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Does Grandmother Get It?
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Barry Beckham is a veteran publisher and prolific novelist and non-fiction writer who offers a tr-weekly communication newsletter Better English 101. (For your free subscription, sign up here.)
Barry has compiled an e-book comprising some of the best excerpts from his newsletter. He has kindly agreed to make the e-book available here for free download for the convenience of our site users (no strings attached!) The book contains invaluable tips relating to correct English usage, common errors, useful expressions, the etiquette of business correspondence, and more.
Introduction: the basic approach
This is Barry Beckham's introduction to the book, which expresses his basic philosophy of business communication, one certainly worthy of emulation:
My basic approach to communications is that it’s too stiff, too formal. Somehow we were told that being very proper was the way to impress people. So attorneys in particular, and then business executives, government employees, and maybe physicians too — have decided that they could impress us more if they used language that was elevated.
The main idea that I’ll be pushing in each issue of my newsletter is that we should speak and write using diction (choice of words) that anyone in your audience can understand. That kind of communication can save time, money, and even lives.
Consider the language you would use when communicating with your grandmother. Use plain language and expressions that she would understand.
In urging you to consider that the best writing is clear and simple, I’ll be pointing out where we go wrong. Sometimes we stumble trying to be scholarly, sophisticated, urbane or even cute, and wind up using the word incorrectly anyway.
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