group of words or a phrase.  Sometimes they are pronounced as words or spelled out. They are normally formed by placing the first letter of every word in the phrase together.
During the writing process, especially if acronyms are used for the first time, it is better that they are spelled out within parenthesis and can be used as acronyms thereafter in the document. Acronyms when written in their plural form do not need an apostrophe.