From Idea to Print by Roger E. Sanders

Author:Roger E. Sanders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mc Press
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Use small words and simple language.

The point of writing is to communicate ideas clearly. Consequently, if you use a lot of complicated words, you violate that point and set up barriers between yourself and your audience. Unfortunately, some writers try to impress their readers with complicated or obscure words that few people are familiar with. For example: Bill was known for his malapropisms.

When you read this sentence, did you know that, when speaking, Bill had a habit of misusing words? Or did you have to look up malapropisms in a dictionary?

Now, consider this sentence:

In reference to the situation in California, there have been certain setbacks that have prevented firefighters from extinguishing the wildfires near San Bernardino.

Couldn’t the same message be conveyed, more clearly, with a couple of sentences that look like this?

The news from California is not good. Wildfires continue to burn near San Bernardino.

When you are tempted to use big words or complex sentences, first ask yourself this: are you trying to impress others, or are you trying to express an idea? Instead of writing to impress the reader with your technical knowledge or mastery of the English language, write to convey your meaning. The best way to impress is to put big thoughts into simple, everyday language, not to drag out complex words or flowery language.

Using small words and simple language does not mean that you must explain every term at the simplest level possible or that you should write to a fourth-grade reading level. Instead, it means that you should present your material in such a way that the least-knowledgeable member of your audience can easily understand the message you are trying to convey. (If you’re writing to a global audience, you must also present your material in such a way that readers to whom English is a second language will be able to understand you.)

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