Clarity Part 1

It is important in writing to establish clarity in the writing and thus to make sure the reader is understanding what you are saying. Below I will be discussing four topics that I find helpful in the process of keeping clarity among writing pieces.

1. Use active voice unless you have a good reason for choosing the passive.
- In writing it's important to take a more active voice as to drive the subject of the article in the manner that you, the writer, want it to flow. Personally, I agree with this statement. By being more active you are able to keep clarity in the simplest of ways. You are able to say who did what directly, rather than dancing around the subject. When being passive, you are taking a back seat to the subject, the most important part of the piece.

2. Add words needed to make comparisons logical and complete.
One of the most commonly used conventions in writing is the use of comparisons. Comparisons can make or break a paper. It is very important to keep them logical. As it comes to my writing, it is very influential and very helpful. I use comparisons to get my point across by taking my point and comparing it to another that may be easier for someone else to understand. Thus, by making the comparisons sound more logical and complete, I, the writer, would be making a more clear and concise piece for the reader to understand.

3. Avoid is when, is where, and  reason ... is because constructions.
There are such things as dead words. Dead words are words that, if used in the wrong context, will kill an thought flow. Words and phrases such as is when, is where, reason, and is because are basic and will draw the reader away from the piece. I have had personal expierience with this issue. Being a typically lazy writer, I see these phrases/words as an easier way to complete my piece faster. However, i found that by avoiding them, not only did my writing style improve, it also attracted more readers and higher praise to my writing.

4. Move awkwardly placed modifiers
Being a historically awkward person, I can tell awkward writing right off the bat. Even when it comes to my own. In writing it is important to reword sentences/phrases so that they seem more coherent and more clear to the reader. When I am writing, I often have to go back and rearrange words so that they seem less incoherent and make more sense to the reader and so that they flow easier to the reader.

Perry, Gail, Do's and Dont's for a great annual fundraising plan

REFLECTION:

As I went back to peer review Hallye's paper, I found little to none mistakes. This is because every clarity convention that I discussed above was perfectly covered in her paper. "Guided tours in Pompeii are supposed to be in groups of 10 at most, and are frequently much larger." In this quote alone, there is plenty of room for error with clarity but she managed to avoid all mistakes. As I look back onto my own paper, I am able to see where I left holes and left places where I can better phrase sentences. By noticing my own mistakes through the four clarity topics, I believe that I am able to better my own paper.