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Write for Business eTips

Bite-sized advice for better business writing

Want a sneak peek? Check out some past eTips.

Aug 13 2019 6 Tricks for Catching Errors Explore simple editing tricks for keeping embarrassing writing errors from slipping through the cracks.

Aug 7 2019 Focusing on "You" Learn how and when to write directly to your audience using second person.

Jul 31 2019 Organizing for Understanding Learn how to use different patterns of organization to pave a clear path to understanding your writing ideas.

Jul 23 2019 Busting Through Writer's Block Does starting a writing project give you anxiety? All writers deal with writer’s block to some degree. While we can’t promise a magical cure, we can share two practices that help us get unstuck.

Jul 17 2019 Smooth Fixes for Choppy Sentences No one expects business correspondence to sound like a stanza from Maya Angelou, but workplace writing can have rhythm and flow. If your writing sounds choppy or repetitive, try combining sentences through coordination and subordination.

Jul 9 2019 Why Plain Language Matters (and How to Use It) When you use overly formal, verbose, or dense language, your writing does not communicate but obfuscate (make unclear). Conversely, plain language communicates your ideas clearly and gets business done. This tip reviews four simple ways you can write plainly and effectively.

Jul 2 2019 Holiday Grammar Writers often face choices when referencing holidays and other special days. Which words are capitalized? Where do apostrophes go? This tip answers common questions about holiday references.

Jun 25 2019 Are You Drafting Efficiently? Discover strategies for writing quick and efficient first drafts.

Jun 18 2019 How to Energize Your Writing In writing, wordiness and passive constructions make ideas difficult to understand and force readers to slow down. Learn how to energize your writing and improve the clarity of your ideas by avoiding hidden verbs, expletives, and the passive voice.

Jun 11 2019 How to Write Good News Who doesn’t love good news? We love receiving it and sending it. Neutral news, while not as exciting, can also be a pleasure to receive and send. This tip introduces an organizational strategy for communicating your good or neutral news clearly, quickly, and effectively.

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