Clarify awkward references by avoiding expressions

Clarify awkward references by avoiding expressions such as the former, the latter, and
respectively. Readers tend to become confused when they have to jump from point to point.
Moderate your enthusiasm to avoid sounding insincere.
Edit for conciseness:
Delete unnecessary words and phrases.
Examine every word you put on paper and eliminate words that aren’t essential.
Shorten long words and phrases as shorter words are more vivid and easier to read.
Eliminate redundancies (“visible to the eye” is redundant because visible is enough to
convey your meaning).
Recast “It is/There are” starters.
Evaluate, Edit and Revise the Work of Others
Before proofreading another’s work remember that your job is to help the other writer
succeed and not to impose your writing style or pursue your own agenda (unless, of
course, you have been evaluating someone’s work, recognize the dual responsibility that
doing asked to do so). Second, make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you
begin suggesting or making changes.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What is the purpose of this document or message?
Who is the target audience?
What information do they need?
Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way?
Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience?
Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience?
Can the readability be improved?
Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved?

Is the writing as concise as it could be?
Does the design support the intended message?
Use technology to revise your message.
Computer functions such as cut and paste and search and replace can assist writers.
Software correction tools such as revision marks and commenting offer a convenient way
for groups to edit work.
Four software functions can help bring out the best in students’ documents:
Spell checker
Thesaurus
Grammar checker
Style checker
Effective writers will not rely on technological tools for all their revision work since spell and
grammar checkers cannot find all errors and cannot know the content, organization, and tone
needed in the message.
Producing Your Message
Once a message is revised and refined, you are ready to deal with the production quality of
your message—the total effect of page design, graphical elements, typography, and screen
presence.
Adding graphics, sounds, video, and hypertext is an effective way to get one’s message
across.
To design for readability, consider the following elements:
White space: any space free of text of visuals is considered white space; provide adequate
white space to provide visual contrast for the reader.