Word emphasis

One of our readers, Frances Ford, made the following suggestion: Instead of using underlining to emphasize a word, use italics or bold. When readers see underlining, they typically associate it with a hyperlink.

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Write with the reader in mind

When writing copy, always focus on the reader.  For example, don’t write “Our sales seminar will cover three important tools for contacting customers.”  Instead, focus on your readers with “In this sales seminar, you’ll gain four important techniques that will help you to successfully contact customers.”

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Tell Them What You're Going to Tell Them

Tell them what you're going to tell them.  Remember to put the main points of your letter or email in the "subject" line.  Do not assume that folks are waiting breathlessly to read your every word; they want to know up-.front why you are writing.

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Jokes in e-mail

When to tell a joke in an email?  The chances are, you should not. As much as we think of email as an informal way of communicating, you should assume that everything you write will be read by people other than those you have addressed, possibly including human resources personnel or lawyers.  It is better to be ‘short and sweet,’ and save the jokes for later.

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"You" in a Memo

When should you use “you” in a memo?  When written in conversational memos, the overuse of “you” sounds like the writer is giving orders to the reader.   Relying on “you” suggests that the writer is giving directions, as in traffic directions or recipes.

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Exasperating or exacerbating?

During the recent NBA finals, an announcer said that a player interfering in an argument between two other players was “exasperating the situation.” No, he wasn’t. What was probably meant was “exacerbating” the situation, which means “making it worse.” The player received a technical foul from the referee, most likely exasperating his coach. Likewise, he aggravated the situation, rather than his coach, as “aggravate” also means “to make worse,” not “annoy,” which is how it is often misused.

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Proofreading

A useful proofreading method is to print out your writing and work on a hard copy. Many people find it hard to focus deeply on a monitor and have greater success with a printed copy. In addition to printing, take a break for a few minutes, or even an hour or two, so that you look at your work with fresh eyes.

Make a favorable impression upon those receiving your work by taking the time to proofread first. The investment will be well worth it.

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