Carpenter Document Consulting

Nowadays, everyone has a presence on the World Wide Web, whether it’s through social networking sites, personal or professional blogs, or business websites. As a result, writing for the web has never been more popular, and we often edit text written specifically for this online medium.

Writing for the web is unique. Web writing gives you more flexibility and freedom to be creative. Here are four ways to write effective web text:

1) Be conversational.

Forget the formality of more traditional writing styles. While you want to remain professional with your readers—especially if you’re trying to sell them a product or service—you should engage them with conversational language.

2) Keep it brief.

The advantage of writing on the web is that you can incorporate images—and even videos—into your site. Mix important text with more visual elements to draw your readers in. A text-heavy webpage without any accompanying visual elements will deter visitors from reading what you have to offer. Conversely, concise text with a visually appealing design will attract visitors to your site.

3) Use bullets.

Bulleted lists are perfect for the web. Readers want straightforward information, and they don’t want to have to read a lengthy paragraph to find it. Group related information in easy-to-read bulleted lists.

4) Use headings.

Chances are your audience isn’t going to read every word on your site—or visit every page. It’s more likely that your visitors are seeking specific information. With that in mind, include reader-friendly headings that help them navigate through your site and find the information they need. If your visitors can find information with ease, they’re more likely to return to your site, buy your product, or use your service.

Using gendered pronouns like “him” or “her” in your writing can be a tricky subject. Most style guides have specific rules for the use of gendered pronouns; for example, APA advises against using gendered pronouns in your writing. Company- or project-specific standards might conflict with more traditional style guides, so writers often struggle with assigning pronouns to singular subjects when the gender of the subject is unknown.

Follow APA’s guidance, and avoid using gendered pronouns with these tips.

Make the subject plural.

Writers often avoid this tricky subject by using the plural pronoun “they.” Often, this is incorrect because the subject remains singular, and this revision creates pronoun disagreement. However, if you also make the subject plural, using the plural pronoun “they” is the easiest way to avoid using gendered pronouns.

Omit the pronoun.

Instead of using “him” or “her,” use a gender-neutral noun. Identifying the subject as “an individual” or “person” is gender neutral and preferable to “him” or “her.”

Revise your sentence.

If you’re stuck and can’t find a gender-neutral noun that works, then restructure your sentence to avoid the use of the pronoun.

Yesterday, we talked about working with lists in our documents—namely, bulleted lists. Another useful type of list to use is a numbered list, and this is particularly helpful when explaining procedures or steps in technical documentation. Generally, use numbered lists only when the steps should be followed in a specific, sequential order. For examples of procedural lists, check out user manuals and help files.

Here are a few ways to make the most of numbered lists:

Use active verbs.

Since numbered lists indicate a procedure that the reader will perform, engage the reader by choosing active voice. Rather than saying “Windows Explorer should be open on your desktop,” say “Double-click Windows Explorer to open it.”

Use the imperative.

The reader is performing the action, making this the ideal context for using the implied “you” as the subject.

Break down the steps.

Make sure each step offers only one action. Readers are going to be referring to your document while troubleshooting or putting something together, so you want to make the steps easy to follow. Readers might overlook an important action buried in the third sentence of an item. Remember, readers want a step-by-step guide.

Lists are a great way to organize related information. Bullets can serve a visual aid that draws the reader in, allowing them to focus on important facts or statistics in your document. Best of all, bulleted lists are beneficial for any type of document.

Use a bulleted list in a PowerPoint presentation to highlight important statistics. If you’re making a brochure for your business, you can use a concise list to explain your services or rates. Highlight your job experience and skills using bulleted lists in your resume.

Here are some tips when using bulleted list:

Make sure your bullets are parallel.

Use all nouns (or noun phrases) or all verbs (and verb phrases). Choose imperative statements (with an implied “you” as the subject) to engage the reader.

Keep them brief.

The advantage of bullets is that they draw the reader in view concise nformation. If you find that your bullets resemble paragraphs, stick to paragraph form.

Include a relevant stem.

Introduce your bullets with a sentence or phrase to give the reader context. A list of impressive statistics means nothing if you don’t tell the reader the relevance of these statistics.

Check your punctuation.

Stems generally end in colons, but check your style guide to be sure. Imperative statements and complete sentences should include end punctuation, while phrases should not. If you find that some of your bullets use end punctuation and others do not, your bullets probably aren’t parallel.

Parallel structure—or using the same pattern of words for two or more ideas—is one mark of a good writer. Parallelism makes your document easy to read, guiding readers through lists or lengthy sentences with ease. When you’re proofreading your document, take time to look at any words or phrases joined by conjunctions like “and” or “or.” Ensure that each word or phrase in this list has the same form—either a noun (or noun phrase), verb (or verb phrase), or gerund. Bulleted lists can be particularly tricky spots for parallelism, so make sure your bullets are parallel.

Here are some parallel structure examples:

• Not Parallel: The next steps require you to knead the dough, roll it out, and baking it for 20 minutes.
• Parallel: The next steps require you to knead the dough, roll it out, and bake it for 20 minutes.

• Not Parallel: To troubleshoot the problem, log off of the network, restart your computer, and your system administrator should be contacted.
• Parallel: To troubleshoot the problem, log off of the network, restart your computer, and contact your system administrator.

• Not Parallel: You can do the following on our website: shop for products, find answers to frequently asked questions, and interacting with our online community.
• Parallel: You can do the following on our website: shop for products, find answers to frequently asked questions, and interact with our online community.

Redundant expressions are a part of today’s lexicon. Novice writers often think that turning a basic phrase into a more verbose one makes the writing more legitimate. In reality, unnecessarily wordy phrases are simply the mark of an amateur writer and serve no purpose other than to muddle an otherwise clear sentence.

We all have a tendency to overuse certain phrases in our writing. If you find that any of these redundant phrases are on your list, then opt for using the more concise term next time. Your readers will thank you.

• As per usual = as usual
• As to whether = whether
• During the course of = during
• Each and every = each
• Exactly the same = the same
• In the event that = if
• Most unique = unique

Another week of editing is winding down at Carpenter Doc, and we’ve collected the week’s most frequent editorial comments here. Check them out, and improve your writing in no time.

1) Check your pronouns.

Assign one person a singular pronoun (him/his or her/hers). More than one person gets a plural pronoun (they/their). Pronoun agreement is an easy mistake to make, so make sure that your subject is assigned a pronoun that agrees with it!

2) Define terms.

If you’re using acronyms in your document, spell them out on first reference followed by the acronym in parenthesis. Define uncommon terms. Do the work for your readers by making sure your document is easy to understand.

3) Avoid vague questions.

Including questions in your document can be tricky. Often, they distance your reader from the piece and require the reader to do the work for you. Instead of asking a question, answer it.

4) Use reputable sources.

The Internet has given us access to a wealth of information in just a few clicks. However, this accessibility also means that there are sites that offer less-than-accurate information. Always check the validity of your Internet source before you use it as a reference for your paper.

5) Double-check your commas.

Commas are a punctuation pitfall for many writers. So, conduct a quick comma check: If a sentence has two subject/verb phrases, separate them with a comma. If a sentence has two verbs and one subject, do not use a comma between the verbs.

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.

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.

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.