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Written and recorded by Mac Mackay
Well, welcome to all of you listening to this program from data law writing skills. The fundamentals on my name is Mack Mukai. I work for dear double or were not a services practice. And indeed I am not a sinister. What I am is somebody that helps law firms with marketing with their management, development, CPD and so forth. And I've recorded a number of events four day to law. The clearly writing PSC elective is the open program. We'll have plenty of opportunity to come along on practice your skills, get some feedback. This program, by its very nature, is a Siris of recordings, and it's backed up by a comprehensive workbook on. What I aim to do during the process is to highlight which pages worth getting hold off. You may I want to print out hard copies. Want to off them because then you can complete the exercises. Obviously, if you've got a Elektronik version watching, then having those side by side, it's very helpful because I should be referring to the workbook and give you some opportunity to write down some conclusion. So a minimum is a pen and paper, of course, writing skills after all there's about writing and therefore some of the practical areas will be very important. I think it's worth saying the outset. Why me? Well, back in the day when I was at school, I struggled quite a lot to try and passing dish O Level or GCSE s. And they are now on my first attempt, I got a very low grade. My second attempt got lower grade on it really did. Took me quite a pick to finally get the lowest possible past grade. Okay, that might have been when I was 16. But over the years I have through practice and no small amount of hard work improved my writing skills. I have been an agency copywriter. I have written textbooks on management, marketing and advertising for business people like yourself. So enjoying writing is something that, if you ask me, is a zone early teenager. Did I enjoy that? No, I didn't tell much. Good to be out on the sports field I could enjoy my sciences on That was actually quite good. It sums but course in doing arithmetic. The biggest word you write, it's therefore, And that, of course, is three dots. So this program is me sharing with you some ideas to help you with fundamentals. Off, writing on writing Well, there is an advanced program and that looks at writing in particular areas, writing reports, writing for the firm, writing sales copy, writing for blocks and so on and so forth. And that's the sort of fairly advanced stuff. Now I have to say, Of course you can turn to other books. I've got some in front of me on Entrusted one, quite a seminal tech three million copies sold bring into everyday language. The key points of punctuation is really quite a fun read. It's called Eats, Shoots and Leaves. So depending where you put a comma in that sentence, of course, will determine quite a lot about the meaning that comes from that. That writing there is a Sunday Times bestseller my grandma and I subtitled. Should that be my grandma and me? Well, we'll explain which of those two is right. There are others. Gower. They complete plain words was a very good text that I remember. It's been in any number of reincarnations that help me improve my writing skills. So let's get on with the program and explain a little bit about what we're going to be covering, so by the end of it you will be covered with a whole variety off. Hopefully not as death by post it notes, is this character here, but you'll be cut will be able to cover. How to learn from the written word is to interpret written word, whether article the block or something. See online Web page or Sunday color, something to be able to understand what is being used and learn a lot from others and how they right. We will have a look at how we become much more clear when we write to simplify so that people get what idea you have in your mind through the written word into their mind. And simplicity is key in that communication, because we want the reader to understand what we were writing about. Take action, possibly on that, understand what options they've got if you're writing to a client, so readers attention, of course, would be fundamental on. While I'm not a member of the Campaign for plain English, have to agree that planing issues really what helps we have to help people learn from us by the writing we have with passing on information when I say learn. Of course, that may be understanding. Second, what's made by a particular communication. I want to make sure that by the end of the program, you're able to make your watching right a little bit more interesting. Teoh deal with otherwise, the material terrible drops. And those thinks. And of course, this course would not be complete without dealing with punctuation on the use off Word's grammar. So zero tolerance in that respect will cover by the end of program. A few tips and ideas on how to proof Read would be successful at that, because clearly in your roll, you may be reading through somebody else's work to check it for them in some way, drafting and so forth. So let's get on with a program that I hope you're going to enjoy. Let's face it, we can have fun with words. Company All comedy is pretty much words. Were stories from an unusual ending. Maybe there's a few humans cartoons, but find life. We listen to listen to comedy read comedy on words could be funny. After all, let's analyze a joke. What is a joke almost jokes pretty much a story with an unusual ending. Take one from several centuries ago. Cat walks into a bar and go Ouch! It was an iron bar now, in itself not funny, particularly because you probably heard it before. But the fact is that you have one particular view, something going into a bar and then banning. It's ah nine bar across the chance. Okay. It's an unusual story with an unusual ending and words therefore other thing that delight us there. Detainers, they inform us, we communicate, we build relationships on and we use words so much in business, we use many media. I'm using a visual media. I'm talking to you. I've got one or two words on a power point that I hope you can read. Okay, So words are what we're talking about here and writing words is what this program is all about on its about different things that uses the words, the punctuation that goes with it. And of course, we can play around those because how do you control the stick? Love for perfect grammar? Well, the answer is there, There, there, It's OK. Don't worry, OK, slightly humor. Soon I'm sure you having seen it? You can see the humor. Different words. Perhaps all the same on you can use words in unusual ways. Not expect many of you. Listen again we'll have been through to university and number people. Course have come through into the legal profession through other routes, from lots of experience for a capable people, indeed, may not have been to university. Those are we'll be looking at this and saying, Well, I did obtained a degree. If university Well, I'm sorry to tell you you didn't obtain one that you bought it. You actually attained it on these two words. Attain and obtain sound very similar could also be used interchangeably, but they are different. And that's really what writing well is all about getting the right word in the right place at the right time. Because we know radio for another comedy programs are not ready for is entirely a comedy, but there are comedy programs on radio. For several, it makes it all up, made a nonsense of it. If we look at some words in the word order, it does change things. We know all this one big name, even to the law counsel argued, should not be held accountable. Well, OK, it could be misinterpreted. Seems amusing. We don't want to be responsible for writing important things on your world is full of important things that need to be written written by you, and we don't want to be mis understood. And it is very, very difficult when we are writing to make sure that we're not understood because we're gets time pressures. Somebody wants something quickly. We've gotta move on it and therefore that time pressure makes us rush. The job on punctuation, of course, is important. I mentioned earlier on Lynn, Trusted, wrote a book that was called Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Well, what's wrong with that? Would put a common it. And it does suggest that somebody wasn't happy with the toe to catch up. Take the com around on. It's something a little bit mawr cuddly. Something that eats, shoots and leaves is not something's gone cafe, But it's something much more cuddly. And I would advise, of course, not to cuddle live bears. They tend not to like it quickly. The toy ones are OK, so there we are, one little click on duh, quite a different meaning. So there's commerce. Well, what about apostrophes, for example? Well, there are those who say impostors on important. Well, here's one. The dogs like my boss. Well, what's that? You may have your own opinion about your boss. Does he or she look a bit like this? Well, the dog is like my boss is what you're actually saying with an apostrophe, Put in a different place. And then the meaning is changed completely. The dogs, they like my boss Andi. Therefore, the dogs that you have think your boss is a great person. Different place for the apostrophe. Quite different. Meaning there are some broadcasters. Stephen Price has been known to say Get away with apostrophes because they just a nuisance. No, they're not. This sentence is not understandable without its apostrophe on. I agree. Putting in wrong places the wrong meaning. And that doesn't help either. So I was not particularly good at punctuation. But I have worked over years to improve that and I have been helped. Teoh spot where my errors are when I do remember from school is a phrase with the word had repeated 11 times, followed by the words teachers approval and I will demonstrate how that could be punctuated with commerce and apostrophes to make absolute perfect sense. So there we go. Write that down a piece of paper on, see whether or not you can identify how to punctuate it completely. Accurately. Don't worry, I will explain a little bit later on how we resolve that one. So punctuation words obviously important because appearance matters. You'll have your own parents own opinion off Donald J. Trump, I'm sure, but he tweeted, as you can see, tweet there on the highlighted text in Red is pressing, then did on completely the wrong word. One letter out of place. Very difficult. When you're writing with your thumbs on a very small keyboard, you'll end up by being made to look a little bit city on. That was all over the media. So yes, your brand, your personal appearance, your career comes down from how you look in the written word. Okay, so spelling things correctly. Using good grammar, the right punctuation, the right front, the right front you'll use when it's a a document on paper should be different from something that's being looked at as you may be by looking on a tablet or a smartphone or something like that? Why do we need visual appearances? But of course, it matters as much as you want to turn up to court Looking appropriately dressed, you want to turn up to work similarly. Okay. Why do we use these things? Because it matters. You want to pass information across, you want to be taken seriously. So we look at not only watching right, but also what it looks like as an important element off the fundamentals off. Good, Clear writing wanted like you to do is do you stop the recording for a moment? Just write down the differences between spoken English on written English. What was going on? When we're speaking? Why is that easier? Wise? Written more difficult. What is the difference between the approach that one takes? How one prepares for it always delivers it. How one receives it when we are when we read. When we are where we are when we see somebody speaking to us, what is the difference is between those This as many as you can. I would explore what ideas you've got from there. Okay, well, let's have a look, Aunt. Think about spoken English you are listening to May online. I'm speaking to camera Onda. You're listening to what I'm saying. Quite different, perhaps, and probably a lot easier to listen what I'm saying rather than just to sit there and try and read. What I'm saying is there's a lot of differences. You probably got a lot more than I'm going to cover now, but it was just illustrate one or two of the points and I got quite a few. Often you see that spoken English? It may be prepared. I need to talk to Colin about the expense for mining to discuss with someone. So about that particular file, well, that may be planned, the meeting. But when you get there, what you say can often be just spontaneous while I have a structure to what I want to say with the power point slides in the workbook prepared, what I'm actually saying is principally spontaneous, driven by a few bullet points that just give me a bit of structure. Clearly, when you are looking at somebody, you could get immediate reaction. From what you say, you say, one saying of maple expression. They don't have to say anything immediately, you can work out with what you say was being welcomed or otherwise. And so it goes on and it happens in real time off course, unless, as it says down there, transitory. Unless it's recorded, this is recorded, you can watch it again and again if we were sitting together, live from your on the PSC, elected alive and so forth. But there's often context that's going on, the environment, the room, the place. Having a meeting with your boss coffee cafe. Having coffee or something like that will be a different context. Meeting in a hotel, different context to meeting in his or her room. Different context to speaking with your boss at a meeting of heads of department in the law firm. The context of all of those different what you say will be quite different to how it's put across. What you wear will affect it. Obviously, you prepare when you go to court by dressing appropriately. You dress appropriately for work and so forth. There's a context to how you appear. Okay, I'm not sitting here in a suit with a tie, but I am sitting here with an open neck shirt in a relaxed fashion talking with you. So all of those things are spoken on their spontaneous on that they are not necessarily being recorded. You will not remember verbatim everything that I've said. You'll pick up some key points from it. What about written English? Well, that differs quite a bit. Typeface could different. For one thing, it's often organized. There will be a structure to there will be You might prepare a Power Point presentation structure because you go through the slides in a linear fashion. You don't know how people gonna receive what you've written. I have absolutely no idea how you're reacting to the workbook that's there because it would be read a lot later than I wrote it. Therefore, there is no contact. I don't know whether you will be watching this one. You've got half a now to kill, waiting for something to happen close to court. I've heard whether you're watching this from home or from the office, or indeed, while you're traveling, because the context of all of those is therefore quite different on the words are the words. The interpretation of those words will be quite different. You could read something in the Sunday newspapers. You can read it in the color magazine. You can read it in different media titles, and it will have a different understanding. So the words are far more explicit, whereas you've got lots of other things going on and you speak to change the voice, change your appearance, change the body language and so forth, and clearly it becomes permanent. The workbook is for all to see, and you'll go through that, and I hope you spot the typographical errors. I hope you spot the incorrect grammar being used. I hope you spot all those sorts of things Clearly you want Teoh. You forgive me for the odd stutter or stumble what I'm presenting so quite a different context on, I think. Therefore, that begins to explain why we can sometimes find very difficult to put our ideas into the written word Whatever media were using to write those things, Whether it's on online blawg, it's a text. It's an email, it's a memorandum. It's a letter with your firm's letterhead on the partners, directors names on it or what have you, whatever their changes And I think there are people who can speak very well but they're writing isn't so good. Contrariwise, you do find people whose writing is very good, but they're not so comfortable speaking because that spontaneity isn't something that everybody can actually manage. So writing does become difficult because we know somebody's going to analyze it and take it apart afterwards. And that, of course, would make it very difficult. So you are how you are perceived when you meet somebody, but equally you are perceived how you right when somebody reads it on. The problem we've got, of course, is that our computer systems or predictive text don't help us. So our smell Chuck, I mean our spell. Checkers don't help us. The words on the left hand column here are incorrect on you, meant to say, definitely meant to say a lot and so on and so on. You can see the words there. When it comes to spell checker, it will change the meaning into another word instead of definitely it is defiantly on DSo fourth infinitely infinity, The spell checker corrects what you've written gives you the wrong word. It's spelt correctly, and you don't see that when you come to proof. Read it because you're looking at the whole line, Andi. Everything seems to be correctly spelled. Except, of course, that meaning has now changed. So be careful with what you have on predictive text. Gives us any amount of humor online where people are showing what they sent when they were texting back to their parents or something like that. Heaven forbid all those sort of things can happen. So here we are trying to write well, so unfortunately to technology the spell, checkers or smell jackers aren't really gonna help us along the way. We have to be able to do it ourselves. We have to be able to look at technology. Andi ensure that what it's doing for us is right. There's no getting away from it. It's down to us. But don't worry. As I said earlier in the introduction to the Siri's, I was rubbish at school writing on. I have got better at it at the time, So I write the poem for you here on, uh, you can see that I have a spellcheck program and it's part of my windows. Is planning marks for my review errors? I did not know. I'm from this poem on it. Instead of perfect, you see, so I don't have to worry. My PC looks after me. Well, play Ugo. So if that doesn't prove the point, well, I don't what does? So be careful the fundamentals for any writing, particularly when it is for all to see his obviously spelling that needs to be done. But there's lots of other things that we need to think about. What do you think are the three most important points for any professional taking some writing? While I think there's three off them, all of which lead to one further thing. The first is that we want clarity. So yes, clarity's important. But as we see in the photograph on screen, that spending clarity is obviously will be very important. So the writing must be clear that writing has a purpose that writing maybe to inform, to entertain, to advise, to suggest to make proposals. What is the purpose would be clear off that purpose, but also it's got to be something that somebody else will want to read will have a positive clarity of outcome to it on not just be unclear on lacking in a direction. What's the What's the one thing underpay underpins all of this. And that is the person that you're writing for when you're writing to thank your great art for the present on your birthday is one sort of writing on bits. Writing a letter to your beloved when you're away on business is quite different again. On writing to your boss on writing to different people always always changes the purpose you were writing. The advanced program will look a writing for broader audiences, but writing fundamentals is not about you writing it on what you want to say, but on about the person reading it. With that in mind, it could help us along the way. Of course, clear writing can bay for all to see. And this high school is in the States and not anything to do with Mr Prescott in UK. I have to say so. I hope you had a good break. Yes, well, I did have a break it in my car on its advanced braking system, so I'm very comfortable. So clear writing, therefore, is what, Well, a couple of quotes that we could look at Albert Einstein has summed it up quite clearly is that it needs to be a simple as possible. So the reader understands, but no simpler. We don't right in such a way to talk down to others. We write in a way that we make it as clear as possible on I. I have to agree with this statement. I have enjoyed writing Mawr and Mawr with more writing than I've done because enjoying expressing ideas in the written word and seeing they're seeing, probably seeing somebody else really seeing people respond positively is a great satisfaction, which is why getting that feedback on what you write is, of course so important. I can give you the right years. I give you some rules, but at the end of the day, it's going to be the practice of these things that's so important. And then, of course, I think Winston Churchill, consulted up very nicely, is saying that the short words are the best in the old words. When short our best of all, the traditional use of English in a traditional fashion and using those expressions is helping clarity on putting messages across. But here, of course, on screen, you can see a fundamental error I should have, said Sir Winston Churchill, Hey may not have been a serve when he wrote this quote, but none of this. I should acknowledge the fact, so clearly that's a bad reflection on me. So clear writing is all about simplicity is about being understood on clarity, very important aspect. But of course, what we write is part of the message. But the media that carries that message can indeed change the message. So order the media that we're writing for in today's world. Well, we have media that we made broadcast recording something, presenting to somebody speaking to somebody at a meeting, but written pieces and many and varied. We might write a letter on headed paper or memorandum in that sort of fashion, it may be emailed. It may be a a mighty a tone, like a report might be short one page report. It may be that we're trying to communicate, to influence somebody to change their particular behaviors by advertising. Marketing come by your services if you will. But of course there are, in the legal context those transactional legal documents, which are very important on specific legal forms and statements of case and so forth, and these are quite different these last two are different on Why are they different? Well, of course, I think it has to do with the degree to which somebody is going to read them. You know, from what? Watching TV, private, independent television, that you'll see some advertising. And you think, Well, you know that not pay much attention to your freaking through the magazine, the Metro newspaper, other newspapers available, of course, You Carrie advertised to intimate notice of those things. But when it comes to writing a contract when it comes to writing something legally binding when it comes to writing something that will have a particular outcome that may indeed affect somebody's freedom so forth are extraordinarily important to the outcome of those things are particularly difficult to deal with. This need to write for these particular things may be much more different. So think about ways in which we'll communicate that lend themselves to things to be written down so you might dictate on through a digital recording device. Somebody else to get audio type before you in those heady days when people used to do that for us, may change that. What gets written because you've spoken it rather written it with a a pen and paper, giving them the draft. In that way, writing an email is quite different from writing a text and preparing for power Point is quite different from preparing for other particular areas that we are sending information on. I have to say I think that when we get to writing online, writing, advertising or something like that, writing a block, putting some information out there is not going to be read in great detail will change the way in which we write. And they really are quite specialized areas on. It took a long time to work out how to be good agency copywriter. So writing principles have to be clear. It has to have a purpose and understanding the what you want the person to do. The other end of writing, of course, will be important. So why are you bothering to right? Who are you writing to? Why does that effect? Um, what you write and how you're right. While it doesn't make principles, but it does effect in the style. You might use the length of what you write, the words that you might use on so forth from the structure on the page and therefore your style isn't something that I could tell you. But it is something that you condone develop on. Remember, at the end of the day, the simplicity is the key thing, and that's really the thing we need to focus on. So they keep it simple. Style kiss principle, if you will, is obviously very important. That's really what I want to focus on.
00:29:00
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Written and recorded by Mac Mackay
Okay, This next exercise again invites you to stop the recording on to read between the lines on this is on page eight and nine off the workbook on their subsequent questions full of that, if you want to print out pages 10 11 12 to write your answers in the boxes in there, then that's absolutely fine. But what I'd like you to, first of all, is to look at the article on Pages 89 then answer the questions. So reading between the lines, what we're doing when you read it is to try and understand what the writer is all about. So it's not a question of comprehension. It's question of what's going on between those lines. So this is an article from an online journal on this is the picture that accompanied it. So it's a little bit grainy. It's about travel tales in Janie's ears. Wild Spain on paintball. Have a look on. Then we'll answer those questions. Okay, well, I'm gonna leave the picture up there while we then turn to page 10 off Workbook and try and get some answers to some of those questions. So what I want you to do is to read through all of those questions. There are just checking the numbers there. 13 questions and summary have a read through off those questions. If you don't recall everything from the article, bio means, go back and have a look at that. But then, having read the article least once now aim to answer those questions. Have a look at each of those scribbling your answers on Compare them with some thoughts and ideas that I've got as well. What we're doing here again is to help you understand what's going on when it's writing on what we expect to get from that. So have a look on, See what you think. Okay, well, the first question, then, is asking about this place. Is it exotic? What is there that suggests that it might be in your invited, first of all, to look at the picture that accompanied it? So what's on screen? Maybe a bit bigger than what you have within the workbook. So what's in the picture suggests that it's a going to be on exotic place. Well, I think the roof off that is not a roof that I would put into my garden who thinks the roof makes it rather exotic. The sunshine that's pretty rare in certainly in Britain have a that son every there with flip flops and shorts. Behind the hut, we see a terrorist again with some sun lounges, and that's a thing, maybe a pool there somewhere on. I think that's a little bit more exotic in my back garden. So okay, that's one thing we get from the picture. But now let's turn to the text. Certain question is, what is there within the text that suggests that this place is exotic? Andi has some charm. Well, the first question is what we mean by exotic. Well, holiday destinations tend to be exotically will choose them because they're different. This one really lutes to sand the people. The word archipelago, the mahogany table tennis table for marketing to May Indonesia itself. From what I understand, they have been there is pretty well on exotic. On the mental are for mental way. The the location is a fairly exotic sound, and when I can't even pronounce correctly, so all sounds jolly nice to May. But what about the charm and Peacefulness? Is there anything in that article suggesting in a minute but isn't quite so exotic. Okay, I think a number of things there one is that the earthquake has been mentioned. Tsunami has been mentioned. Onda and pay ho. There's teenagers were not returned home since a particular disastrous event. So that comes across. So then we can ask ourselves, Well, why do you think this piece was written? Well, number things really is Mitt Good is not my journal. Travel tales. It's a travel log was commissioned by the result. Has it been? Is this writer this trap? Eddie Patrick Kelly, the author is your freelancer is employed by them in probably isn't Freelancer House he come to write about it. Is you traveling on a gap year, for example? So we get a little bit of understanding about what's going on. So what's the context? Question 1.5 was the context for the article. Well, is it to change your view of table tennis? I think what's going on in that game, as he described it, is quite different what you'll find in the Village hall and deeply on a Tuesday night when the octogenarians play table tennis is quite different from the magnificently entertaining game played at the highest level in the Olympic. For example, look at the cultural differences. What's going on? Who's the hero? Who? Where's the excitement? Is it the players? Isn't the is it the ball? That's unusual? It seems all about the ball, and it's unusual bounce. And that's what the audience is really getting, thrilled by most often in sports, thrilled by the players. But here the context is all different. So how does the writer make us feel if we ourselves become part off the articles internal context, then what your emotions were? But I'm intrigued about what's going on, why they're doing it that way. It's not as I have ever seen table tennis kids played it. I played it. Not a good player, but it's unusual. I'm perplexed. What's so special about the ball? Why did they feel that way is not so much about the others? Okay, so we're getting a little bit of understanding. So who's the Article four? Who is the audience for? What is it about? Sure, you read some information about the audience, I shall repeat that now. So let's turn to find the reasons. The variety reasons why is this article has been written commissioning off it well, clearly. Resort may have commissioned any to sell bookings, but the result? You read this pick on the booking button, or is it a travel log to warn people away from it? Is it sort of trip advisor? Don't go there type of thing. It's engaging people either way, on I'm not 100 clear exactly what? Which of those two alternatives it might be, but your views will be quite interesting. We could then, having understood the purpose and if it is probably on their site and selling space than what sort of style has has already used. Well, I think it's quite an interesting style, because my first impressions of the first paragraph that I was reading something about being in a war zone. But then clearly it became not a war zone, and I, therefore, was quite intrigued by being drawing to it, sort of the comedy with it, but in a belly laugh. But it was I was tricked on. I like to be tricked, and it was funny and so on, so forth or unusual in the context, the joke sort of thing. A story on unusual next bid. But then, of course, this style he was using, reiterating some of the comments in broken English. You know, the the tree zero s doubly are over zero. A broken English number of those things come out, but then the uses metaphors. One thing that means another. So his opponents laying on his back, creating the world above. Doesn't that create a picture for using that? Imagine this person laying there as to what they actually look like. So then, with the idea with types of writing, the means or method selection of detail that's being used structure the illustration and in fact, the more I read the article, unless I think this picture is actually the right one. But anyway, that's not so important. The louse and the visual elements may be important if you haven't got that, for example, there because it's in the workbook from what it was online. So you know the equivalent off purpose. If you like the function, the job, it's there to do. So what? We've looked at it. You see it in the headings, and I need to repeat it is thinking about your writing some caps caps is the context that you're using. The A is for the audience who's reading it. Why would they want to read it? What is the purpose on what style is being used? So the those four words, I think, really quite helpful. But then he's using some other things in terms of the fall outside of that sort of context, audience purpose style. Uh, that's some play on words where it's a fun. What single word in the main title has alternative means more impossible? Well, clearly would spin. So what we're using there is a word in context with more one meanings can apply on. Therefore, what's that? What do we call that? Well, simple ways pun a play on words. So you look at the word spin. There are two main different ways that spin could be used. It could be about gyration about turning round on. It could also be slant or perspective. Different spin and spin came into the common language was, uh, using PR to give a particular slant a spin on something. There are two other ways that spin could be used not in context. Headline spin could be used. Go for a spin, which means go for driving a car and the other one is okay, it is your your turn is your spin. That means it's your go spin the wheel, so that's a little bit further down the line. So looking at those two meanings in the article in Question 12 we can see what's going on there. Then we look down to think about final question. There is the deeper significance off the article. Let's get a bit there deeper down there. You'll have different ideas, the number of different things. Maybe the significance of the article has to do with cultural differences. The article may have to do. We're trying to Tarifi What's going on in his own mind. To explain is obviously lived his dreams and sphere of tsunamis and earthquakes, and we all know a dreadful, dreadful outcome of that tsunami. A couple of Christmas is Boxing Day along those years ago. So what do we conclude from all that? Well, what it has illustrated that a given particular piece of writing can be looked at on being analyzed in a particular way means that we can learn from that particular writing because we have now got a whole Siris of Clues and Caps is the acronym. It's come out of that giving you opportunities, anything you're reading, you could know you similar sorts of questions. This is made up particular that article, but you could make a similar sort of ones up for anything else that you're reading is what's going on here. What is the context? What is the audience? What's the purpose? What's this style? What other things are being used to influence me on? Is it facts that I'm really? And how am I gonna feel about those facts if you like the left brain right brain thinking Well, great to have a conversation with you about your thoughts on that. But I hope you found that that my thoughts is giving you a few ideas about reading between the lines. Okay, well, let's move it on. Let's now look at some fundamentals when it comes to writing. My intention in this section is not really to go back to school, but go back to the basics to try and remember what it's all about when we come to writing words on the page. Now I have to say, When I was sitting in classrooms in short trousers all those years ago. I really couldn't get a handle on all these things because it didn't have this nice little poem. Look, read it to you. But I think if you read from it, it begins to put everything into shape to understand what's going on there. Clearly some of you listening will have great Charlie degrees in English, maybe, or subject recording to write a lot. Read a lot, right? A lot like history and so on and so forth from that will know this very well. So please forgive the indulgence to look at something straightforward to define what is a noun on what is a pro now on. I couldn't quite see why he she there became something that took the place of a mouth. But then the rest that's for a pro known is adjectives describe things where we put the adjective is actually quite important. Something to do with the passive voice verb actions, doing things to never split infinitives and things like that just shows up some rather poor writing. We know about those sorts of things adverbs. How did the verb function? It would be helpful, I think pronoun describe something about it now. But unless an adverb does describe something about her propositions, the ends, the ATS and that's something helps to show relationships on the conjunctions link things together on We'll see how the use of conjunctions on, replaced by commerce and so forth can confuse. But none of this quite in court. The greater structure, the interjection, the exclamation mark. That's a thing. And how maney exclamation marks do you use so something to explore that one? And then finally, we can then about parts of speech because we now know that little little ride. Well, let's just turn to some of the basics when it comes to writing in English show we quite a few notes on put together, which I hope will help underpin some things that I'm talking about. Now. I could never understand whether one should put on in front off page because it's a constant when you put it in front of vowels and ice cream and so forth because I screamed because of that, I it's a vow. So what about Constance? While you wouldn't tend to think that it needed one because people don't always pronounce the H, they may say, uh, on a historic robin on historic. So it depends on the difference between a written speech on spoken speech, written language, written words on the spoken. And I think if you do a little exploration, you've got this picture. They're on page 15 on. Repeated Here for you is to explore through Google Books Yusof a historic or on Historic. I think we can see since the 19 forties, when the publication of information began much, much wider throughout the the world. That on historic is probably more appropriate. You're saying it, but a historic is much more frequently and abused if you're writing it so little things like that, I think quite handy, just to illustrate, You know what's going on. I don't get hung up with too many of these things. Let's have a look at some others. What is an acronym? What is on initial is, um what I suppose an acronym. Things like USA or H T m. L are indeed or acronym. What makes him acronym is because they don't become a word. Whereas something like NASA, the North American Space Agency, is both an acronym, but also on initial ism. So that one could actually pronounce the word NASA or RAM and Rome and so forth are all together that I just called agency. And, of course, it's space administration. But nonetheless, the difference between the two is quite important on whether or not we use full points between them. I think today if you write the word the letters U. S. A. As an acronym strictly there will be a full point between them. But I don't think it's necessary in the written word to use them in that way. Okay, Akram is quite important. We are dropping into a technical jargon. Do remember, if you are in your writing going to use an acronym that you know, then what's the process for your reader? Well, I think it's good common sense you got going put an acronym in it is unfamiliar. Then you explain it once the first time you use it. Then you can use the acronym thereafter. So not that you need to put USA or UK and explain what that means. But if you are going to use one that's pertinent to your area of law or your firm or something like that, then it's well worth explaining as the first time you use it after that, then the acronym or indeed, the initial ism is perfectly adequate because we want people reading on material to understand what's going on. Let's have a look and try Mexican sense of an percents. It's that little curly device printed out there on page 16. It looks very much like a musical, simple of some sort or another, but in fact, as illustrating the notes there, its E and A T or the latte in it. Which means Andi. So it's quite obviously used and unfortunately it can be used in the wrong way. Is a bit of a short hand and show up less than well thought out writing perfectly fine to put it into Smith and Jones consulting on percent. Joining that. Those two up with a logo, that sort of thing, um, space much limited in table texting, that sort of situation, and that's absolutely fine, and it's often used in academic references, but a stick in the middle of a sentence willy nilly. Just because you're unable Teoh type up a D and use this device is not particularly good writing in that particular way, so well worth just checking that you are leaving them willing, nearly dotted across your writing Now dashes, I think, are something that a lot of people don't stop to think about using. And I've found using them does make the writing flow a little bit quicker, a little bit easier and can be used quite well. No three examples of the hyphen n dash in dash and the E. M A dash, while hyphen really is very straightforward. Andi is they used in the break up words using hyphenated surnames and so forth and is very straightforward, linking off things like half term and so on so forth. It is a very short one. Uh, n dash the end dash. It is the width off. The characters E and n on is often used to indicate best time Monday through Friday, and you put that dash between some would I would not use a break between those two. I would like those numbers you could put 24 7 That's often being put does a a slash horror stroke mark rather than end dash, but you can make your own choices on gaps between either end of those dashes are a matter for your own choice. Anything I would say is whatever you use, then make sure that throughout your writing, not higgledy piggledy so absolutely fine used in arithmetic calculations. If you're trying to illustrate that on the page and so forth and the em dash the width of a E and M is longer still now it's often used in that way to replace a comma. It's a matter of personal choice as to whether you like to use those. It just tends to act as a brackets, parenthesis around subpart of a sentence and can be used as a way off speeding up the writing. Beautiful bottom Page 17 Item 12 comma The Broken CPU comma is to be repaired today. Absolutely fine, perfectly consistent. But the em dash tends to speed up the reader's eyes across it on the maybe a choice to two years. In fact, I find it depending on the software program that you're using to type. Then you will find that if you put in a hyphen with space by the side of it, when you then start going on to the next character, that hyphen stretches to an end dash quite a simple way off using the software to create those images. We anyway, it gives you in the table on page 17. How to use your keyboard to do these things very quickly. I think it does help to break up some writing. It tends to be less formal, tends to feed the that the reader on. I wouldn't necessarily use it in drafting legal documents. I wouldn't necessarily use it in a more formal writing, such as report writing. But I certainly think it's well worth using emails that are person to person in that way. Communications, because they do speed things up, something worth exploring to make your what appears on the page, which we'll talk about later on a little bit more air around it, creating space between characters. Therefore, it makes it easy to read. So don't ignore the humble dash. It could be used quite quite favorably for you. Okay, uh, hyphens well talked about that with under the heading of dashes hyphenated words, it's worth checking whether the world is indeed hyphenated or not. Check your spellcheck program Talked about that earlier in the program Is the hyphen being used in the right way now the good old apostrophe. Well, we've got lots and lots of stories about apostrophes as to whether we do or don't use them where they should be on. I'll pick this up a little bit wrong with a couple of examples. I think that they are very important parts off speech. They're often used to replace a letter or more than one letter whose wh o apostrophe yes means who is rather h w h O s e, which suggests that it is somebody's who's is this. So who is needs that apostrophe putting the posture in the wrong place? Uh, may end up with complete nonsense The book I mentioned earlier on its shoots and leaves very used for one. Lindros is a very readable text of your getting bit confused about the use of these sorts of things apostrophes there, ellipses world. Those are the three dots. I think they are sometimes quite helpful to illustrate in e mails and other relatively informal communications that you're leaving something for somebody else to think about on. It can be used again in good writing to give the reader a bit of a space to illustrate and thought that changes between one part of the sentence and the next illustrated again Page 18. It's wonderful, but not a complete triumph makes the reader get a lot more from your messages. Andi, leave something unsaid. Make sure it's only three, and I think most Ennis Word software will put three in the second time. Then you sit with 1/4 dot in. It will put a big A space to illustrates. And second Group three. Personally, I think you only need those three dots now. A co along Miss Understood, Miss Misused. Perhaps. I think the code on is quite powerful because it can be used in a lot more times than some other characters would actually use that a total semi colon on the commerce are worth exploring from simple guidelines. And I've got some rules in the workbook on page 21 about when you use the punctuation to join a word with another word to use a comma. Do you use a semi Kunal? Do you use a full Come on, It's always worth exploring the and I won't go through the detail of those, but it is worth. There are four fundamental rules there to pull those out as to where those were used. I think it's worth exploring suddenly called the Oxford comma. This is often confusing people, because when you give a row off items, you might say Monday Comma Tuesday, Comma Wednesday, Comma and Thursday to define Four Days on After the Wednesday with Wood and you wouldn't necessarily want to put a comma on. Then the conjunction and Thursday So Monday. Comment used to call on Wednesday Comma and Thursday doesn't read very well. Most people would have dropped that final comma before the end, but that is what's lives described as the Oxford comma now in most writing. Most of the time, most people would not use that final comma, and that's absolutely fine. Unless your list includes things that could be seen as joined together. Could be groups off things. So if you take your breakfast in the morning, for example, you may put something like cereals, comma milk and toast. Now cereals, comma milk and toast read that way suggests that you're putting milk on your toast or toast on your cereals because it looks like they're all together. But of course, as we can see that cereals and milk comma would be one item. Then you would use a semi Kotal before saying toast and butter. Why? Because that illustrates to go together. They're paired up. So with that logic there, then, looking at other lists, you could begin to see the usefulness off that so called Oxford comma because it does illustrate whether things are joined or not. Because if you were writing a list of your breakfast, you would then be quite in order to say, cereals and milk, comma, toast, comma butter and marmalade, comma and t on that tariff eyes. Quite simply, anybody looking at it, I know exactly what's going on. I see what related parts are that you're not having tea on top of your toast on, you know, having tea on your cereals. It's separating things out, so use them properly in the right way on. Life becomes a lot easier. So there's the Oxford color for you. I didn't go to Oxford have been down there for shopping, but I wouldn't say I've ever been to one of the colleges partners as the tourists. But some you listening, maybe better gifted. Tonight, Teoh know a little bit more about that now we'll come to tire typography. I think it's worth exploring this from a number of points of view. I think we are quite used to using different typefaces, but we now have multi media. The typeface I'm using on the screen has not got any little tales to it. Suresh. It is a san serif without serifis on the serious of the feet that sit on the line times. Roman is a typeface that uses service on a whole row of Sarah's bottom. The word actually creates to the mind image a line and therefore so much easier to read off the page. A serif typeface because those little feet give you a line underneath the word. Why isn't it used online? You may ask, Well, because you're looking for screen because older screens were pixelated. Your good old Catherine Ray tube computer screens were quite broadly pixelated that if you did have a serif, tended to break up the bottom off character. So San serif, which is what you're looking at on screen now, is used because it is all clear on depending on your screen. Most screens on tablets, computers and flat screens before computers and officers are much, much better resolution that they don't break up into tiny little spots, as the pixels would. But the typography used between very formal writing and informal writing can influence the reader quite a bit. So worth exploring your typography. I told that a san serif typeface such as typeface you're looking at on screen is more friendly and less formal and probably quite useful for client communications for general nature. But if you are drafting documents and contracts and probably on the page where it's going to be signed, then using a serif typeface of the little feet so it plans itself tends to look a little bit more authority. And there's a lot of people in the advertising world spend a lot of time working on May typefaces to put across a particular message. Okay, let's turn to another couple of pieces used in English writing. That's the shortened version off a bit of Latin. I e. On a short version of letting Gene, and it is one area that some people can get confused. I think this is just go back to the original brute Latin. It s is I e. That means that is whereas e g. From exempt league Russia. Which means, for example, So if you were going to explain to somebody that the standard discount applies, that is 10% you would say I e and that's it illustrated there on If it's going to be, let's use an easy to use fault e g vidana or area or something like that, then e g is the appropriate fashion to use their Do you remember, of course, that in American English, some people put a comma before I e or e g or indeed after it. I don't think that's helpful. But as I illustrate the semi coat on at the end off the sentence semicolon i e. No other punctuation required, then the information is perfect. Adequate over punctuation can just clatter things up quite a bit. I don't think it's necessary. You may have a strong feeling, in other words, but don't mind as long as you're consistent as enough in the case with all these things on, there is a little note about the etcetera being given, so if you give an e g, you give an example. It's superfluous to say etcetera afterwards because you've already given an example that there are other examples chosen is really overkill. Let's turn to the difference off which and that I have to say, When I looked at this carefully, I get confused, which is the most appropriate one to use. But just remember that if you're using the word which you tend to be adding information example, given the books which have red covers our new the books are new and you're explaining that the book separate comes Okay, if you are giving limited information, the whole selection of books, some of which are new, you would say the books that have red covers our new It's indicating which off. The many books are new. It's the limited to read. Okay, Um who and whom does confuse you? A number of people. To whom shall I send it to Who should send it? Well, example. Given its just a matter of saying, Do I send this and then put in the option of he or him? So with that sentence, do I send it to Don't send this to he Do I send this to him? Will determine office. It sounds a lot better to have, So I send this to him on as it's him, then you would be using whom to whom should I send it so fairly straightforward in that that format? And there's also some guides to using who and who's and you and I mean and so forth all within the notes, quite a lot to be going on with. But I hope that's useful. It is back to the basics. On day, I could go on and on on on almost about every selection of words being used, but I hope that gives you a sufficient guide to keep your writing clear, but help the reader understand exactly what you mean.
00:36:00
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Written and recorded by Mac Mackay
well, I think it is important. Let's have a look at punctuation and see where it goes. You'll remember a bit of tongue in cheek. Earlier on, I was talking about Lynn Trust, his book, which helps guide on punctuation. This with a punctuation mark Comma suggested something awful is going on. Somebody having eaten then is unhappy, whereas without the punctuation is quite a different meaning on something a little bit more fluffy. Likewise apostrophes. Are they important? Well, the dog is like my boss. You may have a dim view of your boss may not look quite like this character, but you put the apostrophe outside the dogs they like. My boss suggests that your boss is popular among canines. Now, one example that I have used and it came a while ago from my own experience as a as a child at school. We were given this little question to sort out over the weekend by works to punctuate that correctly. And it did Fox. The rest of the family and parents and so forth can't be done. Well, just the thought of illustrate that it can be done if you take a view on these 11 hands in a row with teachers approval. End of it. What you have to imagine is that two people example given here John and Jane were having their English homework marked on. One could say that having written something, it's the Yusof had as a single word or had had as two words together. What we have here is that John had Princess had written had while Jane I had Britain had had, but it's a single had. But the teacher approved. Okay, John had written. Had semi Colon Jane have written had had on it? Is John having written the single had had teaches approval, Right? Let's imagine that the two people are not called John and Jane, but one is called Had had on the other one is called Had a Now we can see these 11 hands had had had written, had had had had had had had had teachers approval. So there we go. You might have to write that down just to copy it and go through it again. But we're just trying to describe to characters one has had had on the other one has had on. I have to say that my father wasn't particularly pressed for that. He was a bit of a stickler for punctuation on. He didn't quite see that anybody could post me called a name like had had, but there we go a little bit of poetic license on that. So, yes, we can have a been a fun with our punctuation. There's plenty of examples where people have not used punctuation in quite the right way. Do you think that we ought to explore writing in a little bit more detail? It's certainly from the point of view of using some surplus words connecting words on waffling jargon. And I think if we step back, realize that our communications as opposed to an idea from our own head into the head of somebody else that some of this waffle just gets in the way of the message on Bihar, off each and every one that's talked on each and every now, at this particular precise moment in time, we'll get me twitching when one word like now would be sufficient. So we need to explore what we're doing. There's some examples on page 30. I'm sure you enjoy reading the sort of bulletins that used to come out of the crown prosecution service of what was going on within courts is actually been blissfully reduced to something a little bit more straightforward on Do Be Careful to Off Babble. There's a lovely example there again on the bottom page 30 where off one example. Lots of afterwards and it could be shortened and made a lot more concise. Tautology. Well, we need to know what that means. Well, it's two things that sprang to mind when I saw the word tautology. I didn't know what it means, so I had to turn on its here. My chambers dictionary. I could look words up. Yes, we've got online dictionaries nowadays, but again, it's surprising how if we spell the word slightly incorrectly and then do a search on that end up completely the wrong meaning. But, well, tautology well, we should never, ever use it. It's basically it's two words that mean essentially the same on that just makes it look comes on ill thought out. So be careful of that sort of thing. Look, too, for what we're writing on. We have talked a little bit a while ago, but who on which that on that may be possible to shorten and short numeral sentence length. Then the message gets across much more clearly, we're bombarded with information, so the quicker, more concisely put your message across so much better. If you look at this, the statute which have been enacted after Brown case provided for interest, paid nothing, particularly with it. But why the which had bean? We could reduce that length. If you can reduce that by 25% in that way, then what you've written over four pages will come down to three and immediately people more like 33 pages and fall on more like every two pages than three. And so it goes on another example, The title search did not disclose the right away that granted six years before, absolutely fine. But it could be shortened and dropped down by taking one of words out of it so useful to explore so that the archaic usage of English on the babble we can take an opportunity to simplify things. Okay, let's have a look at some elegant variations. I think when we're writing to impress, then we can often use the same word more than once in a paragraph to create emphasis on there's some examples in the workbook, But most of the time, if we start to use different words in paragraphs, then weaken. I suggest to the reader that something is changing. That may change its meaning. If you look at something like this where three cases were being reported upon, the first case settled that second piece of litigation. The price of the agreement reached in the third sink waas that suggests the three different things going on. It also covers four lines, whereas three litigation cases were settled for colon correct used three areas. There does make things a lot clearer, So think about that. I think about it very carefully, Thea. Other thing, too, to point out I mentioned earlier on the Oxford comma. Well, here's an example of it. Three litigation cases have settled 2000 comma 2500 something's changed comma and suggest, therefore, that there's 1/3 without the common before the end. It may be misunderstood that there were only two pieces for whatever reason, so the 3rd 1 does give the correct use of that comma. In that situation, a word about tabulation, typography and layout. The top line is absolutely fine. Read that because there's the characters go above and below the line. You get word shape. The blocks of text in capitals isn't easy to read, and therefore you could switch your reader off on if you want a highlight something those things that we could do to make life easier. So think about how we hold the reason. Attention. The image on the left is a block of text image on the right. Makes. You can understand what's going on is broken up by using appropriate methods within the lout on the page. Empty space. Very important. We talked a little bit about that, because what you're reading when you look at screen, you could only see white. You cannot see black Black means there's no light coming from it, You can see is that right around the text. Therefore, empty space does help the reader's attention. Look at the different typefaces mentioned this earlier. The serif type feet created a lines of that word. Seraphim got a line running across it where without serif, fine for online. It's a different effect. By all means. Put information on block, put it in tables. They're easy to read, Use the appropriate way of expressing numerical data on graphs and so forth. Yes, by all means use lists and bullet points and use correct punctuation to separate out what's going on on Use the space between paragraphs So easy to do in today's typeface on screen to use the appropriate typeface is so easy to change. Change the paragraphs within were very easy to do. You can do that with headings and subheadings and so forth. So easy. Now just modify any of those components of document on life becomes so much easier. Plain English. Well, there we go, the Central Subcommittee steering Group. All the facilitation of expedience and brevity, clarity and commonality off language usage in the years provided communication interface with previously known as the Plain English Society. Well, I think it's very important that we think about plain English on that we know having been in meetings or presentations for somebody's boards. Tears. We don't want to do that when we right so a lot of things to look at in terms off avoiding the mumbo jumbo. You look at those orange words on screen. What on earth will be trained to say that there's so many superfluous words, extra words and so forth. We really I don't need. It doesn't impress anybody. So have a look at some of the examples on page 28 29 where we can improve things. There's lots of old terms no longer used. They don't think CPS behave in those forms anymore. Think about the beautiful language of English has been around for a very long time. Great heritage. It moves forward. It moves forward in a good way. It moves forward in a not good way, like you know what I mean. So make sure that you are carrying English forward in a good way, and that is being used inappropriate turns. The Babel impresses nobody. Yes, you might get a charge client form or if you babble in a letter. But let's face it. Who's got time to read it? Who's got time to be impressed? Your clients of playing for advice, not for battle. Look at the list on page 29. In the workbook. There are 20 terms. They're absolutely fine, but there are long words that got more syllables on. They are verbose in some respect. Have a quick look uh, pause when you want to to have a look down on, Put your own alternative to what's on Page 29. Okay, having got those, there's other examples. We could look at some purpose work. This is where Mawr words just expands the page. Fine. If you're being paid paid by the number words rather than the results. Well, superfluous words only deserved, baffled and confused. So simpler alternatives make sure English plainer, which means that it's more accessible on, probably achieves the, uh, outcome that you're looking for. I also recognize that people are the base, but boasts Robert Big Part Andi. I saw this phrase. This is a life marked by the allocation, very important resources, abilities and energies in urgent maintenance and adornment of the residential environment. Actually what they say they have some before you write in and complain. This picture was taken when I picked up one of my son, Theo, end of term on the end of the year at university, and this was what their kitchen looked like after the party from the night before. I know it did get cleaned up in the things got sorted out, but that's think about simplicity, clarity. Using short sentences on simplifying things. Short sentences are much easier. Long sentences are harder to read, takes time and effort. To do so. Simplify the message you simplify. The understanding, on average, is keep sentences short. A guide is 25 but shorter, maybe more appropriate on. If you're writing something star listed. Fine, then use longer sentences and elegance. But professional writing is all about making clear. So don't forget what's this chap doing here on screen While he's 12 years old on the theme average adult in the UK has the reading skills off the average 12 year. Why is so low? That's because most people beyond the age of 12 don't improve their ability to read or write, because it's a skill that one has to practice practice practice today, it's actually getting worse. English is not often the first language of many people, of course, and people are using so many more thumbs to write, even rather than theme, elegant persons that you're using. When you writing your reports and letters and communications, simplify things, take it down, make life easy and run it past 12 year old to see whether or not what you're writing can be understood by your client not to talk down to them, but to make your information accessible on your digital exercise. Page 32 has a whole series of statements. Could be written a lot more concisely when it comes to tabulation formed typography. Don't talk to you reader. Use the layout. Change the font size. Use bold attacks on typeface change to highlight what's going on but not block capitals. It shouts off the page. It doesn't actually make things easier to read. By all means, use lists, but think of use tables sub numbering Sandy Cove breaking the information up in most appropriate fashion. Okay, let's move it on. Look, A another area Page 32 has a number of different sentences written there that what you see on the left insist obviously, the 1st 3 off them on their rather, for both would like you to do is to have a look at page 32 on right down the alternatives that make them much more concise. Stop the film. Come back in a moment. So what have you got? Well, during the year 2017 Absolutely fine. But why not say in. It's much more concise. It's there. Please find closely with the cheque enclosed jet on the number three. Please contact the other party. So please cheer up your reader by giving them something a little bit easier to get on board with what you're trying to say. Example. Here of repetitions. Somebody's writing about their experiences at school. Repetition may add interest. Page 35 has this for interest, but an example here. I have to admit that I remember that first time was in, said articles from Lovable Bubba. It's long, it's winded on. It isn't particularly erudite in that respect. It does tire the reader with so much of that going on. So stop and think about what you're saying on whether or not this is the best way of putting it across. I have pulled out something on Page 36 which I hope you'll find interesting. It's about terrible drafts. Okay, now I think when we're drafting something, it's worth remembering that it is trying to get the basics There. There is an article on illegal highs. The Psychoactive Substance Act 2016 which you might find interesting on something was struggling. They're trying to describe food And what do they mean by food? So what happens? I think when we have a piece of work to do that, we can put it off, put it on, put it off for not get around to doing something about it. And we tend to end up by having to rush things at the end. In my experience, I've found it is worth planning. A skeleton. First of all, a rough outline of what you're trying to say. You got the scope of the whole thing. Then just when with that, put on the flesh on those bones. Don't mind my anatomical example of the illustration there. But then, once you've got that, you could then change something very difficult plane empty page to actually get it down. But once you gotta a series of bullet points, the subject got some shape structure to it. Stage to this program looks at the appropriate structure for a variety of pieces of communications. But just but the appropriate skeleton together put some flesh on those bones, and then you could change something, or when you do, you make it appealing to your audience. So if you're trying to build up something in the schooling fashion here, just make it appealing to your chosen audience. So I hope that's a little bit of a a guide that will help you have a look at Page 36. It will be quite interested to see what they say. Page 37 deals with a whole variety of measured expressions. Measured expressions are very important to remember not gonna go through all of them. But there are quite a few that many people make a few errors over subtle difference of a variety of those things are gonna be pulled out. But one I want to highlight as on screen is the difference between the words for amount than the words for number on. People can sometimes get them mixed up. For example, we could eat fewer biscuits, but you drink less milk. Thea amount words related quantities off things that are measured in bulk, where numbers relate to things that can be counted. Okay, you shouldn't drink too much wine because that is an amount and you should avoid drinking so many glasses off. Why? So we're counting glasses. They could be numbered. So it's worth exploring that to make sure that you are using them in the correct fashion. So be careful when you're talking about those things. Why did you not obtain a degree from university? Well attained means reach on octane means get. So if you happen to buy your degree online, then well, you probably did obtain it, so make sure you're using the right expression. Lots of them there make no apologies that there's lots and lots of things in the notes, and you don't need me to read through a lot those things. But those measured expressions are also going to highlight where the you can express yourself clearly all make a few unintentional gaffes. I'm sure many of you will know most of these, but there are one or two. Perhaps that trip up the yeah, let's wary toe. We often hear on. Have I got news for you or other media about the alleged this and the alleged that I think is overplayed because they talked about the alleged victim other victims ever alleged tour perpetrating the allegedly somebody was being, uh, pursued for a particular The alleged perpetrator is an absolute pointless description, So be careful of those sorts of things picking out while, unto others do note the difference between avenge and revenge. But if you seek revenge in the pursuit of justice, you want to avenge the wrongs. And those two look very similar could be used incorrectly. It did make me chuckle a while ago. My brother engage somebody to look after the lasting power of attorney of my certainly departed father a few years ago. Andi, she actually wrote that I was a benefactor. But in fact I would perhaps of thought that I might be a beneficiary. I'm giving that after we paid from fewer expenses, there was very little else left in the coffers, were. So perhaps I was have been effective rather than a beneficiary. So somebody being engaged in that way can use the wrong phrase or wrong term in a particular piece of legal writing. A different street illicit on illicit to licit is obviously going to be ah, verb to get something in this. It suggests that he's wrong, naughty. So be wary of those as well. And then we're going to talk a little bit about the passive voice. Got those on page 49 for you? A few things to think they're on. This is really the difference. What is the passive voice? Well, it, uh um, the active voice is the normal one. The passive voice is the is less common. Where is different? Three. The object on the subject. The example. Given the cats eat mice is the active voice. But mice get eaten by cats. Well, what's wrong? What's wrong with that? Not very much. It's used in infrequently, but the constant use of it can be less impactful on. It's a bit of a sort of a cop out saying my report was accidentally deleted, which is the passive voice rather than I accidentally deleted my report. So it is matter being impactful on something to explore if you're unfamiliar with the use of those things, So a few faults and ideas on the active is to put your main point first, gets the action going. The passive voice can use more words can make it less clear. The example. Given on screen it is feared inefficient steps being taken to avoid loss. Who fears who should take steps? Who is causing the loss So again, if you're familiar with the active voice than passive voice differences, then move along, if not something worth exploring on by inviting you to have a look at Page 50 pence, see if you can express those terms. One. Give them Their new brochure is being printed by data law. Well, put that in more active forms. And there's other examples off terms being used in a legal context, so in towards some sort of summary, it's worth exploring any piece of writing a few very straightforward terms. Look out for spelling. Do not leave your machine set to American English because it will end up with different spellings than are used in English. English. Think about the grammar. Think about the punctuation. Think about the words and phrases used to make sure that those things get understood. Well, fairly obvious stuff there. Do remember, of course, that when you are writing legal documents, they are different to letting reports. Because there may be a judicial definition, Andi everyday words may have a technical meaning at the back of the note, So talk about midnight. What is midnight? Where is it? Dependents will enjoy that punctuation must be used much more sparingly, and there may be a standardized structure that you'll be using for those things. As a non lawyer, I'm not going to sit here and talk about those things. This is where your senior practitioners within the firm, your bosses, your line managers may be much more able to go. And you specifically what's relevant for your area work. Do remember those interpretation rules? These are cases where words have been defined, A said. Not an exhaustive list, but have a look at them and I pause the recording. If you want to take a note off them, it's not in the workbook, but it's for you to follow this plenty of others within that. Then finally, let's look at simplex here on what do you notice about this? But I'm sure you can read it as well as I can. According to research Cambridge University. It does matter in what order? The letters of the word all the only important thing is the first and last letter B at the right place, the rest of the A total s and you can still be a problem. This is because the human mind does not read every letter myself word as a whole blinking amazing her. Why I put this up there? Well, it's about the proof reading. You see, those are the correct letters on there in roughly the right order on one kans. Go over it fairly quickly and read it out loud, although it is clearly completely jumbled. So my guide to prove reading you've got this slide in the workbook. But it's a few things to think about some quick tips and so forth to round off the program. I think proof reading is a very difficult skill. It took me a very long time working in advertising agency handling it, and this is the guide were given. It's taken me a long time to get a handle on it. When I have written textbooks, go off of them with other people and so forth four times why the first time is to read something to see whether it makes sense, because if you're looking out for spelling, you're not looking very sentence what it's saying, not a paragraph structure. Then you may have a look for spending and punctuation. Check your spellcheck. We talked about that earlier on. Then the third thing is to look and see what's missing. It's very easy to see what's their incorrect. But if you haven't stopped to think, what have I missed? What point of I know made? Then you won't actually be able to see that. So it's worth that third step, then backwards for spelling and punctuation. Why? Well, when you read things going forwards, you tend because times pressure on you to look at word groups to look at the three or four words ahead when you're trying to read out loud, so you will look at the overall sentence on. Remember that example came to university. You're go quickly over it, and then you'll miss things. But if you're going backwards, you could only look look up the word by word on. Therefore checking that the spelling and punctuation is correct and that it has been used correctly, a piece of paper running down the screen, running down. They put it in front of you. I'm leaning forward to put it on. My screen here may be useful. Use the mouse, he says, waving the mouse around the screen. That may be useful. Why? Because it'll keep your eyes on the line and you'll see it. Line of the time. You won't jump lines. Very important. Of course. If it's down, it's hard copy. I think it's worth having written a piece to go off to do something different. Going deadhead the hanging baskets Or do some playing girl may make a brew gun. Have a chat with somebody about something unrelated to what you were doing and then come back to it because you'll see it through fresher eyes. Shut off the pages. Why? Well, you're reading each page in turn to see whether that makes sense wrong, just looking at the overall view on a very the routine. Sometimes I do things, Theo. End of the day and I want to send it. But I will read it again, getting the office first thing in the morning that sometimes I will write something first thing in the morning. But then stop coffee 11 oclock, for example, and then check it again. So I'm doing it at different times of day two. Check when I'm doing my P. A is very good at checking things. Andi. I put an email together. I was a little bit crossed with somebody. I put an email together and said, Well, what do you think that she looked at it and said, Home, change that word. It's inflammatory. Spell that word correctly and then you can send it so it's didn't take long on made my communication get the most appropriate impact and not perhaps the wrong one. So worth doing. If you've got someone who could help with that on obviously other people that could look at it. Proof reading, assigning helpers because they're not sure what you're trying to say on. Remember what I said about 12 year olds handed to find a random 12 year old? I don't have any myself used to, but find somebody younger. Perhaps he's going to look for the first time on. Then you're following people most junior new recruits into the firm trainees and so forth. Look at things with clear, fresh eyes. And if you're making sure that you're covering yourself, get the signatures of Boston client Teoh agree. What's being greed and so forth, so fairly obvious sorts of things at that level. Well, at the end of the day, when it comes to editing, editing, editing, look at the drafting, what should you do? Well, a number of different things. Just a few bullet points here. Read it with an open mind. Physically, get up and go to the other side of your desk and sit in the visitor's chair on. Read it as a kind. Whatever. Check missed, you're going to use a boat. Rely on his belt checks as I suggested and used the word searches. Used the online So simple. Now, to look up your first saurus Onda, check things out in that way. Is there a better way of expressing it? So force may be helpful to you. Well, thank you very much indeed. For looking at this program, the fundamentals, the writing skills. Please get in touch with data law. If you wish to explore a practical the program, we have set this up as a full day. That will give you lots of opportunity to practice your writing. It's and think back on that. Discuss it with other people. Do that. Interactive things are illustrated through this program where you can stop the program on right. No real substitute for being able to get hold off some feedback. So I do look forward, Teoh seeing you either on the l the elective that we're running for Junior people talk to data law about that number of different venues in London, Manchester and so forth. And also we're going to be looking at a slightly enhanced level of this writing skills program to look at how we structure writing within a firm to write in business guys is I hope you enjoyed it has not been too obvious. Aunt, Thank you so much for engaging with us at data. Little thanks very much.
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