Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly Be Misunderstood

CredoPreface to the Penguin EditionPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout This Book… Who Needs It?Part 1: Writing with Precision1. IntroductionCan Good Writing Be Taught?What Is Good "Useful" Writing?Why the Confusion About "Good Usage"?Why Bother to Write Better?The Economics of Clear WritingThe Life You Save…Getting Down to Brass TacksCopyreading Marks2. The Craft of the EditorIntroductionDuties and Responsibilities of the Writer: A PreviewDuties and Responsibilities of the Editor: A PreviewChecklist of Editorial DOs and DON'TsThe "Rules" of EditingTen Principles for Improving Clarity and Precision of Written DocumentsEditing Your Own Copy—Hardest Editorial Task of AllChecklist of Steps in Revising or Self-Editing3. Editing for StrengthIntroductionDefinitions of Active and Passive VoiceMake Every Word CountAn Unwritten Rule?When Should You Use a Passive Construction?PRINCIPLE ONE: Prefer the active voice.Smothered VerbsPRINCIPLE TWO: Don't make nouns out of good, strong "working verbs."4. Editing for Conciseness and ClarityIntroductionWhy Is Conciseness So Important?PRINCIPLE THREE: Be concise. Cut out all excess baggage. Keep your average sentence length under 20 words.Too Much of a Good Thing?5. The Quest for ClarityIntroductionChecklist: How to Keep Writing "In Focus"Clarity Is EverythingPRINCIPLE FOUR: Be specific. Use concrete terms instead of generalizations.Don't Sacrifice Clarity in Your Quest for SpeedAbstraction—the Enemy of ClarityUse the Right Name for ThingsThe Ladder of Abstraction6. The Quest for PrecisionIntroductionThe Importance of Word Order in the English LanguageAmbiguityPRINCIPLE FIVE: Keep related sentence elements together; keep unrelated elements apart. Place modifiers as close as possible to the words they are intended to modify.Misplaced ModifiersLook Out for "Only"Dangling ModifiersSquinting ModifiersConsistencyPRINCIPLE SIX: Avoid unnecessary shifts of number, tense, subject, voice, or point of view.7. The Right WordIntroductionChoosing the "Right Word"Good English Is Appropriate EnglishPRINCIPLE SEVEN: Prefer the simple word to the far-fetched, and the right word to the almost right.The evils of elegant variationPRINCIPLE EIGHT: Don't repeat a word or words unnecessarily. But don't hesitate to repeat when the repetition will increase clarity.Reference Works8. How to Make Order Out of ChaosIntroductionParallelismPRINCIPLE NINE: Make sentence elements that are parallel in thought parallel in form. But do not use parallelism to express thoughts that are not parallel. Making Logical ArrangementsPRINCIPLE TEN: Arrange your material logically. Always begin with ideas the reader can readily understand. If you must present difficult material, go one step at a time.Checklist for Logical Arrangement9. How to Write Letters and MemosIntroductionAXIOM ONE: Do not write without good reason.Plain LettersApplying the 4-S FormulaMore Advice on Letter WritingThe Importance of ToneChecklist of Common Mistakes to Guard AgainstDon't Be Obsequious or PhonyThe "You" AttitudeUsing "Word Softeners"Is Tone Always Important?10. Know Your AudienceIntroductionAXIOM TWO: Slant your presentation for your audience.Checklist for Audience AnalysisAnalyzing Your Reader(s)Writing for the "Average" Reader11. Getting and Holding the Reader's AttentionIntroductionAXIOM THREE: Get straight to the point.Exceptions to the rule.12. How to Do "How-to-do-its"IntroductionAXIOM FOUR: Show the reader!Checklist for Writing InstructionsHow to Describe Simultaneous Operations13. How to Write RegulationsIntroductionCheck with the Legal StaffSome Steps in the Right DirectionCutting Out the Legalistic JargonThe Rules for Shall and WillThe Rules for Must and ShouldChecklist for Writing RegulationsException DisclosuresConsistencyAXIOM FIVE: Be consistent.14. How to Write ReportsWhat's the Problem?Getting StartedTaking Notes: It's in the Cards!Visualizing the Final ReportUsing Footnotes, Credits, and ReferencesUsing Copyrighted MaterialSumming Up15. The Easy Way to OutlineWhy the Old-fashioned Outline Often Doesn't WorkChecklist: The Easy Way to Outline16. How to Write Like a ProEstablishing Good Writing HabitsPat Jones's AdviceProduction Rates for WritersAXIOM SIX: Rewrite—rewrite—rewrite!The Mechanics of Writing ProductionAXIOM SEVEN: Allow in your planning for production delaysDeadlines and supervisors17. Retaining and Using Your New KnowledgeTraining Is Big BusinessSome Ways to Help You Remember—and Use—Your New Knowledge and SkillsThe Big Secret of Learning and RememberingInformationOn to the MillenniumBooks on CardsBooks on TapeDepartment of AnticlimaxEpitaphPart 2: Editing (and Self-Editing) with Precision18. An Editor's CredoWhat Is an Editor's Job?19. Hyphenation and Word CompoundingDoormats, Floormats, and FruitfliesSo What's the Problem?ResearchGetting Down to Common-Sense PrinciplesCommon-Sense Principle Number OneCommon-Sense Principle TwoCommon-Sense Principle ThreeCommon-Sense Principle Four20. Avoid "Second Cousin" WordsSecond Cousins and Lightning Bugs21. Capital CrimesTo Cap or Not to Cap?Using Style ManualsTop Editorial Priority: Reader UnderstandingWhy Do We Use Caps, Anyway?A "Sea Story" from Space22. Vogue Words and Technical JargonA Definition of TermsChanging Patterns of LanguageThe Two CulturesCommon-Sense Principles—Vogue Words and Technical Terms23. Tell Me Not in Mournful NumbersFigures? Or Words?Numbers Speak Louder Than WordsNumbers and CasesBillions and Billions and BillionsAll Numbers Great and Small24. The Dangerfield SyndromeMust We Die to Get Respect?Dictums from a Newspaper StylebookManners of Style? Or Style of Manners?For Example?Once More Unto the Breach!25. Writers and Editors—Can't We Be Friends?Crotchets, Anyone?Two Words Better Than One?Blue Pencils and Blue LanguageHow Far, O Lord, How Far?Two Schools of ThoughtPride of OwnershipPart 3: HandbookHow to Use the HandbookAlphabetical ListingsPart 4: ExercisesSuggested AnswersAbout the ContributorsRecommended ReadingBibliographyIndex