1. Editing for a Professional Style and Tone
By: Anamersy Arce
ENC 3213
FALL 2011

2. OBJECTIVES Appreciate the role of style in any document.
Write clear, concise, and fluent sentences.
Use precise language
Achieve a tone that connects with your audiences.

3. The Role of Style in any Document
No matter how technical your document, your audience will not understand the content unless the style is readable:
with sentences easy to understand.
with words chosen precisely.
Every bit as important as what you have to say is how you decide to say it. Your particular writing style is a blend of these elements:
The way in which you construct each sentence
The length of the sentences
The tone you convey

4. Editing for Clarity
Clear writing enables people to read each sentence only once in order to fully grasp its meaning. The following suggestions will help you edit for clarity:
Avoid ambiguous pronoun references, Ex. (he, she, it, and so on).
Avoid ambiguous modifiers (usually an adjective or an adverb) or a group of words (usually a phrase or a clause).

5. Using the Correct Tone Use active voice whenever possible.
In general, readers grasp the meaning more quickly and clearly when the writer uses the active voice (“I did it”) rather than the passive voice (“It was done by me”).
Use passive voice selectively. Use the passive voice when your audience has no need to know the agent.
Prefer the passive when you want to be indirect or inoffensive ( as in requesting the customer’s payment).

6. Each Phrase can be reduce to one
Avoid Wordy Phrases
Each Phrase can be reduce to one
Due to the fact that
Because

7. Adjusting Your Tone
Your tone is your personal trademark—the personality that takes shape between the lines. The tone you create depends on:
The distance you impose between yourself and the reader.
The attitude you show toward the subject.

8. Avoid Offensive Usage of all Types
Guidelines for inoffensive usage:
Be as specific as possible when referring to a person’s cultural/national identity.
Avoid potentially judgmental expressions.
Use person-first language
Avoid expressions that demean
Use age-appropriate designations

9. END