Text style and formatting
Concise, clear sentences save space, are easy to understand, and facilitate scanning.
Use words with precise meanings, and remove words that don’t add substance.
Use your judgment to avoid sounding abrupt or unfriendly.
Choose simple verbs without modifiers. Whenever you can, avoid weak or vague verbs, such as be, have, make, and do.
| 👍 Use this | 👎 Not this |
|---|---|
| use | utilize, make use of |
| remove | extract, take away, eliminate |
| tell | inform, let know |
Don’t use two or three words when one will do.
| 👍 Use this | 👎 Not this |
|---|---|
| to | in order to, as a means to |
| also | in addition |
| connect | establish connectivity |
Whenever possible, choose words that have one clear meaning.
| 👍 Use this | 👎 Not this |
|---|---|
| Because you created the table, you can change it. | Since you created the table, you can change it. |
Omit unnecessary adverbs—words that describe how, when,or where. Unless they're important to the meaning of a statement, leave them out.
Examples
- Quite
- Very
- Quickly
- Easily
- Effectively
Use one term consistently to represent one concept.
Use words that can be both nouns and verbs carefully—file, post, mark, screen, record, and report, for example. Use the sentence structure and context to eliminate ambiguity.