18 Style Tips To Write Gooder

Print Print
June 15, 2007 by James
Filed under: Strategic Content 
  1. Remember to never split an infinitive.
  2. The passive voice should never be used.
  3. Do not put statements in the negative form.
  4. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
  5. Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
  6. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
  7. A writer must not shift your point of view. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.
  8. Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.
  9. Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!
  10. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
  11. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
  12. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
  13. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
  14. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
  15. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
  16. Always pick on the correct idiom.
  17. The adverb always follows the verb.
  18. Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.

This very clever list is attributed to William Safire. Thanks Bill, cool list this is!!

Tags:

Comments

2 Responses to “18 Style Tips To Write Gooder”

  1. maria on June 15th, 2007 12:27 pm

    Hi James

    Is it not interesting how easy it is to list off 18 tips to write better, however, remembering the “to do list” is no easy task and certainly not for the faint of heart. ..Cheers! MD

  2. Rose on July 23rd, 2007 12:59 pm

    Sometimes easier said than done. Great list though.

Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!