writesr on writing

ON WRITING

What you need to continue to focus on

I know that in this writing class , I need to focus more on thoroughness . It goes without saying that thoroughness is desirable in writing any material , be it a report , an interview , an essay or a term . But whether this quality is achieved depends in many cases on whether the writer uses imagination , There are always some obvious questions that a report must answer . But answering the obvious questions is not always enough . There are many factors to be considered for the

br sake of thoroughness . Assuming that one have demonstrated that the action one recommends would definitely produce the result desired , might there be other and possibly better ways of producing that result ? Also is it possivle that the actions one recommends would not only produce the desired result , but would also produce undesired side effects that one has overlooked ? If a report is to be thorough , its writing must be preceded by a thorough job of gathering information but who have answers to all the essential questions , the less obvious as well as the obvious , often fail to include them . They make the mistake of assuming that because they know all the necessary questions have been considered , they need not answer them all . They overlook the fact the readers will not share their confidence unless the readers are told enough to be sure nothing has been overlooked

I also need to focus more on my tone in writing , as contrasted with an impersonal tone , which is largely the result of personal pronouns I (or perhaps we ) and you , which make it appear that the writer is addressing the reader personally . Now I know that I need to focus on the situation especially in letters and sometimes in memorandums , a personal tone - which incidentally conveys the impression of informality too - is natural and desirable , whereas impersonality would seem stiff and aloof Indeed , there are times when an effort to avoid referring to oneself may be awkward and even evasive

Much of the time , however , impersonality is better . In a report for instance , it is not always necessary , to be sure , that all parts of a report be personal or impersonal to the same degree . There is reason that on occasion one should not use I , we , or you , in the preliminary parts of a report , where one is explaining the circumstances and one 's involvement . But it may be advisable to stop using them when one begins to present the real substance

Just how formal one should be in writing a report ? As with the question of impersonality , no answer can be given that fits all occasion . One must judge each situation for itself , and choose a language and presentation accordingly . A major report aimed at a wide readership may require a high degree of formality , whereas a short report in memorandum format aimed at one 's immediate superior or colleagues probably would not

What will be...