Your effective workplace writing should pass the ‘7-C Test’ – is is Clear, Conversational, Concise, Consistent, Credible, Compelling & Correct? To help you all get an ‘A’ on this test with everything you write, this new series will regularly share simple pointers and tips and also respond to readers’ questions or comments that they generate.
So, let’s start with a few ‘Power Pointers’ to help you be more ‘Correct’:
1. Don’t forget about ‘me’. When ‘me’ is the correct pronoun, use it consistently.
- Wrong – Please send your evaluation survey to Anne or myself.
- Wrong – Please send your evaluation survey to Anne or I.
- Right – Please send your evaluation survey to Anne or me.
A simple test – leave out ‘Anne or’ and ‘me’ clearly sounds better.
2. Use the superlative form of an adjective correctly, to compare three or more:
- Wrong – Of the two proposals, the one from Glitztronics is obviously strongest.
- Right – Of the two proposals, the one from Glitztronics is obviously stronger.
3. Titles and Capitalization. Even though some organizations prefer to do otherwise, only capitalize titles when they directly precede names.
- Wrong – Ben Dover, Division President of our firm, opened the quarterly sales meeting.
- Right – Ben Dover, division president of our firm, opened the quarterly sales meeting.
- Right – Division President Ben Dover opened the quarterly sales meeting.
Look for more Power Pointers dealing with other of the ‘7 Cs’ in future issues. And send in your Workplace Writing questions or comments to make this section more interactive and fun.