Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock in the liveliness of the written word.
One way of getting that liveliness into our writing, he said, is to use the personal pronouns: you, me, I, we, us, he, she, him, her, and they.
When we use personal pronouns, several important things happen. For starters, we personalize our writing, and that makes it easier for readers to relate to the subject.
For example, which of the following two sentences would be more effective?
(1) The use of personal pronouns personalizes written communication.
(2) When we use personal pronouns, we personalize our writing.
I think you would agree that sentence 2, with several personal pronouns, is more lively and more likely to be understood. That sentence allows readers and listeners to relate to the words; in other words, there's a personal connection. On the other hand, the first sentence is a collection of abstract concepts.
In using personal pronouns, we also make our writing more like our spoken communication. Listen to almost any conversation and you'll notice frequent use of 'I', 'you', and 'we'. It's quite natural to speak that way.
One more point: When we use personal pronouns, we're more likely to use active verbs and less likely to use passive verbs. By passive, I mean the 'to be' verbs, including 'is,' 'are,' and 'be.' When we replace these verbs with verbs that do something, we increase readability.
Try personal pronouns yourself. Take a document that you want others to read and rewrite it to include more of them. In the process of doing that, you're bound to make it more readable. What's more, you'll also make your words more effective.
About The Author
Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. If you subscribe, you will receive, at no charge, communication tips that help you lead or manage more effectively. Click here for more information: http://www.CommunicationNewsletter.com
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece... Read More
Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More
Most writers are familiar with first and third points of... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
When we think of writing it triggers many thoughts and... Read More
Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a... Read More
What do people expect when they join a writing group?The... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More
1. Write it fast, fix it later.2. Commit to writing... Read More
Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the... Read More
It's 6:00 p.m. You're dead tired, but instead of an... Read More
So you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
"If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar... Read More
I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms... Read More
Every writer knows that the urge to write is not... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts,... Read More
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More
The works you've written are numerous, ranging from short stories... Read More
When I asked new ezine subscribers, "What is your Number... Read More
These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
You can learn a lot about what it takes to... Read More
The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their... Read More
Communication is effective when we follow certain rules. These rules... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing... Read More
Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More
Sometimes there is confusion about the exact meaning of the... Read More
It's 6:00 p.m. You're dead tired, but instead of an... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new... Read More
My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More
Great writing transports one vicariously to realms that the reader... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More
The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
I have added a new word to my vocabulary. Logorrhea.... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes... Read More
Summer's here and the time is write for dancing in... Read More
A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More
Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored... Read More
Writing |