Suggestions For Better Writing Here are a few suggestions that your readers will appreciate. They will help your readers to more easily and quickly understand your writing. They will also hasten the work of proofreading. Avoid excessively long sentences. If a sentence takes more than two lines, consider breaking it up. Write in the active voice. Minimize your use of the passive voice. Vary the lengths of your sentences. Use well-known words in order to communicate more effectively, rather than unusual words in order to impress. Use short words instead of long words. Select your nouns and verbs carefully, instead of depending on adjectives and adverbs to add clarity and color. Do not exaggerate in your writing. Avoid using clichés in your writing. Do not use semi-colons, except to separate series of phrases that contain commas. Minimize your use of exclamation marks. Do not abbreviate. Ensure that your verbs agree with their subjects. Do not begin sentences with conjunctions, such as or. Similarly, do not end sentences with prepositions. English Proofreading Main Page English Proofreading Site Map