Archive: clarity
Structure Sentences for Variety and Emphasis
We are familiar with the subject-verb-object sentence structure, but a series of consecutive sentences constructed that way is boring to read. Add a little variety to make the writing more lively and more emphatic. Part of what distinguishes good writing is that...Where Clear Writing Comes From: Words, Sentence Structure, Punctuation
Clarity is always the preeminent concern when writing, and the most important factors that determine a clear sentence are word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation. People often associate clarity with sentence length, but a 55-word sentence can be immediately...What Does it Mean to “Learn AP Style”?
When managers want their people to “learn AP style,” do they want people to thoroughly understand the AP Stylebook, or do they want people to write clearly and economically? Both are important to good writing. Readers everywhere appreciate the AP style of...Punctuating “However” and “Therefore” can be Tricky
People are familiar with using a comma before and, but, or so, but however, nevertheless, and furthermore are a different kind of connecting word and can be more problematic. Nearly three dozen words that appear at the start of a sentence and in the middle serve a...By Ken O’Quinn
Focus on Them
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
As a contributing author in this book on leadership, Ken offers insights and tips for managing difficult conversations, providing effective feedback, and being authentic. Order here.
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
Provides the right words and phrases for any situation - quickly. The book was reprinted in Japanese because of high-volume sales there.
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
The Association for Talent Development invited Ken to write this 22-page booklet for the TD at Work series.
Current Blog Post
Writing to Persuade: Where You Should Position Your Best Option
Positioning information can be an important factor when you are trying to persuade