Always consider your reader first

First rule: ALWAYS CONSIDER YOUR READER FIRST: Why are they reading, what do they need to know?

Second rule: ALWAYS CONSIDER YOUR READER A VERY BUSY PERSON: stay clear and concise – brevity is better.

Third rule: REMOVE EACH AND EVEY UNNECESSARY WORD

Example

“One weakness I have noted in my writing is improper grammar and punctuation use. I tend to write how I am thinking and put more emphasis on word choice rather than being mindful of the punctuation, although I do try to take note and correct any errors. That being said, I come with many years of experience communicating both as a leader and a team member and have had a keen interest in English throughout all my years of education. I am very conscientious of time management and always ensure my assignments are completed on time. I think I will be an asset to a collaborative writing team and I appreciate being considered as a potential writing partner (118 words).”

 

Rewrite: My writing is weak in grammar and punctuation because I focus on word choice more than format. My strengths include team work, time management, timeliness and a keen interest in English. I am committed to be a good collaborative member of our writing team and appreciate your consideration (48 words).

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The word ‘it’ should be avoided. If you edit out ‘it’ whenever possible, you will always have a better sentence.

Example:

Costa Coffee is a British multinational coffeehouse company, founded in 1971. It quickly became popular across UK and Europe and recently got acquired by The Coca-Cola Company. Currently, it is the second largest coffee platform in the world, with stores in 31 countries.

REWRITE:

Founded in 1971, the Costa Coffee is a British multinational coffeehouse company that quickly became popular across UK and Europe, Costa was recently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company and is now the second largest coffee platform in the world with stores in 31 countries.