By, Susan Adams

Revised by, Savannah Stein

“Clarity is the most important characteristic of good business writing,” says Mignon Fogarty, creator of the “Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” podcast. “Often businesspeople will use big $10 words because they want to sound intelligent. Instead, they end up sounding like they’re trying too hard.” Enhance your business writing with the following 10 tips:

1. Keep it short

Start by writing short, declarative sentences. Never use a long word where a short one will do. Be ruthless about self-editing; if you don’t need a word, cut it.

Examples:

🚫 Utilize

✅ Use

🚫 Terminate

✅ End

2. Avoid using jargons

Avoid jargon, foreign phrases and scientific words Use clear, straightforward English whenever possible. Jargon may sound impressive, but simple, direct language ensures your message is clear and effective. 

Examples:

🚫 Circle back

✅ Follow up later

🚫 Move the needle

✅ Make progress

3. Make your emails clear and effective

• Make your point upfront: if your main idea isn’t in the first paragraph, move it there or rewrite.

• Keep it simple: Simplicity doesn’t mean simple thinking, says Kara Blackburn, a lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. 

• Focus on action: Start by asking, "What action do I want the reader to take?"  This question helps sharpen your message. 

4. Use plain language

Use plain English, be specific, clear and direct. 

Examples:

🚫 Utilization of the provided resources is strongly encouraged to facilitate comprehension.

✅ Use the provided resources to help you understand. 

🚫 In the event that assistance is required, do not hesitate to contact our support team. 

✅ If you need help, contact our support team. 

5. Recognize your tone matters

Curb your enthusiasm. Avoid overusing exclamation points, regardless of how energized or friendly you might feel. 

Examples:

🚫 xoxo

🚫 Peace out 

🚫 Later

✅ Best 

✅ Regards

✅ Respectfully

6. Apply active voice

Whenever possible, use active instead of passive verbs. Active verbs help to energize your prose. Use a straightforward sentence structure–subject, verb, object–that people can read quickly.

Example:

🚫 The meeting was led by Tom.

✅ Tom led the meeting.

7. Choose "me" as the right choice

Use pronouns correctly, and don’t hesitate to use “me.” Fogarty points out that many people mistakenly use "myself" because they believe it sounds more formal or important. To avoid this mistake, try removing the other person from the sentence. 

Example:

🚫 Send the memo to Bob and myself.

✅ Send the memo to me. The pronoun remains appropriate even when adding Bob to the sentence.

8. Master subject-verb agreement

Beware of common grammatical mistakes, like subject-verb agreement. 

• The number of the subject (whether it’s singular or plural) determines the number of the verb. 

• Use a singular verb form after nobody, someone, everybody, neither, everyone, each and either.

Examples:

• The dog barks at strangers 🟰 singular subjects and verbs

• The dogs bark at strangers 🟰 plural subjects and verbs

9. Understand when to use "that" and "which"

Know when to use “that” and “which.” 

• That: Introduces essential information in what’s called a “restrictive clause.” 

• Which: Introduces extra information in a “nonrestrictive clause.” 

Examples:

✅ I’m interested in speaking with you about our new product, which has the potential to increase sales. 🟰 The second clause adds extra details but isn’t necessary for the meaning of the first clause, so which is the correct choice.  

✅ Computers are the only products that we sell. 🟰 The phrase “that we sell” is crucial to the sentence’s meaning, making “that” the correct choice. Removing it would alter the sentence’s intended message.  

10. Achieve mastery of affect and effect

Another common error is confusing “affect” and “effect.” 

• Affect: A verb meaning “to influence.” 

• Effect: A noun that means “result.” 

Example:

✅ The weather affects our ability to travel, and it had a terrible effect on my flight to New York.

For more writing tips, consult the classic books on writing and grammar, such as The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White, The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style. On iTunes, download the “Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” free podcast. Happy writing.