December 2009
Beginner
224 pages
4h 3m
English
Content preview from The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing
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Truth 19. Less can be a whole lot more
Cut descriptive words—adjectives and adverbs—to a bare minimum. Mark Twain wrote in a letter to a 12-year-old, “If you find an adjective, kill it.” He may have been objecting to the flowery, ornate language that was common in the nineteenth century; his own prose is simple and eloquent. Today, heavy use of adjectives and adverbs doesn’t suit our cynical modern tempo, and—just as important in the business world—it works against believability.
What do you think if a car salesman tells you this? This is the most amazing car in the world, and its features are incredibly advanced.
What has he said? Nothing. He’s used abstract descriptive words to shortcut substance. It’s silly for him to think he’s succeeding, ...
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