Module I4 Session 05
Writing Good Statements
Summary
We will look at how to write clear, succinct statements. Well written statements can make
the difference between comprehension and confusion. In order to write clearly, we must
first have an understanding of the basic rules of sentence structure and grammar.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, students will be able to:
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Map out the objectives of their statements
Write clear concise statements
Understand the basic rules of grammar and punctuation
Analyse and edit statements to improve clarity
The sentence
Understanding a few key points about how the sentence works can greatly improve your
writing ability:
Before writing anything, you should think about who you are writing it for, and what you
would like to achieve by writing it.
Keep your audience in mind when deciding on the level of terminology and style of writing
to use.
A sentence should adhere to one main idea, with perhaps one other related point. Keeping
your sentences short, (fewer than twenty words as a rule of thumb) will reduce
convolution.
It is also a good idea to write with active verbs, as this will also greatly reduce confusion
and wordiness.
Keep it simple
If you need to use complex words or sentence structures do it. If a shorter word or
sentence will perform the same task, use it.
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Sentence structure
Active and passive sentences
We will now look at how a sentence fits together. In almost every sentence there are three
parts: a subject, (the thing, group or person doing the action) a verb, (the action that is
being done) and an object, (the thing group or person that the action is being done to).
This particular order of structuring, (subject, verb, object) gives us what is called an active
sentence. Active sentences keep your writing crisp, and easy to understand, as they follow
directly after the subject.
For example, in the sentence “David read the statistics manual”:
The subject is David (who is doing the reading)
The verb is read (the action)
And the object is the statistics manual (what is being read)
The opposite of an active sentence is a passive sentence, which occurs when you structure
your sentence in the opposite order, (object, verb, subject). The passive sentence structure
can be more confusing, as it tends to require more words, and the subject of your sentence
does not appear until the end of the sentence. For example, in the sentence “the statistics
manual was read by David” there are the added words “was” and “by” and we don’t find
out who is doing the action until the last word. For the sake of clarity it is good practice to
use the active verb format.
Activity 1
Rewrite the following passive verb sentences using active verbs
“You are loved by me.”
“Because of health concerns, the mine was closed by the police.”
“The oven was used by Emile.”
“The room was lit by the candle.”
“The house was lived in by Carlos.”
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“The sky was lit by the moon.”
“The cake has been eaten by George.”
For further help with the sentence you can click on the link below:
http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/sentence/index.htm
Punctuation
Using punctuation to avoid wordiness and confusion
Punctuation marks are a system of symbols for the reader. When speaking, we can change
our tone of voice, pause, or stop to indicate different meanings. In writing, this is achieved
through punctuation. Below is a brief guide to the uses of a few misunderstood
punctuation marks, and how to use them clearly. It is good practice to keep your
punctuation brief and accurate, as over or incorrect punctuation leads to unintelligible
writing.
The colon
The colon is used after a complete statement to introduce one or more directly related
ideas in a series, or list. It is also used between the hours and minutes when relating to
time, as well as in a business letter greeting.
For example, “The statistics manual contains three modules: basic, intermediate, and
advanced.”
The semicolon
The semicolon is one of the most misused punctuation marks in written English. It should
mainly be used when combining related independent clauses. If in doubt, close your
sentence with end punctuation and start a new sentence.
For example, “He wrote with a blunt pencil; he had forgotten his pen once again.”
The comma
The comma is used for a variety of things. It is commonly used to join two independent
clauses with one of these coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
For example, “The party was over, but the crowd refused to leave.”
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These are very basic rules of punctuation, but sticking to them will clear up many fuzzy
sentences. For a more complete guide on grammar, go to:
http://www.speakspeak.com/html/d10_english_grammar.htm
Activity 2.
Rewrite the following sentences to improve clarity
“How funding would be allocated, based on the level of need; was determined by the data.”
“The difference between proactive attitudes and reactive attitudes is a matter of opinion;
best settled before we start, otherwise we could get into trouble when we’re done.”
“The results showed that of the ten individuals interviewed, four owned two houses each,
two own one house each, and the remaining four did not own houses, this meant that the
ten individuals owned ten houses between them, or one person per house, that was not
how they were divided.”
The Statement
Now that we have an understanding of the basic rules of grammar and punctuation, we will
move on to the statement. A statement is a type of declarative sentence, used to convey
information. They are used in studies or reports to: state facts and objectives clearly,
explain conclusions about findings or results, and present comparison details. Just like with
sentences or any writing for that matter, it is a good idea to prepare and order your
thoughts before writing. If for example, you are writing a report on a recently completed
study, you should think about the statements that will be included, such as:
The environment in which the study was conducted, facts.
What you wanted to achieve before you began, objectives.
What you expected to happen and what actually happened, comparisons and conclusions.
This mapping out of statements will help you in getting your points across clearly and
orderly. Below we present an example of how to create a clear statement from an objective.
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Objective: find out about the relationship between poverty and dwelling.
Statement: “A key objective of the study was to explore the relationship between type of
dwelling and poverty level.”
Activity 3
Turning facts into clear statements
For this exercise, imagine that you are analysing data from a recent study conducted on the
correlation between type of dwelling and poverty level, and turn the following facts into
statements.
Facts:
1. Percentage of study group living in single room dwellings = 34%
2. Average = 3 people per house
3. almost no relation between poverty level and housing type in rural areas.
Activity 4
Rewriting unclear statements
We will now combine all that we have learned in this session to rewrite an unclear
introduction to a report. Read the following report and then edit it so that the statements
and sentences are clear and easily understood. Remember the rules of grammar and
punctuation that we covered earlier. When writing statements, the ability to convey your
meaning clearly and directly will make all the difference in comprehension.
SUITABLE TYPE OF DWELLING IN RURAL AREAS
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In some cases the poverty status of a household may determine the type of dwelling, in
other cases the type of dwelling may not have any bearing on the current poverty status of
a household. For example the climatic conditions of an area may dictate the type of
dwelling; the type of dwelling reflects past economic conditions of the household.
As a research devise the research set the assumption that a suitable dwelling in the
communities would be, Iron sheet roof, burnt brick with cemented wall, cemented floor,
separate Kitchen, separate toilet, and separate bathroom, rack for utensils, water storage
and a separate place for animals. Whether this working hypothesis would be validated by
the views of the community was what the study set out to test.
Activity 5
Exchange your newly written paragraphs with one of your fellow students. Analyse his/her
paragraph and suggest improvements. Ask him/her to do the same for you.
Did your paragraph improve?
Having someone else to read what you have written is always a good test for the clarity and
comprehension of your work.
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