Welcome to the blog – advice, opinions and musings on how to make words work
Much of what we write often sails way over our readers’ heads. The problem is that we take our own knowledge for granted and assume that everyone else knows it too. As I explained recently, we all know more than we think. Even if you're new to a topic yourself, it’s...
The headline almost leapt out of my screen. It was June 2020. Every day was bringing another batch of harrowing news stories. Yet this one, on the...
One of the biggest killers of great ideas (and even greater careers) has to be impostor syndrome. I've met countless professionals who were held...
I've got a quick question for you. How many people live in the Australian capital of Sydney? Is it two million? Five million? Seven million? The...
A paper to the board can be incredibly powerful. But you have to tell them what you want and make sure they actually read it.
Organisations are full of documents that don't work. The CEO of a London bank recently told me that he'd spent 20 minutes of his last board meeting...
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If you're putting off writing a tricky email or text right now, you're not alone. According to a recent poll by YouGov, almost one in three adults...
Getting someone to read a document is often a bit like pushing a car that won't start. You have to overcome a ton of inertia at first. But it then...
People read your documents until they can stop. Then they do. But that's not because we have limited attention spans. The truth is that we can focus...
One of the biggest business-writing myths has to be that shorter is always better. 'Less is more,' say those who claim to be in the know. Keep it...
There’s been another U-turn on the effects of texting on children’s literacy skills. The latest research, conducted by Dr Clare Wood at...
As more people join us on our crusade to rid the English-speaking world of business writing that doesn’t seem to speak English, we can only...
The colon is a common cause of bellyache. The semicolon can leave people dazed and confused. But rather than cutting them completely from your...
We're often asked about when to use capital letters. Why is it so confusing? The answer lies somewhere between what we’re used to seeing...
Remember last year: the pain of putting off that report day after day, finally bashing it out in a blind panic the night before it was due? ...
Free podcasts offer expert help with writing reports, proposals, emails and more A new source of free help is at hand for anyone who has ever...
As we continue our ceaseless quest to seek out and rehabilitate the bulls of business-speak, we come up against an old and imposing foe. Imagine...
Rob Ashton explains how developing your writing skills can help you to win sales. Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny that reality TV...
It’s that magical time of year again. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose and – quite possibly – being thrown...
So, those emoticon smiles: what else can they be used for? Round brackets Imagine the contents of round brackets (or parentheses) as an aside...
Finally, a House of Commons report that is a cause for celebration. This is Bad Language: the Use and Abuse of Official Language – the result...
Write Now reader Simon Lewis joins the great 'that' debate: Definitely one of my bugbears, that. Take this example: “The teaching medical...
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