Three Principles And Ten Tips For Clear Writing

A widely circulated list of "10 Principles of Clear Writing" offers much useful advice; however, these "principles" are really tips and techniques. In reality, they are built on a foundation of just three true principles:

1. Clarity. For a text to be clear, the writer must identify and emphasise what is of primary importance (key ideas); de-emphasise what is of secondary importance (information supporting key ideas); and eliminate what is of no importance (irrelevant information).
   
   
2. Conciseness. For a text to be concise, the writer must cover all the key ideas and supporting information identified under "clarity", and do so in a minimum of words.
   
   
3. Density. For a text to be dense, the writer must use specific information to add substance; and clearly show the logical link between related information to avoid misinterpretations.
   
   

By keeping these three true principles firmly in mind, you can apply the 10 tips and techniques that grow from them with even greater effectiveness:

1. Keep sentences short
   
   This is usually interpreted to mean an average sentence length of 15 - 18 words. Not because readers can't handle longer sentences. However, when length rises above this average, sentences are likely to be poorly constructed, thereby damaging clarity.
   
   But remember, 15 - 18 words is an average. Don't shun longer sentences. A well constructed long sentence is often clearer than two or more shorter ones. Why? Because the longer sentence better shows the logical linkage among the various elements, which would be lost by splitting it apart.
   
   
2. Prefer the simple to the complex
   
   If the precise word is long, don't hesitant to use it, because not using it would damage clarity. On the other hand, if a shorter word would do just as well, prefer it. Examples: "dog" rather than "canine", "change" rather than "modification", "entrance" rather than "ingress", etc.
   
   
3. Prefer the familiar word
   
   If you have a choice between two words, use the one that most people are likely to recognise and use themselves. Examples: "insult" rather than "imprecate", "daily" rather than "quotidian".
   
   
4. Avoid unnecessary words
   
   In other words, be concise!
   
   
5. Use active verbs
   
   In an individual sentence, whether you use an active or a passive verb is of little consequence. However, over an entire text it becomes very important. Active verbs tend to enhance clarity; conversely, too many passive verbs tend to damage it.
   
   
6. Write the way you speak
   
   This is a very useful technique, but don't take it literally. When we speak, we generally use simpler vocabulary and sentence structures than when we write. Writing the way you speak is a good way to produce a first draft. However, when we speak, our sentence structures are often confused and our vocabulary imprecise. These faults must be rigorously corrected in the second, third or later drafts.
   
   
7. Use terms your reader can picture
   
   In other words, be dense. Use specifics; avoid weasel words. When making a general statement, be certain to support it with concrete data.
   
   
8. Tie in with your reader's experience
   
   We are again talking about density, i.e. using precise information. Be certain that the terminology you chose is compatible with your readers' experience. If you need to use a word not likely to be familiar to your readers, define it the first time it appears. If it is really key, define it again later on in the text. Also be wary of words that look familiar but have a very different meaning in the context of your subject.
   
   Example: "Insult" is medical jargon for an injury or trauma. However, talking about an "insult" to the heart without first explaining this unconventional meaning of the word is likely to leave your readers scratching their heads.
   
   
9. Make full use of variety
   
   If you conscientiously apply the three writing principles of clarity, conciseness, and density, you will almost automatically introduce variety of sentence length and structure into your text.
   
   Avoid introducing too much variety of vocabulary. Constantly changing terminology for the sake of variety damages clarity. If several words mean essentially the same thing, pick one or two of them and shun the others. Introduce equivalent terms in such a way that the reader clearly understands they mean the same thing.
   
   For example:
   
   
   • Confusing -Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. The Red Planet has fascinated mankind for centuries. The "God of War" is the fourth planet from the sun - our own Earth is the third - and it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.
     
     
   • Clear - Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. Popularly known as the "Red Planet", Mars has fascinated mankind for centuries. Being the forth planet from the sun (Earth is the third), it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.  
     
     
10. Write to express, not to impress
    
    The purpose of expository (non-fiction) writing is to inform or instruct, not to show off your literary prowess. The fact is, the better you write, the less people are likely to notice. And this is how it should be. The reader's full attention should be on what you are saying, not how you are saying it.
    
    

Read the article "The Mathematics Of Persuasive Communication - Clarity And Conciseness"

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