Effective writing gets your point across clearly. These 6 tips help you write more effectively: be concrete instead of vague, practice every day, cut overused filler phrases, research properly, use the active voice, and put control, honesty, and passion into your words.
For some people, writing comes naturally, and they truly love doing it. For others, it is a hard task that they avoid until they have to do it. Whatever your reason for writing, the best way to get your point across is to write effectively.
Whether you are a student in high school or college, or simply someone who wants to write better, a term paper or any other writing task can be challenging. Avoiding common errors is essential, and a few strategies make the work much easier. Each tip below comes with examples.
1. Avoid being vague
One of the first things a writer must learn is to avoid vagueness. Effective writing uses concrete sentences: you must be clear about what you want to tell your readers. Being concise and brief is also essential. Here are some examples of vague and concrete writing:
- Vague: Sally did not like the jeans her sister gave her.
- Concrete: Sally did not like the jeans her sister gave her for her birthday. They were too baggy.
The first sentence raises more questions than it answers. Why didn't Sally like the jeans? And why did her sister give them to her in the first place? The second sentence answers both.
- Vague: People are complaining about the extreme weather on the East Coast.
- Concrete: The residents of New York City complained all week about the heat.
Again, the first sentence leaves questions unanswered. What made the weather extreme? When did it happen? And in what part of the East Coast?
2. Practice makes perfect
Whatever you want to get better at, you must practice. The same goes for writing. Taking time to write every day makes a big difference over time, even if it is only 20 minutes. Writing by hand counts too, and it has benefits of its own. As with everything you do, the more you practice, the better you get.
3. Refrain from overused phrases
Another tip for effective writing is to avoid overusing certain phrases, such as it was, there are, there is, and it is. That does not mean you should never use them when you need them. It just means you should not lean on them to get your point across.
- Weak: There is a killer on the loose, as reported in the news.
- Better: A killer is on the loose, according to news reports.
- Even better: News reports say a killer is on the loose.
The last version is the most direct: it names who reports the news, and it does without there is. The Picky mode of the Spell Checker points out wordy phrases like these.
4. Research properly
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they try to write effectively is not researching properly. Some writers rely on Wikipedia or similar pages that anyone can edit. Such pages can be a good starting point, but they can contain mistakes, and a wrong fact weakens even the clearest writing. Check what you find against reliable sources, such as the original sources the page cites, and your work will show it.
5. Avoid the passive voice
A very important rule for effective writing is to use the active voice whenever possible and to avoid the passive voice. In the active voice, the subject carries out the action of the verb. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
- Passive: The car was crashed and totaled.
- Active: Amanda crashed and totaled the car.
The active sentence tells you who crashed the car: Amanda. The passive sentence leaves that out.
6. Maintain control, honesty, emphasis, and passion
Why is effective writing important? The answer is simple. Effective writing lets you express your personality, beliefs, and ideas, and that improves the communication between you and your reader. Keeping control of your writing helps you write accurately and forcefully. The same goes for making sure your honesty, passion, and emphasis come through in your words. When you put these emotions and feelings into your writing, your essay or paper becomes that much better. For words to describe them, see 50 feelings you can portray in your writing.