Transcript lecture notes

GEB 3213
Lecture 4:
Clear Writing
Good News Messages
Lecture Outline
Basic Grammatical Terms
• In active construction, the action flows
___________________________________.
• In active construction, the actor
___________________________________.
• In passive construction, the action
___________________________________.
• The verb is always _____________________.
• The actor
____________________________________.
Passive verb ≠ Passive
construction
Can you have active construction with a passive
verb?
Clarity
• Active sentences are
_____________________________.
• Active sentences
_____________________________.
• Active sentences are
_____________________________.
Clarity 1
• Golden Rule 1:
_________________________________.
Clarity 1
•
•
•
•
How can you tell if a sentence is passive?
The “____________________?” test
The verb is __________________.
The originator of the action
____________________________.
Clarity 1
• To make a passive sentence active:
1.
or
2.
Clarity 2
• Golden Rule 2:
___________________________
• ____________________________.
Clarity Principle 3
3. Whenever possible,
_________________________________.
What Makes a Good
Sentence?
• Ideally, each sentence should contain
_________________________________.
What Makes a Good
Sentence?
• Active verbs and active construction will
help only if your subjects are
______________________, rather than
______________________.
What Makes a Good Subject?
• Think of your subjects as
_________________________________.
What Makes a Good Subject?
• When you can’t find a person or thing that
is acting in a situation, use a
___________________.
Clarity Corollary
• Avoid Nominalizations
• Nominalizations = ____________________.
Hey, where’d you get the verb?
• Nominalizations usually
_________________________________.
• To provide your verb(s), turn any
nominalization _____________________.
Clarity Corollary
• For your grammatical subjects, avoid
using isolated pronouns like
• _____
• _____
• _____
• ______
Clarity Corollary
• Avoid using _______________ or
______________in your sentences.
• These constructions make for
_______________________________.
• They also
_________________________________
for your sentence.
Clarity Corollary
• Place your subjects and verbs
______________________________.
Clarity Corollary
• If you place too much information
between subject and verb:
• your readers will
_____________________ by the time
they reach the verb.
• your readers will
_______________________________.
Types of Business Writing
Informative and Positive
Messages
Positive Messages
• Share good news ______________.
• Give _______________________.
• Explain
________________________.
• Use _____________________,
shifting focus away from
___________ to ______________.
Subject Lines
• Make subject lines
_________________.
• Make subject lines
_______________.
Reader Benefits!
• Always stress
_____________________________.
• Take focus away from institution or
business and onto _______________.
Closings
•
1.
2.
3.
What are three problems with standard
closings like “If you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to call
me”?