Clear Writing Rule 1. 1.Brush up on your syntax (sentence structure), grammar
and punctuation knowledge to ensure your sentences communicate what.
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Clear Writing and Proofreading The Academic Skills Centre Trent University
What Is Clear Writing? • is a way of presenting information so that it is easy for everyone to read and understand. • prevents misunderstanding between you and your reader by avoiding 1. spelling errors 2. sentence structure and grammatical errors 3. inappropriate jargon and technical terms
Clear Writing Is…
A Lifelong Task. Even Professional Writers have Editors.
How To Work On Improving the Clarity of Your Writing Clear Writing involves two major steps: Editing: Revising the sentence structure, grammar, spelling, diction and punctuation of your sentences. Proofreading: Revising your writing for minor or surface errors and for format, the look of the writing
Writing Clearly Starts With and Depends On Thinking Clearly “Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style.” ~Matthew Arnold
Hard writing (and hard thinking) makes easy reading.” Anonymous
There are Three Key Rules to Clear Writing 1. Know your Rules of Sentence Structure, Grammar, and Punctuation 2.Keep it Short and Simple 3.Be Simple and Concrete, Not Wordy and Abstract
Clear Writing Rule 1 1.Brush up on your syntax (sentence structure), grammar and punctuation knowledge to ensure your sentences communicate what you intend. Most students make only a few errors, but they make these same errors over and over again.
Grammar and Clear Writing Modules • The Academic Skills Centre's Grammar and Clear Writing Modules can help you learn to correct your errors and to understand what the comments mean. Practise exercises with answer keys are provided. • Take an hour or so and test yourself with some of the exercises provided. Brush up on the areas you have difficulty with. • The Module home page provides a handy table that can help you find the exact help you need to begin to improve your writing at the sentence level. http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/online_grammarmoduleintroduct ion.php
Clear Writing Rule 2 2. Keep it Short and Simple: “The secret of … writing can be given in two maxims: stick to the point, and, whenever you can, cut.” ~W. Somerset Maugham Short: Cut out unnecessary words, by not cluttering your sentences with redundant expressions such as ‘as is well known’, ‘it is generally accepted that’, ‘in my personal opinion’, ‘and so on and so forth.’ Cut filler.
Clear Writing Rule 2: Simple Simple: Use simple words where possible. Simple language will not make you seem less learned or elegant: it will make you more credible. Convoluted in view of the fact that a certain number of the majority of accordingly, consequently for the purpose of in the event of
Simple as some most so to or if
in order to
Clear Writing Rule 3: Be Simple and Concrete, Not Wordy and Abstract Wordy and Abstract
Simple and Concrete
eliminate achieve an objective employment opportunities negative evolution remunerated employment investing in human capital
cut out meet a target jobs downturn paid work -employee training - improving (workers’) skills - education
Proofreading Before You Proofread • Be sure you've edited the larger aspects of your text. Don't make corrections at the sentence and word level if you still need to work on the focus, organization, and development of the whole paper, of sections, or of paragraphs or if you still haven’t edited for grammar, sentence structure, brevity and simplicity.
Proofreading Before You Proofread: • Set your text aside for a while (15 minutes, a day, a week) between writing and proofing. Some distance from the text will help you see mistakes more easily. • Know what to look for. From the comments of your professors or a writing center instructor on past papers, make a list of mistakes you need to watch for.
When You Proofread… • If at all possible, work from a printout, not the computer screen. (But see later for computer functions that can help you find some kinds of mistakes.) • Read out loud. You'll often hear problems that you may not see when reading silently.
When You Proofread… • Use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the lines below the one you're reading. This technique keeps you from skipping ahead of possible mistakes. • Use the search function of the computer to find mistakes you're likely to make. Search for "it," for instance, if you confuse "its" and "it's;" or for opening parentheses or quotation marks if you tend to leave out the closing ones. • If you tend to make many mistakes, check separately for each kind of error, moving from the most to the least important, and following whatever technique works best for you to identify that kind of mistake.
When You Proofread • End with a spelling check, using a computer spelling checker. But remember that a spelling checker won't catch mistakes with homonyms (e.g., "they're," "their," "there") or certain typos (like "he" for "the"). • If you want to be really thorough, read backwards, one word at a time, starting from the end. This breaks up the flow of the sentence and allows you to focus on each word at a time. This is inefficient for a long piece of writing, but try it for a short passage to check your overall neatness and correctness.
When You Want to Learn More • Use the ASC’s Grammar and Clear Writing Modules • Consult an Academic Skills instructor. Instructors won't edit or proofread your papers in their entirety, but they'll be glad to explain mistakes, help you find ways to identify and fix them, and point you to online resources focus on particular problems.
When You Want to Learn More • Keep writing and keep reading. You can learn by example. • Read the comments you receive on your writing. They are not criticisms but offer ways to improve both your writing and your thinking.
Proofreading Exercise 1. Although native women in the Canadian fur trade during the eighteenth century were sometimes exploited and dominated by European traders, there’s many reasons to suggest that the tremendous involvement of these women benefited North Americans for both social and economic reasons. there are
Proofreading Exercise 2. Some women participated in the fur trade directly, trapping rabbits and martens seasonally in order to trade it for beads, lace, and other luxury items produced in Europe, most, however, were only indirectly involved in a less visible and sometimes unrewarded way. them
Proofreading Exercise
3. For example, pelts were prepared by native women for their’ men to trade. their
Proofreading Exercise
5. Allowing peaceful bonds to develop between these different societies. As well, despite the fact that some were victimized, marriage between native women and the fur traders was common across the country, allowing peaceful bonds to develop between these different societies.
Proofreading Exercise 6. During the fur traders journeys, women assented by supplying knowledge of the land and useful methods of trade. fur traders’ journeys
Proofreading Exercise 7. Another area where women were important were in providing essential domestic skills that helped the fur traders to have more enjoyable lives. was
Proofreading Exercise 8. For example, native women provided moccasins and snowshoes for the men of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Northwest Company, and they mended the tents and cloths of fur traders. clothes
Proofreading Exercise 9.Native women were often visible at trading posts, occupying the numerous economic positions which was required for the successful system of trade. were
