For April Fools' Day, here is a list of 10 rules for effective business writing. Two of them are phony rules. Can I fool you?
Rule 1. Always think of your reader while planning your message or document.
Rule 2. Limit your sentences to an average length of 20 words or less–less is better.
Rule 3. Avoid writing paragraphs of just one sentence. Use a minimum of 2-3 sentences for good flow.
Rule 4. In group emails, reply to all when you briefly thank an individual.
Rule 5. When you write a bulleted list, structure your bullet points the same way (for example, all sentences or all clauses).
Rule 6. Never use a comma before the word and.
Rule 7. In thank-yous, be specific about what you are grateful for.
Rule 8. Spell out acronyms and other abbreviations before you use the abbreviated form.
Rule 9. Use all capital letters (CAPS LOCK) for messages when you need to grab your readers' attention.
Rule 10. In email, always insert a subject on the subject line.
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Which two are not rules of business writing? Did I fool you? I will share my answer in the comments later.
Lynn
Syntax Training
