Improving writing

Writing is a weak point for me. This post is a collection of ideas that improved my writing. These ideas are particularly valuable for non-native English speakers.

Use Active voice instead of passive voice

Follow Subject(S) - Verb(V) - Object(O) format for sentences. Active voice sentences tend to be shorter and readers quickly grab your message.

Example: 'I will provide task update tomorrow' instead of 'Update for the task will be provided by me tomorrow'.

Use simple words to improve clarity

Preparing for GRE improved my vocabulary but also resulted in convoluted writing. I don't use words like 'promulgate' or 'expeditious' when talking but when writing I subliminally use all complex words I have learnt in my life. Simple, shorter sentences are easier to read than complex, longer ones.

Example: promulgate -> publish, expeditious -> fast

Remove meaningless phrases

If a word or phrase doesn't add meaning, delete it. We bury ideas we want to convey between fluff and makes it hard for readers. Fluff words include jargons, cliches and redundancies. If you are sending an email skip the wordy introduction and just ask the question.

Correct mistakes

Learn common grammar, spelling and punctuation errors or use MSWord or Grammarly!