Writing Guidelines-01-Reasons for Unclear Writing

Unclear written communication in business can cause misunderstandings, delays, and damaged relationships. But what makes writing unclear?

Many people will answer this question by saying, "Grammatical errors and a lack of vocabulary." While it's true that grammatical errors and incorrect word choice can be problematic, there are other factors that can affect the clarity of written communication. While it may take time for you to improve your grammar and vocabulary, you can do something about these other factors right away.

 

Content and Context
Have you included all necessary elements in your message? Have you included too much information?

Sometimes writers forget to evaluate their messages objectively. They may assume that the reader knows the same background information that they do, so they leave it out. The resulting message might be unclear due to insufficient context. For example, if you refer to a meeting that the reader did not attend, the reader probably won't know what you are talking about.

On the other hand, a writer might go into too much detail. The important points may get lost in long paragraphs of text.

In order to know how much information to include, it is important to think about your reader. What does your reader need to know? What does your reader know already? Will your reader have an opportunity to ask for more details? How much information is enough will depend on the answers to these questions. Here is a general rule of thumb: The more context a reader has, the less content may be necessary. On the other hand, if a reader has little context, it may be necessary to include more content. It is almost always safer to assume that the reader has less context than you think.

Organization
Whether messages are short or long, they will be easier to understand if they are organized clearly. There are many ways to organize your message:

?Use visual cues. Break text into paragraphs, with one important point per paragraph. Use numbers or bullet points for a list or series of points. In longer messages or documents, use subheadings to help the reader find sections quickly.

?Use the "inverted pyramid" structure in your messages. This means that you should state your key message first, before going into details. For example, if you are emailing someone to request something, state the request at the beginning of the message, immediately after the greeting. Then explain the reason for your request, when you need a response, and any other necessary information.

To follow the inverted pyramid approach in longer documents, you should state your key message, and then provide a brief outline of supporting points. Put the most important point first. Then explain each point with necessary details. Conclude with a concise summary.

?Make your organization clear to the reader. You can use connectors (like so, because, even though) and transition words (like first, however, in conclusion), both within paragraphs and between paragraphs. Connectors and transition words show the relationship between two ideas or paragraphs.

For example, which connecting or transition words would you use in the following blanks?

however      because      in addition     as a result

1. The directions were not clear. ________, many people got lost.

2. The directions were not clear ________ there was a lot of missing information.

3. The directions were not clear. _______, everyone arrived on time.

4. The directions were not clear. ______, the map was outdated.

Answers: 1) As a result; 2) because; 3) However; 4) In addition

Connectors and transition words clearly show whether one idea is a result (1), a reason (2), an unexpected result (3), or additional information (4). Connectors and transition words show whether ideas are similar or different (similarly, in contrast). They show how ideas are related to each other in time (before, after, while).