Modules 15 & 16

Module 15 is about choosing the right word.  When writing, you need to make sure that you are using words accurately, using appropriate words, and using words that the audience should be familiar with.  Try to only use technical jargon when it is absolutely necessary.  Using the right word helps you look good as a writer, it helps build credibility and demonstrate you are professional.  Try to use positive sounding words, and stay clear of negative sounding words.  You should also be careful when using similar sounding words, as they can confuse the reader because they sound and sometimes look very similar, but have much different meanings.

Module 16 is about revising sentences and paragraphs.  Revising is very important, because it can help you rearrange your writing so that it flows better and makes more sense to the reader, as well as allowing you to add or subtract content as needed to improve the writing.  When writing in the business format, make sure that you sound friendly and use the correct style of writing according to your audience.  Be sure to also use the right tone, you want to sound friendly and informative, not rude and arrogant.  Sentences throughout your message should be of different lengths, but shorter sentences are better.  Any sentence longer than 30 words should be revised. 

One thing that is very important to know when coming away from module 15, is that there are many different denotations to some words, so it is very important to use the correct denotation when writing, or to make it clear what denotation you mean when writing so that the reader knows for certain what you mean.

Something that is important to remember from module 16 is that wordy writing is often bad writing.  It is always best to express what you are trying to say in the least amount of words, this makes it easier for the reader to follow and grasp what you are trying to say, and also might make them more likely to read your message fully instead of skimming it or skipping it altogether.