Writing Style Rules 1 - 3

1. Writing StyleRules 1 - 3 The Institute for Quality Public Services 2013

2. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Verb: a word that expresses action or links the subject to information in the sentence. Verbs can change tense. • Example: I ski. • Example: He is happy. • Example: The staff asks to go home. • Example: The staff asked to go home. • Example: The staff will ask to go home.

3. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Subject: a word that performs the action or is linked to information in the sentence. • Example: Iski. • Example: Heis happy. • Example: The staffasks to go home. • Example: The staffasked to go home. • Example: The staffwill ask to go home.

4. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Infinitive: to + a word that sometimes works as a verb; infinitives never act as verbs. • Example: I like to ski. • Example: We will have to replace the equipment next year. • Example: The staff asks to go home.

5. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Action Verbs: Express action (talk, think, state, etc.) • Helping Verbs: Help other verbs act as verbs (is, am, was, were, will, may, etc.) • Linking Verbs: Link the subject to information (is, am, was, were, etc.)

6. Practicing Good Style Yes, some words can be more than one type of verb. You must look at how they function in a sentence. • Example of “is” as a helper verb: • He is helping me with the dishes. • Example of “is” as a linking verb: • He is shy.

7. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Present Participle: a verb form ending in –ing. In order for a present participle to work as a verb, it must have a helper in front of it. Without that helper, it may act as an adjective or noun. • Example: Iam researching the issue. (verb) • Example: Researching the issue, Joesephine discovered another option. (part of an adjective phrase) • Example: Researching takes up a lot of my time. (noun and subject of sentence)

8. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Prepositional Phrase: a group of words made of a preposition and its object (and any words that might come between the preposition and its object) • Example: He went to the job site. • Example: The report was filed in 2008. • Example: The problem was identified by Stan Jacobs from Quality Control. * You will not find the subject or verb in the prepositional phrase.

9. Practicing Good Style • Definitions • Passive Voice In the passive voice, you will be missing a strong subject. The word that should be the subject and should be performing the action will be missing, or it might be found later in the sentence as part of a prepositional phrase. Readers will find this arrangement less clear. • Example of passive voice: The decision was made by the executive committee. • Example of active voice: The executive committee made the decision.

10. Practicing Good Style • Print this page or copy by hand. Mark the parts of speech that you recognize in the following sentences. (Verbs, subjects, present participles, infinitives, prepositional phrases) • I wrote to the manufacturer. • The report is late. • Studying your findings, I come to the same conclusion. • I am looking for the memorandum. • The evaluation was received last week. • The decision to cancel the project was made yesterday. • He wanted to explain the advantages.

11. Practicing Good Style • I wrote to the manufacturer. • Verb = wrote (an action verb) • Subject = I • Prepositional phrase = to the manufacturer.

12. Practicing Good Style • The report is late. • Verb = is (a linking verb) • Subject = the report

13. Practicing Good Style • Studying your findings, I come to the same conclusion. • Verb = come (an action verb) • Subject = I • Present participle = studying (working as part of an adjective phrase) • Prepositional phrase = to the same conclusion

14. Practicing Good Style • I am looking for the memorandum • Verb = am looking (helping + main verb) • Subject = I • Prepositional phrase = for the memorandum

15. Practicing Good Style • The evaluation was received last week. • Verb = was received • Subject = the evaluation Note: This sentence is written in the passive voice.

16. Practicing Good Style • The decision to cancel the project was made yesterday. • Verb = was made • Subject = The decision • Infinitive = to cancel Note: This sentence is written in the passive voice.

17. Practicing Good Style • He wanted to explain the advantages. • Verb = wanted (action) • Subject = He • Infinitive = to explain

18. The Most Important Style Rules Rules 1 - 3 • Use strong subjects and verbs. • Juxtapose subjects and verbs. • Don’t use more words than you need. **You might want to jot down these three rules since we’ll be using them with some practice sentences.

19. Sample Sentences for Editing: Using Style Rules 1 – 3 Study the following 9 sentences and figure out how you might improve the style of each. • First identify the subject and verb in each one. (In our answers, subjects are highlighted and verbs are underlined.) • Then apply Rules 1- 3 and create better sentences. (Note: Some of these sentences can be improved a number of ways.) • The improvements were made by our senior analyst. (8 wds)

20. Practicing Good Style • The improvementswere made by our senior analyst. (8 wds)

21. Practicing Good Style • The improvementswere made by our senior analyst. (8 wds) Our senior analystmade the improvements. (6 wds)

22. Practicing Good Style • Clients are invited to tour our office. (7 wds)

23. Practicing Good Style • Clientsare invited to tour our office. (7 wds)

24. Practicing Good Style • Clientsare invited to tour our office. (7 wds) • Weinvite clients to tour our office. (7) • Clientsmay tour our office. (5) • Clients frequently tour our office. (5)

25. Practicing Good Style • Our revised goals were communicated through our 2013 Revised Mission Statement. (11 wds)

26. Practicing Good Style • Our revised goalswere communicated through our 2013 Revised Mission Statement. (11 wds)

27. Practicing Good Style • Our revised goalswere communicated through our 2013 Revised Mission Statement. (11 wds) • Our 2013 Revised Mission Statementstates our revised goals. (9) • Westate our goals in our 2013 Revised Mission Statement. (10)

28. Practicing Good Style • Ways for correcting the problem were discussed by representatives of three departments. (12 wds)

29. Practicing Good Style • Ways for correcting the problem werediscussed by representatives of three departments. (12 wds) (Note: “Ways” is a weak subject.)

30. Practicing Good Style • Ways for correcting the problem werediscussed by representatives of three departments. (12 wds) • Representatives from three departments discussed ways for correcting the problem. (10) • Three department representativesdiscussed solutions. (5)

31. Practicing Good Style • The figures given to us by the federal government do not match the figures in our office. (17 wds)

32. Practicing Good Style • The figures given to us by the federal government do not match the figures in our office. (17 wds)

33. Practicing Good Style • The figures given to us by the federal government do not match the figures in our office. (17 wds) • The federal government’s figuresdon’tmatch ours. (7)

34. Practicing Good Style • The results of the survey distributed in November of 2012 were analyzed by our staff members and their findings were distributed to all board members. (25 wds)

35. Practicing Good Style • The results of the survey distributed in November of 2012 were analyzed by our staff members and their findingswere distributed to all board members. (25 wds)

36. Practicing Good Style • The results of the survey distributed in November of 2012 were analyzed by our staff members and their findingswere distributed to all board members. (25 wds) • Our staff membersanalyzed the November 2012 survey results and distributed their findings to all board members. (17 wds)

37. Practicing Good Style • The accomplishments of this office are mentioned in the article published in the Los Angeles Times. (16 wds)

38. Practicing Good Style • The accomplishments of this office are mentioned in the article published in the Los Angeles Times. (16 wds)

39. Practicing Good Style • The accomplishments of this office are mentioned in the article published in the Los Angeles Times. (16 wds) • The Los Angeles Times articlementioned our office’s accomplishments. (9 wds)

40. Practicing Good Style • A comprehensive inspection report was generated by both engineering staff and inspection staff to find out the structural integrity of the trailers.

41. Practicing Good Style • A comprehensive inspection reportwasgenerated by both engineering staff and inspection staff to find out the structural integrity of the trailers. (22 words)

42. Practicing Good Style • A comprehensive inspection reportwasgenerated by both engineering staff and inspection staff to find out the structural integrity of the trailers. (22 wds) • Both engineeringstaff and inspectionstaffcompleted a comprehensive inspection [report] to determine the structural integrity of the trailers. (18-19 wds)

43. Practicing Good Style • Generator 2 was installed in 1978 under contract 766 along with Generator 4. (13 words)

44. Practicing Good Style • Generator 2was installed in 1978 under contract 766 along with Generator 4. (13 words)

45. Practicing Good Style • Generator 2was installed in 1978 under contract 766 along with Generator 4. (13 wds) • We installed Generator 2 under contract 766 along with Daft 4. (11 wds) • Our department installed Generators 2 and 4 under contract 766. (10 wds) • Under contract 766, the department installed Generators 2 and 4. (10 wds)