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Category Archives: Brevity
Tips Library
On the right you have access to close to 150 brief posts from my blogging phase. They reflect my desire to clear up many of the common misunderstandings and commonly missed opportunities I see in workplace writing—without making you feel … Continue reading
Four-Letter Words
What minor repairs would you make in these sentences? 1. Smith might break out of his slump by reverting back to his old batting stance. 2. Did you know that Wilson was drafted right out of high school? 3. Johnson … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse
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Yada, Yada
Although these posts are mainly geared to writing in the workplace, let’s look at common speech for three symptoms of failures to communicate concisely: 1. Blah, blah, blah. When we are telling a story or explaining something and we insert … Continue reading
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Togetherness
In recognition of the lack of cohesion in our country right now – and in recognition of Black History Month – the above photo seemed apt. Now, on to business. How would you refine the following sentence? Our Department and … Continue reading
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
With the Cleveland Browns now winless in 12 games, let’s reflect, mercifully, on the Indians’ run all the way to the seventh game of the World Series. This was accomplished despite a relatively paltry payroll, as noted in a Nov. … Continue reading
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Back Pain
We need to remember that many words beginning with re-, such as reflect, return, and revert, do not need to be followed by back: Even when I already know the story, I like hearing Grandma reflect back on her early days … Continue reading
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Handling “Both”
Last night, one of the network newscasters called the presidential race “nail-bitingly close for both candidates.” Hmm. So if the race is close for one of them, doesn’t it stand to reason that the race is about the same for … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Common Grammar Errors, Flair & Finesse
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60-Second Tip
New & improved? As the blog enters year 3, I am markedly shortening my weekly writing tips, but you can always browse http://www.normfriedman.com/blog/ in search of meatier entries. Each of my first 102 posts is about a three- or four-minute … Continue reading
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The “Basics”
Watch out for these common slips when using words related to “basic”: 1. I was basically on hold for more than 20 minutes until a customer service rep solved my issue. What is “basically” doing in this sentence? If we’re saying … Continue reading
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Quiz Time
Correct weaknesses in each of these sentences. 1. We both went to the same high school for a period of time until Jack won a scholarship to a private school. 2. The meeting is set for 8:30 am tomorrow morning, … Continue reading