Tools for effective writing

Readability scores

Microsoft Word’s grammar and spell check function can provide basic readability information including the average number of sentences per paragraph, the average number of words per sentence, and the percentage of passive sentences. Although this tool will not make you write any better than you already do, it can provide interesting food for thought.

Readability tools

Several software packages exist that are much better than Word at checking readability and suggesting writing improvements. These are very powerful tools for improving the accessibility of your documents. We’ve picked out three of the most popular ones here.

Please note that you will want to use this software for readability, not for spell checks. The only software that offers readability advice in the free version is the first: Hemingway Editor.

Hemingway Editor

The two great charms of Hemingway Editor are its price and its simplicity. We like simplicity. Hemingway Editor is no full-blown spelling and grammar checker. It focuses on readability and does so really well.

Unfortunately, it does not integrate with Microsoft Word. You have to copy and paste your text into the app or onto the free page at https:// hemingwayapp.com. It works fine if you split your screen. Use Hemingway Editor in the left half while editing your Word document in the right. (See illustration.)

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Grammarly

Grammarly is a very well-integrated spelling, grammar and readability checker. With Grammarly, you’ll even get your Twitter posts and Facebook replies checked in real time. While that may be overkill for many, it does a very good job and it has a friendly interface.

The downside of a very obtrusive spelling and grammar tool is that it can kill your creativity. At the end of the day, it should be you that chooses the words, not a software package.

Grammarly is expensive. There is a free version, but it only checks spelling and as you can see from the illustration, for spelling it is not always the best tool: both suggestions are incorrect.

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Pro Writing Aid

Pro Writing Aid is comparable to Grammarly but less slick. It is also less invasive and much cheaper.

The emphasis of Grammarly is more on spelling and grammar, while Pro Writing Aid is better for style and readability. Pro Writing Aid seems to be better at weighing context, which very important.

There is no free version but the annual subscription price is lower than two months of Grammarly. The premium version of Pro Writing Aid has an incredible plagiary check.

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Revision

All writing requires revision, and usually multiple revisions. To be thorough, go through three steps:

1. A critical, objective reading, placing yourself in the reader’s position. Ask the following questions:
   1. Have I said what I claimed I would say in my one-line summary?
   2. Is my message crystal clear to someone with the expected starting knowledge of my target audience?
   3. Can I hold the reader’s attention or do I digress too often?

Do not edit while you do a full read-through. It will, take you out of the flow. This is very difficult but essential. Just change your cursor into a highlighter (under FONT on the HOME ribbon in Microsoft Word) and mark text that you need to return to later.

• A review of form: simplify style and make the text more readable and effective.
  • Could I put it more shortly?
  • What can be deleted without loss of meaning or emphasis?
  • Can I replace needless euphemisms and jargon with plain words?
  • Will readers understand the technical vocabulary used?
  • Can I turn negative structures into positive ones?
  • Do the leads get to the point as quickly as possible?
  • Can a vertical list break up a complicated text?
  • Could a table or graph ease comprehension?
  • Can I reduce cross-references?

With the help of readability software you can also check:

• Is every word necessary?
  • Can I shorten or vary sentence length? Over the whole document, make the average
  • sentence length 15 to 20 words.
  • Could I use stronger, more vivid verbs?
  • Do the passives clarify my meaning or would an active form be better? (See above in the section ‘Plain English’.)
• A final reading for spelling and typographical consistency.

Once you are happy, involve others.

Peer review

Nothing is a better test than to submit your document for comment to someone in the intended audience. If you write for teachers in Georgia, find a teacher or two in Georgia. If you write for employers in Algeria, find one or two employers in Algeria.

Peer review is often limited to colleagues who could have written the same text. This is a mistake. While their input is critical in checking for factual errors, they can give no guidance on whether your intended target audience can use your text (unless they are the target audience).