Week 12: Edit Like a Writer

Editing messages for high impact

• 1. Review Plain Language Laws and Guidelines

• • Nine Easy Steps to Longer Sentences

1. Cutting the Fat in your writing

   • Nouns are needy

   • Passive v. active voice

     • Sentences are made longer when passive voice is used. (Active or Passive)

     • When writers use passive voice, they lengthen the sentence. (Active or Passive)

     • Using passive voice lengthens the sentence. (Active or Passive)

     • Using active voice shortens the sentence. (Active or Passive)

     • The tree was struck by lightning. (Active or passive)

     • The jewelry has been stolen. (Active or passive)

     • Smoking is prohibited in this theater (Active or passive)

     • This theater prohibits smoking (Active or passive)

     • We thank you for not smoking in this theater (Active or passive)

     • Please don't smoke in this theater (Active or passive)

     • Does using passive voice always lengthen the sentence? (Yes or No)

       • Hint: consider the first two examples posted above.

2. Grammar matters (exercise)

Final writing assignment

Weekly assignment

Resources

• Cutting the Fat in your writing

• Can you say it in fewer words?

• Grammar matters exercise

• Mentor text assignment

Quotes

• "If you don't understand something, use longer words. Share the ignorance with your readers."--George Orwell

• "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." --Albert Einstein

• “Taste your words before you spit them out.”—Andy Card

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