Professional writing should be concise, readable, and purposeful. Many workplace documents become ineffective because they’re overloaded with jargon or unnecessary words. Writing Essentials emphasizes how to declutter and clarify your writing using principles from the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, helping every message sound confident and direct.
Simplify Without Losing Substance
Wordy sentences often hide the main idea. To strengthen your writing, focus on:
- Active voice: “My supervisor approved the memo” is clearer than “The memo was approved by my supervisor.”
- Hidden verbs: Turn nouns back into actions, say “We analyzed the data” instead of “We conducted an analysis of the data.”
- Subject–Verb–Object order: Place the subject first to make each sentence direct and easy to read.
By choosing precise words and natural phrasing, writers can maintain professionalism without sounding stiff or overly formal.
Make Your Message Conversational
Writing that mimics spoken language feels approachable and human. Replace bureaucratic expressions with clear alternatives — “use” instead of “utilize,” “because” instead of “due to the fact that,” and “soon” instead of “in the near future.” Plain, conversational writing saves time for readers and improves engagement across teams.
Aim for Precision
Every word should have purpose. Precise writing shows confidence and eliminates confusion. For example:
- Vague: “We saw improvement.”
- Precise: “The project’s success rate increased by 12 percent.”
When writers use precise and conversational language, their work becomes not only more readable but also more persuasive.
