Key Terms
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Writing strategy that prioritizes the receiver's needs; starts with what the receiver needs to know.
Wrong approach
"I have found your product at the Texas depot, and I have scheduled delivery for March 30."
Right approach
"Your product is scheduled for delivery March 30. Your product was in the Texas depot."
Definition
An opening element in a negative message that leads into the topic without immediately disclosing the bad news.
Examples
"going to the restroom" instead of urinating; "passed away" instead of died.
Why they fail
They make writing sound boring. They are often ambiguous.
When jargon is acceptable
Writing to members of the same specialized field. It signals membership and allows discussion of advanced concepts.
When jargon fails
Writing to a broader audience with no specialized knowledge. It alienates and confuses.
When to avoid it
Formal business writing and academic writing. Slang sounds informal, reduces credibility, and is harder for non-native E
When it may be acceptable
Informal or humorous communication, or targeted marketing to a specific demographic.
Simple sentence
One independent clause.
Compound sentence
Two or more independent clauses joined by a comma and conjunction.
Complex sentence
One dependent clause + one independent clause.
Compound-complex sentence
Both compound and complex elements combined.
Right
"The executive team is happy to report that we are on track for a profitable year, even though we suffered..." Why: Read