Materials for Writing on the Job
The Staff Writing Project is dedicated to providing helpful grammar and composition tips to University of Richmond staff.
If you are writing work requests, performance feedback, and evaluation comments, you probably already know that your writing is limited to short entries. You may find the following tips helpful in composing clear and descriptive comments.
1. Omit Needless Words
Example: This is a problem that needs very urgent attention.
Changed to: This problem is urgent.
The second sentence here is concise and to-the-point. In general, you should try to omit any words that are not necessary to the meaning of a sentence. This does not mean your writing cannot be descriptive; rather, your writing will contain only words that are essential to what you are communicating. This makes both writing and reading much easier.
2. Try to Use the Active Voice
Example: The information will be described by the team leader at the meeting. (PASSIVE VOICE)
Changed to: The team leader will describe the information at the meeting. (ACTIVE VOICE)
This is a trap many writers fall into. In passive sentences, the subject RECEIVES the action of the verb ("the information WILL BE DESCRIBED BY..."), while in active sentences, the subject PERFORMS the action expressed ("the team leader WILL DESCRIBE.) It is easy to slip up and use the passive voice (like the first sentence), but usually the active voice (second sentence) is more direct and less confusing.
3. Use the Positive Form
Example: The staff member often does not come in on time.
Changed to: The staff member is often late.
The second sentence uses the positive form, which can help your writing become clearer and more concise.
4. Avoid Run-On Sentences
Sentences with too many ideas can be distracting and inhibit understanding. Break up your thoughts into manageable sentences. The first sentence below is an example of a run-on.
Example: I tried to fix the washing machine but the new parts had not come in and I will wait until next Monday for them to arrive and in the meantime students will use temporary machines in the other room.
Changed to: I tried to fix the washing machine, but the new parts had not come in. I will wait until next Monday for them to arrive. In the meantime, students will use temporary machines in the other room.
5. Watch out for Sentence Fragments
Complete sentences must contain a subject and a verb. The following are examples of incomplete sentences called sentence fragments:
- The best part of this job. (This is not a sentence because it contains no verb.)
- Worked very hard yesterday. (This is not a sentence because it contains no subject.)
E-mail Etiquette
Approximately 210 billion e-mails are sent daily in the United States. Over the past few years, this number has grown dramatically, as email has become one of the essential methods of communication within businesses. However, regardless of how informal composing an e-mail may seem, the standard rules of etiquette still preside over any message. Below are several tips to help best compose a proper and respectful e-mail.
- Subject Line: Be sure to fill the subject line of every e-mail sent. Within the subject, include a brief synopsis of the e-mail, or a word or two detailing the content of the e-mail. Avoid using bold print, smaller prints or all caps as they decrease formality.
- Be formal: Although an e-mail may seem like an informal method of communication, an appropriate level of formality is still very much necessary. Remember that when e-mailing, one represents ones company as a whole. Additionally, one is communicating with clients, co-workers, or superiors, and should structure the e-mail accordingly.
- Greeting your contact: Always use the proper prefix when addressing a recipient. Mr. or Ms. are necessary unless the recipient has allowed the use of a less formal greeting.
- Format: In order to preserve formality, it is best not to vary the format in an e-mail. This includes changing font size or color, or editing the spacing of the message.
- Reply: The reply button should only be used when continuing a recent conversation or immediate correspondence. When using the reply button, be sure to edit and delete previous e-mails, keeping only information pertinent to the present message. When addressing a new topic, it is best to compose a new message to the recipient.
- Courtesy: It is always important to include common courtesies in an e-mail. Hello, Good day, Thank you, and Sincerely are all good examples of phrases that make an e-mail more personal, while still maintaining the essential level of formality.