Revising and Editing Text Ch. 5 Flashcards
What three major problems can occur because of writing errors?
- Writing errors damage your credibility. The reader assumes that you either don’t know or don’t care.
- If your writing is unclear, the reader must take extra time to understand it.
- If your writing contains factual errors, the reader may draw improper conclusions.
What are the responsibilities of the writer and the reviewer when a document is being evaluated for quality?
Writer - Understand the purpose of the document. Then understand the audience. Be open to feedback. Don’t become defensive, but be cordial with the feedback. Determine which feedback to use and which to set aside.
Reviewers must be knowledgeable and forthright in feedback. Use standard proofreaders’ remarks. When in doubt write additional notes for clarity.
Explain the four levels of document review.
Level 1 - Review the Design - make sure the documant format follows generally accepted standards, given teh specific document genre. Examine the document to see whether appropriate HATS elements have been employed.
Level 2 - Review the Organization - Check the organization of the major information blocks in the message. Skim and analyze the overall information architecture. Using direct or indirect approach. Consider the structure and sequence of the information. Check to see if OABC structure is used appropriately.
Level 3 - Review the Content - The content review consists of analyzing, evaluating, and refining the content. uses the Four “C’s” and CLOUD.
Level 4 - Review the Sentences - Review consists of an in-depth review of sentence details. Writing quality is judged almost totally on principles and patterns, but at the sentence level, writing must conform to specific rules as well as to principles. Use SPELL.
What does CLOUD represent?
CLOUD represents coherence (flow of paragraph), length, organization (type of paragraph - top-down sequence), unity (relate to same topic), and development (main idea developed).
Explain the difference between unity and coherence.
Coherence - each succeeding thought in a paragraph should flow logically from the thought that precedes it.
Unity - All sentences should relate to the same topic.
Should you quality check your documents on the computer screen or with a paper printout? Why?
Paper Printout - because this allows you to mark the mistakes you have made. This copy also allows you to see the standard of the page. The paper copy allows you to mark and change what you need to yet still see your original design. If you do it on the computer, then the computer will not let you see everything.
Why does reading text out loud help catch writing errors?
This allows you to concentrate on each word. When reading silently, you typically read clusters of words without giving adequate attention to individual words.. If the text doesn’t sound like something you’d say in a conversation with the audience, revise it until it sounds good out loud.
What does the acronym SPELL represent?
Structure, Punctuation, Errors, Language, and Length
Structure - Well designed sentences are easy to follow and don’t have to be read twice to be understood.
Punctuation - look for appropriate punctuation.
Errors - Check each sentence for case, agreement, tense, number, and capitalization rules.
Language - Evaluate word usage throughout the document.
Length - Avoid long, wordy sentences that cause readers to lose their way.
Why should subjects and verbs be kept close together?
Because subjects and verbs that are close together create a well-designed sentence that is easy to follow and does not have to be read twice to be understood. Plus it is good to do this unless there is a good reason. It helps create active voice.
What two words should generally be avoided as sentence subjects?
“it” and “there”
What two “v” factors should be checked when reviewing sentence verbs?
Vicinity and voice
What do the four “C” words of content represent?
Clear, Complete, Correct, and Compelling
Clear - Clarity examines the presentation of the content.
Complete - Completeness pertains to inclusion of all relevant content. (5W2H)
Correct - Correctness refers to the quality of the content.
Compelling - Compelling content is effective content (objective).
Why is sentence variety important?
If there is no variety then the readers lose their way. They become bored, tired, and no longer have a drive to get them to read this document.
Why is the tone of a message important?
If the tone is not right, the other people will not like document. Generally, use words that are cordial and conversational, yet professional. Focus on what you can do. If you are negative then the customers will not come back to you. If you are positive, they will see the positive and will be friendly, warm, and patient.
