Business writing made simple
Strengthen your sentences by using fewer words and getting rid of awkward or passive construction. Practice by rewriting these wordy sample sentences, inspired by the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
Category: Writing/Editing
Conversation stoppers
While these phrases aren’t grammatically incorrect, they tend to be used in all the wrong places: “With all due respect, …” “Does that make sense?” … “I hear what you’re saying, but …”
Inter vs. intra
An admin reader recently wrote, “My goodness, will you please do a piece that tells people the difference between ‘intra’ and ‘inter’? While you’re at it, ‘effect’ vs. ‘affect’ wouldn’t hurt, either.”
Grammar school rules
Which unforgettable writing lesson did you learn in school? Are there any you still use today? See if any of these ring a bell:
1-Minute Strategies: Nov. 11
Make your email more readable by crafting enticing subject lines … Why wait for an annual review to get feedback? Ask for one-minute feedback at every opportunity … Knock out more of your critical to-dos by whittling down your to-do list each day … Go ahead: Ask for a $100,000 salary …
What’s wrong with this sentence?
Correct any punctuation errors in the following sentences. Caution: Some sentences may already be correct, so don’t be fooled.
Writing email that gets read
Boost the odds that people will read your emails. Five guidelines: 1. Limit your message to five sentences. 2. Figure out your main point. 3. Edit. 4. Ask one thing at a time, or maybe two. 5. Include a link to information available online.
Use one word? Or two?
Is it one word or two? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of common spelling snafus:
Invitation to punch up e-vites
Think beyond Evite with these three digital greeting-card sites: Paperless Post, Pingg and Punchbowl.
10 rules to reverse the email spiral
Chris Anderson, who runs the high-profile TED conference, believes we need to focus on limiting the flow of email, rather than focusing on how to organize and file all those messages. Anderson penned 10 ideas that could make a dent in email quantity: