Carpenter Document Consulting

E-mail is the primary form of communication in many business and academic settings. We e-mail coworkers with questions about our work, professors for clarification about our assignments, and potential employers with job applications. It’s important to craft clear, concise, and professional e-mails in all of these situations. Here are a few basic rules to consider when writing e-mails for work or school:

1) Use business letter formats.

Think back to when we used to write business letters and put them in the mail. These letters included a formal greeting, body, and signature. Use that format in your e-mails as well. If you call your boss by her first name instead of her last, it’s appropriate to begin the e-mail with “Hi Cindy,” or “Cindy,”. If your client is new, offer a more professional greeting like “Dear Mr. Bennett,”. End the e-mail with your name and perhaps your contact information. Most e-mail programs allow you to create an automatic signature, where you can include your title, company name, business address, and phone number.

2) Use proper sentence structure.

Because e-mails can feel like less professional documents than an academic paper or business plan, we often forget to adhere to proper writing rules. Include proper capitalization and punctuation, and don’t let a lengthy e-mail turn into a long run-on paragraph. If you’re writing to ask a question or get clarification on a project, briefly explain the project in your first paragraph. Use the second paragraph to pose a clear question. Avoid ambiguity. The more direct your e-mail is, the more likely you are to get a response.

3) Omit smileys.

Instant messaging, social networking, and texting have made smiley faces a standard in our lexicon. However, they simply aren’t appropriate for professional e-mails. Leaving these items out of your e-mail will instantly make it more professional.

The best way to write professional e-mails is to treat each message like you would any other professional document. E-mail is convenient, but that doesn’t mean you can overlook basic rules of grammar, structure, and punctuation when composing a message.

Writers often struggle with prepositions. These small, seemingly insignificant words can impact the meaning of the sentence, meaning there is usually a right preposition to use and a wrong one. Let’s look at one common preposition mistake that we see in documents we edit.

Which of the following three sentences uses the proper preposition?

A) A doctor is different than a veterinarian.
B) This dress is different to that one.
C) The pink flowers are different from the red flowers.

If you chose C, you’re correct. “From” is the proper preposition to use after “different.” While there has been debate over this usage in the past, most resources, including The Elements of Style online, prefer using “from” rather than “than” or “to.”

Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, long regarded as the source on clear and concise writing, is now accessible with the click of a mouse. Check out The Elements of Style Online for a nice compilation of writing tips. In particular, we like the section on commonly misused words and expressions. It’s likely you’ll find some words on that list that you use from time to time. Bookmark this page, and refer to it often, and you’ll find yourself writing more concisely in no time.

The Elements of Style is an easy read that reinforces many excellent writing tips. If you’re a writer—whether it’s for school or your job—consider picking up a copy and reading it every now and then to strengthen your writing skills. Or, check out the online version for some instant writing tips.

The comma is a polarizing punctuation mark, generating discussion in the newsroom and classroom alike. Everyone from copy editors to students to business professionals argue over the comma’s placement, and there are as many people who overuse commas as those who under use them. It’s safe to say that Carpenter Doc never edits a document without a missing or misplaced comma.

Thankfully, there are many standard rules for comma usage, and here are some particularly popular ones to guide your writing:

Do:

• Include a comma between independent clauses.
• Use a comma before an introductory phrase.
• Use a comma to set off a nonrestrictive clause beginning with “which.”
• Follow your style guide regarding the usage of the serial comma (comma after the conjunction in a series).

Don’t:

• Include a comma between the subject and verb of a sentence.
• Use a comma around restrictive clauses beginning with “that.”
• Include a comma between an adjective and the noun it describes.
• Use a comma after “and” if it is joining two subjects or verbs.

With the New Year upon us, many folks are hitting the gym and resolving to stay active in 2010. Just as you aim to stay active physically, you should also focus on active writing. Active writing engages your reader, making your document more effective. Here are a few ways to get active this year.

1) Use subject-verb-object construction.

This basic sentence structure, which you first learned in elementary school, is the most direct and active way to write. Awkwardly constructed sentences can hinder clarity, so rely on the traditional construction to enhance reader understanding.

2) Eliminate unnecessary use of passive voice.

Most style guides caution against the use of passive voice, and rightfully so. Passive voice distances your reader from the content. Revising passive sentences to active ones is an obvious and effective way to actively engage your readers.

3) Use the imperative.

The most direct way to engage your readers and charge them to perform an action is by using the imperative. I use it in every blog post. Eliminate “you” as the subject since the “you” is implied, and begin your sentence with a strong verb.

With another year—and decade—upon us, many people are focusing on sticking to those New Year’s resolutions. Here at Carpenter Doc, we resolve to improve our writing and editing skills this year, and we challenge our clients to do the same. Whether you’re a student, professor, or business professional, strong writing is essential to your success. Students are graded on their writing; professors further their research by publishing in scholarly journals; business professionals write e-mails, memos, and other documents on a daily basis.

Here are some strategies you can use to boost your writing this year:

Know your audience.

Your audience’s knowledge level of your subject has a direct impact on what you write. With a clear understanding of your audience’s needs and knowledge level, you can focus your paper and guide your research.

Research first.

Make sure you have a strong knowledge of your subject before you start writing. If you write before you really know what you want to say, you will spend far too much time revising draft after draft. Brainstorm, outline, and research first.

Avoid common mistakes.

Overuse of passive voice, confusion between “that” and “which,” and misplaced modifiers can confuse readers and muddle your writing.

Learn from your mistakes.

Writers often commit the same mistakes repeatedly (myself included). Take time to understand your editor’s, proofreader’s, or professor’s changes or comments. Have a coworker read over an important memo before you send it out, and embrace her comments. Having another set of eyes look over your document is an invaluable way to improve both the document and your writing.