Category Archives: Tone

Let’s put aside the usual fine points regarding grammar, punctuation, and word use in favor of two broader ideas for improving our writing in 2017: 1. Make sure our writing reflects the way we talk. 2. Look for opportunities to make … Continue reading →

I think you’ll agree that an attribute we deeply appreciate in others is listening skills. So in a fast-paced digital world, how can we enhance our written communications to show we are paying attention? Here are three tips: 1. Echo … Continue reading →

As promised, here is the continuation of last week’s post about the many writing goals that start with “P.” We have already noted that we want our writing to be precise in language choices and pointed in organization. We benefit from a patient … Continue reading →

Our daily paper just ran two complementary pieces filled with advice for grads seeking jobs. I was gratified by the articles’ accent on “soft skills” and this statement: “Communication skills are ranked first among a job candidate’s ‘must have’ qualities, according … Continue reading →

The word “just” has been highlighted this past year as a prime illustration of the female tendency to apologize too much in written and oral communications. (“I’m just wondering if you’ve had time to review my idea.”) According to some … Continue reading →

If we write an A+ email – glittering with pithy content, impeccable grammar, and masterful brevity – but the tone is stuffy or condescending or brusque or flippant, the reader will consider our message a D-. Rather than reacting with … Continue reading →

If emancipation from two no-nos we had to heed in school will make your day, I’ll try. Let’s review. The fragment Back in fifth or seventh grade––and maybe high school––we weren’t allowed to write sentence fragments because our teachers needed … Continue reading →

Have you ever noticed how many TV news stories open with “It’s a (fill in the blank)’s worst nightmare”? A parent’s worst nightmare. A locksmith’s worst nightmare. A mime’s worst nightmare. I certainly don’t want to trivialize a parent’s heartache, … Continue reading →

Did a teacher or professor ever say your writing was choppy––but you had no idea how to cure that malady? When you review an important item you’re about to send to your boss or a client, perhaps by reading it … Continue reading →

Dorothy’s fellow travelers in The Wizard of Oz can remind us of of three business writing priorities that will command reader attention and separate us from the pack. A Heart.  The Tin Man was looking for a heart, and each … Continue reading →