When you take a quote from a book, you have to decide whether you are attributing the quoted material to the author or the book.

If you are attributing a quote to a book, use the present tense. Because the information is always present (i.e., always available right now), use present tense verbs, such as states, notes, claims, and describes. For example, you may write the following:

“The book Ten Habits of Unhappy People claims that the main reason for disappointment is a lack of communication.”

On the other hand, if you are attributing a quote to the author, use the past tense. Because the author wrote the information at a specific time in the past, use a past tense verb, such as stated, noted, claimed, described, and wrote. For example, you may write the following:

“James Patterson, author of Ten Habits of Unhappy People, wrote that the main reason for disappointment is a lack of communication.”

This is the strategy for day 41 in 300 Days of Better Writing, available at Hostile Editing in PDF, Kindle, and paperback formats.

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Top writing strategies and expert instruction from each of Precise Edit’s writing guides 1 critical article from Precise Edit Training Manual 8 days of instruction from 300 Days of Better Writing 5 top strategies from Bang! Writing with Impact 2 essential word choices from Which Word Do I Use? 1 major comma use from Zen Comma Get the free e-book (PDF) OR purchase the Kindle version ($0.99).

Did someone ever tell you, “Oh, so that’s what you mean”? Did someone ever ask you, “What’s your point?” In both cases, and in similar situations, the problem is the same. You have an important point to make, some issue to state, or some important idea to convey, but the meaning is obscured by your style. You were not clear.

Churchill made an astute admonition: Make your important points clearly and without artifice.

As I have written a number of times, style is important, but it is secondary in importance to clarity. To improve communication, write clearly so that your reader can easily identify and understand your important points.

Ask yourself, “What does the reader really need to know? What do I want the reader to understand about this?” Then state it as clearly, concisely, and obviously as possible.

Having done so, you might think that you are too blatant, too plain, and too obvious. But that’s exactly what you want for your most important points. You want to use the “pile driver.”

This is the strategy for day 291 in 300 Days of Better Writing, available at Hostile Editing in PDF, Kindle, and paperback formats.

Free E-book to Improve Your Writing Skills

Top writing strategies and expert instruction from each of Precise Edit’s writing guides 1 critical article from Precise Edit Training Manual 8 days of instruction from 300 Days of Better Writing 5 top strategies from Bang! Writing with Impact 2 essential word choices from Which Word Do I Use? 1 major comma use from Zen Comma Get the free e-book (PDF) OR purchase the Kindle version ($0.99).

A free PDF of the most popular posts on comma use from the Zen Comma blog. This e-book contains 8 articles demonstrating key comma uses in a friendly, informative format. (13 pages, PDF) 
More information and download here.

Day 151: Organize sentences to create transitions.

In clear, effective writing, each sentence creates a transition from the sentence before to the sentence following, while adding new content. Also, the final sentence or two in a paragraph need to create a transition to the following paragraph. This gives us two principles for how we order sentences.

Consider this paragraph (plus the first sentence from the next paragraph):

(1) The first commercially produced simulator used to train clinicians was available in 1994. (2) The newest simulator is the SimX-4. (3) The SimX-4 is completely wireless and provides vascular access and numerous clinical scenarios, as well as the ability to customize scenarios to accommodate administering intravenous drugs. (4) Clinical simulation is being used increasingly to teach skills to clinicians.

(5) The content of training programs for administering drugs is not changing.

Can you see which sentence is out of place?

Sentence #4 is misplaced. If we move sentence #4 to the beginning of the paragraph, it establishes the context for the entire paragraph, and it provides a transition to sentence #1 with the terms simulator, teach and clinicians. Also, now sentence #3 can make a smooth transition to the next paragraph with the terms administering drugs. Here is the revised version.

(4) Clinical simulation is being used increasingly to teach skills to clinicians. (1) The first commercially produced simulator used to train clinicians was available in 1994. (2) The newest simulator is the SimX-4. (3) The SimX-4 is completely wireless and provides vascular access and numerous clinical scenarios, as well as the ability to customize scenarios to accommodate administering intravenous drugs.

(5) The content of training programs for administering drugs is not changing.

Overall, we have satisfied our two principles. Each sentence creates a transition from the previous to the next sentence, and the final sentence creates a transition to the next paragraph. The revised passage is more coherent, direct, and logical.

Day 289: Use familiar words as subjects

Strong, clear sentences use familiar words as subjects and end with new information. Writers do this for two reasons:

1. This strategy helps the reader answer the basic question of “who did what?” With familiar information at the beginning of the sentence, the reader will be able to find the subject and identify the main verb.
2. New information at the end creates a transition to the next sentence, which may use the now-familiar information at the beginning, resulting in cohesive, organized writing.

Consider these two sentences.

The early 19^th century was marked by class warfare and ideological epiphanies. These epiphanies, in particular, spawned new relationships among the classes.

The first sentence begins with familiar information and ends with new information (epiphanies). That new information, having been introduced, is now familiar and can be used at the beginning of the second sentence. When the reader reads the second sentence, he can easily find the subject and main verb of the sentence.

These are the strategies for days 151 and 289 in 300 Days of Better Writing, available at Hostile Editing in PDF, Kindle, and paperback formats.

Free E-book to Improve Your Writing Skills

Top writing strategies and expert instruction from each of Precise Edit’s writing guides 1 critical article from Precise Edit Training Manual 8 days of instruction from 300 Days of Better Writing 5 top impact strategies from Bang! Writing with Impact 2 essential word choices from Which Word Do I Use? 1 major comma use from Zen Comma Get the free e-book (PDF) OR purchase the Kindle version ($0.99).