Never use the passive where you can use the active.Īlthough the passive voice can be useful, it’s verbose and creates distance between writer and reader. (My suggested rewrite is at the bottom of the page.)Ĥ. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy, joyous and successful new year. In order to celebrate the success of the company in 2015, we have taken the decision to award each and every employee who works for the company a bonus of £5,000 to be received on a date no later than 1 February. How many words can you cut from this extract? If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.įor a clear and concise style, strip your sentences of unnecessary words. A true expert will use a simple writing style to help the reader focus on content.ģ. Insecure writers dress up their language to hide a lack of knowledge. Never use a long word where a short one will do. For clear communication, ditch the clichés and say what you mean.Ģ. Many business phrases are tired and overused others are unpleasant. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Here they are, with a few thoughts on each from us at Attica.ġ. These rules are still relevant today and they’re a great basis for your business writing in 2016. To cure English writers of their bad habits he set out his six rules on writing. This was more than an irritation for Orwell, who believed the English language ‘becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.’ In short, write poorly and risk becoming an idiot.įortunately, Orwell was nothing if not proactive. In his 1946 essay Politics and the English Language, he bemoaned the dire state of written English.
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