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Contents
THE NO-GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY:
Obstacles to clear communication
The long, long trail a-winding: Circumlocution
An utterly unique added extra: Tautology
Witter + Waffle = Gobbledegook
Smart talk, but tiresome: Jargon
A word to the wise about Clichés
How to improve your powers of expression
Circumambulate the non-representational: Avoid the abstract
Overloading can sink your sentence
Avoiding the minefield of muddle
Measuring the murk with the FOG Index
A refresher course in Grammar and Punctuation
Punctuation needn’t be a pain: Stops, commas and other marks
The building blocks of good writing: Grammar without grief
Writing elegant, expressive English: The elements of style
Finding out: a word about dictionaries
Say what you mean; get what you want
Communicate better with a well-written letter
Relationships by post: Strictly personal
Protecting your interests: Complaining with effect
Staying alive: Employer and employee
Selling yourself: Creating a persuasive CV
Getting it and keeping it: Money matters
Writing in the new millennium: Word processing and E-mail
Having picked up this book the odds are that you are a writer. Perhaps not a journalist or a novelist, but a writer nevertheless: of letters, memos, reports or even an occasional note to the milkman. You may keep a daily diary, or limit your output to greetings on Christmas cards once a year.
There is also a good chance that you suddenly have a need to write – a job application perhaps, a ticking off to the council, a heartfelt letter of condolence to a friend. Mind and pen poised, it slowly dawns on you that the gap between what you want to say and what hesitantly appears on the paper in front of you is as wide as an ocean.
Can you learn how to improve your writing skills? Can the art of good writing be taught? Despite some opinions to the contrary, the answer is yes. Writing is a highly personal accomplishment and while some will spectacularly develop native talents others will always find it a frustrating slog. But everyone is capable of enhancing their powers of written communication simply by learning and practicing the basic principles of clear, concise and coherent writing: planning, preparation and revision. Further improvement comes from observing examples of good and also bad writing, and your confidence as a writer will grow as you begin to appreciate that the English language is not a fearsome book of rules but an unrivalled communications tool that you can learn to use with the familiar ease of a knife and fork.
It is important at the outset that you are aware of the difference between speech and writing. You may think, ‘If only I could write as easily as I speak!’ Unfortunately it’s a wish that’s rarely granted. When we talk to someone face to face (or even over the phone) we can instantly correct mistakes and clarify misunderstandings, provide subtle nuances with a smile, a laugh or a shrug, add emphasis with a frown or tone of voice. But when we write something, we have just one shot to hit the bullseye so that whoever reads it understands it – precisely. Two millennia ago the Roman orator Cicero offered a pretty good tip: the point of writing is not just to be understood, but to make it impossible to be misunderstood.
The ability to write well is a valuable, life-enriching asset and Collins Good Writing Skills will help you towards this goal. Much of what you will read is the lifetime word wisdom