Writing Guidelines class is a part of our “IELTS Course”. This is the 26th class of our “IELTS Course”. Our “IELTS Course” will help you in your IELTS preparation. Prepare for the IELTS exam online at your own pace, Our “IELTS Courses” will help you get the score you need. This class has been made to help you in your IELTS examination.

 

Writing Guidelines

 

Keep content meaningful & user-focused

Give users clear value.
Ask yourself: Is this content saying something meaningful or adding new information?

Get right to the point.
People have limited attention and patience and are quickly frustrated when expectations aren’t met. As communicators, it’s our job to help them get what they need quickly.

Delete fluff. 
Too much unnecessary text leads to skipping. Users don’t care about what your organization and programs are doing; they care about WHAT AFFECTS THEM. Eliminate promotional, redundant, outdated, and trivial copy.

Show, don’t tell.
Language like “this page makes it easy for you to find helpful contacts” is unnecessary. If the page really makes it easy, it should be obvious.

Limit introductory text or instructions. 
If we write clearly and concisely, the purpose and meaning should be obvious.

 

 

Limit sentence & page length

Keep sentences as short as you can — the shorter, the better.
Try to keep sentences to 20 words or less. Express one point per sentence. Put the most important information at the beginning. Remember audiences are scanning, not reading.

Paragraphs should be 2 or 3 sentences max.
Put the most important information first.

Tips for web pages. 
Write content in independently meaningful chunks that make sense when taken out of context. Each content chunk should address just one issue. Readers overlook the second point when there are multiple items in a single chunk.

If your webpage requires scrolling, make sure there are headers and/or menus to help users find what they’re looking for. Consider breaking up long text across multiple pages.

 

 

Use active voice, not passive voice

Active voice helps make the action more clear by highlighting the person doing the action, followed by the verb. Passive voice is often awkward, it’s usually longer, and it makes readers work harder to translate.

It can help to look for a “by” phrase and rewrite it so the actor is first.

Active voice	Passive voice
Medicare covers the wheelchair.	The wheelchair is covered by Medicare.
Your state will determine eligibility.	Eligibility will be determined by your state.
Complete your application and return it to us by June 1.	The application must be completed by the applicant and received by Human Resources by June 1.

 

 

Use common, everyday words

Use the same words your audience does. Replace complex words with simple ones. The conversational tone is easier to understand. This is especially important with web writing, as simple words are often common search terms that enhance SEO.

Language to avoid:

• Undefined abbreviations and acronyms.
• Using 2 different terms to mean the same thing (like doctor, physician, provider), unless unavoidable by policy constraints or intentional for SEO benefit (like health plan and health insurance).
• Legal, technical, medical, or marketing jargon.
• Idioms (think “It’s raining cats and dogs”).
• Colloquialisms (think “Our team does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to”).
• Unnecessary intensifiers (e.g.: very, much, best, quite).
• Negative phrasing.
• Humor, which often doesn’t translate well.
• Talking at your reader, instead of with them (having a conversation vs. listening to a lecture).
• Quoting laws and regulations, unless absolutely necessary.

 

 

Details about Writing Guidelines – English Grammar :

 

 

Guideline – Task 1 :