Words matter. They are the most basic building blocks of written and spoken communication. Choose your words carefully – be precise and concise. 1. Verbs Verbs tell your audience what to do. Make sure they know who does what. i. Use active voice Active voice makes it clear who is supposed to do what. It eliminates ambiguity about responsibilities. Not “It must be done., but “You must do it.” Passive voice obscures who is responsible for what and is one of the biggest problems with government documents. Don’t confuse passive voice with past tense. In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s acting is the subject of the sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of the sentence. Passive sentences often do not identify who is performing the action. Passive voice Active voice The lake was polluted by the The company polluted the lake. company. New regulations were proposed. We proposed new regulations. The following information must You must include the following be included in the application for information in your application. it to be considered complete. Bonds will be withheld in cases of We will withhold your bond if you don’t non-compliance with all permits comply with all permit terms and and conditions. conditions. Regulations have been proposed The Department of Veterans Affairs by the Department of Veterans proposed new regulations. Affairs.
Words matter. They are the most basic building blocks of written and spoken communication. Choose your words carefully – be precise and concise. 1. Verbs Verbs tell your audience what to do. Make sure they know who does what. i. Use active voice Active voice makes it clear who is supposed to do what. It eliminates ambiguity about responsibilities. Not “It must be done., but “You must do it.” Passive voice obscures who is responsible for what and is one of the biggest problems with government documents. Don’t confuse passive voice with past tense. In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s acting is the subject of the sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of the sentence. Passive sentences often do not identify who is performing the action. Passive voice Active voice The lake was polluted by the company. The company polluted the lake. New regulations were proposed. We proposed new regulations. The following information must be included in the application for it to be considered complete. You must include the following information in your application. Bonds will be withheld in cases of non-compliance with all permits and conditions. We will withhold your bond if you don’t comply with all permit terms and conditions. Regulations have been proposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veterans Affairs proposed new regulations.
FederalPLGuidelines.docx