Two Minutes to Better Communication:

1
Two Minutes to Better Communication

• ACCURACY
• by Andrew Malcolm

2
Better Communication through Accuracy

• Written communication requires accuracy, and
  accuracy requires knowledge, skill and
  detachment.
• Knowledge of language
• Grammar ? Semantics ? Word Use
• Skill of communication
• Detached of viewpoint

3
Semantics alternate meanings

• On Navy vessels, we stress the utmost in
  accuracy
• Consider how certain combinations of words may
  cause erroneous concepts.

4
Semantics alternate meanings

• Id like your opinion of these facts.
• If they are facts, then they are facts. Of
  course you can have an opinion as to whether they
  are or are not facts.

5
Semantics

• Mr.. Jones died suddenly.
• Everybody dies suddenly, one moment youre
  alive, and the next youre dead. Try one of
  these
• Mr. Jones died unexpectedly.
• Mrs. Smith died after a long ailment.

6
Word Selection

• Affect is a transitive verb Fear affects
  influences ones behavior.
• Keep the aisle clear.

• Effect may be a noun The effect of fear may be
  significant.
• Effect may be a trans-itive verb They effect
  cause change here.
• I visited the Isle of Capri.

7
Use similar words cautiously

• I allude refer to the accurate use of language
  and thus elude avoid error.
• A beech tree grew by the ocean beach.
• The bridle of the bridal carriage con-trols the
  horse. The bridal party includes the groom, and
  the groom cleans the horse.
• The burros in the zoo in the borough of The Bronx
  burrow in the ground.

8
Use similar words cautiously

• You dont need bullion gold bars to afford
  bouillon meat stock for soup.
• The print order called for a calender
  smooth-edged calendar table of days not a
  colander cooking strainer.
• Those were the A, B C words youll need to
  look up the D through Z words.

9
How do you write accurately?

• Consider alternate meanings of words.
• Know the language you use well.
• Write, put your writing aside, and then read it
  again later.
• Seek the opinions of others.

10
A View from Afar

• Nothing gives perspective better to writing than
  detach-mentdetachment of timedetachment of
  person.
• I have found in my own work both editing and
  writing that these are mutually exclusive
  occupations. Writing and editing are so totally
  opposite, so different, I think they come from
  very different impulses.1
• the most important thing about the
  writer-editor relationship is the sense of
  audience an editor gives.2
• 1Carol Hill, editor-in-chief, Harcourt-Brace
  Jovanovich
• 2Sol Rubin, Hill, Working Both Sides of the
  Desk, Writers Who Edit, Editors Who
  Write,Publishers Weekly, (Nov. 7, 1980)
  pp.28--32

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Better Communication through Accuracy

• Andrew Malcolm, Associate Prof.,
• NATIONAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE for the DEAF
• 2235 Lyndon Baines Johnson Building.
• at the Rochester Institute of Technology
• 52 Lomb Memorial Drive
• Rochester, New York 14623-5604
• a0mnce_at_rit.edu (a-ZERO-m-n-c-e)
• http//www.rit.edua0mnce