Writing Program: January NewsletterHappy New Year, Harris! Grammar Refresher: Tips for a Grammatically Correct 2014 Check out the 12 grammar mistak

Writing Program: January Newsletter

Happy New Year, Harris!

Grammar Refresher: Tips for a Grammatically Correct 2014

Check out the 12 grammar mistakes that nearly everyone makes.

Visit the top 10 grammar websites for bloggers and writers.

Review these grammar rules--the authors say you'll sound even smarter!

Policy Memo Tips: A Recap of 2013 Tips of the Month

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October

Spend the most time on your introduction. Write a crystal clear introduction that summarizes your entire piece.
Read your piece out loud to check sentence length. Use simple, short sentences. The best memos are easy to read and avoid jargon.
Make the most of limited space. For example, construct meaningful headers (more than just the word “Introduction” or “Conclusion”), and try not to let single words stand alone on a new line of text.

November

Write with your audience in mind. Address your audience at the start of your piece with a header, and keep them in mind throughout the rest of your piece. What key takeaway do you want to leave them with?
Writing is iterative. Write a draft, sleep on it, and take a look at your piece again with a fresh set of eyes.
Round decimal points. It's easier for your reader to interpret 51.5% than 51.4555%, and it saves you space. Check out this article we passed out during the Plenary for some Advice on Communicating Statistics to a Lay Audience.
Speaking of percents, you might be wondering: “Should I write “percent” or use the % sign?” Style guides disagree on this, but you will probably find that your workplace has its own preferences. For policy memos at Harris, choose one style, and keep it consistent throughout your piece.

December

Try to start sentences with words instead of numbers. It will help the readability of your piece.
Use words to explain numbers. Simple words like these can go a long way: a majority, many, few, some, nearly all, etc.
To save space, look for "hanging" words: single words that are "hanging out" on their own line, taking up quite a bit of valuable space. If you find one, try to find words to delete earlier in the paragraph.

And now for...January:

Proofread at least twice. You'll catch simple errors and help the grader.
Use the active voice to strengthen your piece. Scan your memo for the words "is" and "are," and find a different verb to use.

Policy Memos in the Real World

In 2012, the Acting Director of the President’s Office of Management and Budget required executive departments and agencies to use evidence and evaluation to inform all budget submissions. He used a policy memo to clearly and concisely share his message. Check it out!

Have questions? Email us!

Director of the Writing Program -

Felicity Vabulas fvabulas@uchicago.edu

Writing TAs -

Emily Modlin emilymodlin@uchicago.edu
Sarah Sibley ssibley@uchicago.edu
Matt Smith matthewrsmith@uchicago.edu
Meagan Smith meagans@uchicago.edu
Brielle Treece btreece@uchicago.edu

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2014! And, of course, write on!

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