11. Qualities of Writing Style

11. Qualities of Writing Style

Unity is the quality of “oneness” that a piece of writing possesses. All ideas are related to
a central idea; irrelevant material is discarded.
Coherence is the logical interconnection of ideas so they flow smoothly and easily
together.
Courtesy and consideration of the reader‟s needs, viewpoints, and desires are important
in writing style.
Emphasis is the writing skill that brings key ideas or concepts into sharp focus. It may be
secured by proportion, placement, repetition, attention-catching words, or use of type
styles (bold, italics, etc.).
Imagination is the writing quality that permits the reader to see, feel, smell, or hear the
incident, conversation, or activity that the writer “draws” with words.
12. Editing Suggestions
Once the material has been written, it should be reviewed and edited.
Edit for
 Coherence
 Clarity
 Conciseness
 Emphasis
 Readability
 Format
13. Readability Formulas
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There are several formulas for judging readability of material. The “Fog Index” already
discussed in Lecture 3: Using the Language, is the most popular. In this system, the lower
the readability index, the easier is the comprehension. A level of 8 is easy to comprehend;
a level of 16 is quite difficult; over 20 is very difficult.