Your word choice matters in business writing In business communications, you’re not trying to impress people by dazzling metaphors or extensive vocabulary. Rather, you want your words to serve your content so readers can understand what you’re saying in a single reading. That means using words your readers will understand and relate to. Sounds obvious, […]
Structure is key to good writing, but once you’re happy with your structure, it’s time to refine your sentences. Here are some techniques to consider when examining your own sentences. 1. Grab attention and set the tone with your first sentence Too often, first sentences are throat-clearing sentences and tell us little about what’s to […]
Tone in business writing I’m sure we’ve all experienced struggling with the tone of a business document or email. We know something doesn’t sound right but are not sure how to fix it. My latest two blogs look at tone: Use the right tone in business writing – writing techniques that create tone. Check your tone […]
Tone matters in emails When we’re writing emails in a hurry, we often don’t think much about the tone, but if the email is important to you, it’s a good idea to examine it and see how you come across. It is easier to be careless with emails than with other media. For instance, with […]
Writing elements that create tone In business writing, tone has a spectrum ranging from extremely casual (abbreviations, emoticons) to overly official. Most business writers use neither extreme – your emails are likely to be conversational, yet professional, and your reports will be formal without being overly bureaucratic. Most of us know intuitively when we’re using […]
Improve your writing and grammar with an online course While you’re working from home, why not brush up on your writing and grammar skills? All my courses are straightforward and easy to use. Yes, some of the grammar topics are complex, but I explain concepts simply and clearly and the courses are chunked into small manageable sections. You […]
Consistency matters in board papers I’ve read a lot of board papers lately and been reminded of the need for consistency at every level of a paper. Consistent messaging provides clarity while inconsistent messaging leads to questioning and distrust. When your formatting, word choice and styles are consistent, no feature stands out to distract readers […]
Subscribe to Mary Morel’s e-newsletter to receive regular writing and grammar tips. This edition covers hyphens, the Brexit Oxford comma debate and why we procrastinate.
Are hyphens useful or can you leave them out? I often receive questions about hyphens and in this blog I cover some of the most common ones. I have written a general blog about hyphens previously. There is a quote attributed to the Oxford University Press style guide that is often used when talking about […]
Holiday reading Every year, the Grattan Institute in Australia, sends the prime minister six books to read over the holidays. This year, the prime minister received: From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage, Judith Brett (Text Publishing, 2019) Kindred, Kate Legge (Melbourne University Publishing, 2019) Order without Design, Alain Bertaud (MIT Press, 2018) The Strange Death of Tory Economic […]