I don’t often link to other blogs, but I think Cathy Moore has written a very good overview of a common issue: corporate-speak killing readability.
Quick ways to increase your score and sound like a human being
- Say “you” and “we.”
- Cut 98% of adjectives and adverbs.
- Write active sentences that make clear who does what.
- Use strong verbs instead of wimpy “is.”
- Look for tacked-on clauses (“blah blah, which”, ” “blah blah, because”). Turn them into standalone sentences.
This is important not just for courses, but for documentation and specifications, too; no one likes to read what Cathy calls “corporate drone.”
Read Cathy’s blog entry “How to get everyone to write like Ernest Hemingway“