Abstract

following general principles of effective writing. a. When drafting your document, use an outline. This will help you organize your issuance and keep it focused and on track. b. Use short simple words. Limit sentences to one thought and keep them brief (an average of 20 or fewer words). c. Use the correct words. (See Appendix 1 for a glossary of preferred usage and Appendix 2 for a list of hyphenated modifiers used in DoD issuances.) d. Write in the active versus passive voice; name an actor with the action being taken immediately after the noun. (See Figure 1 for characteristics and examples.) e. Use parallel construction (the same grammatical structure for similar or related ideas). (See Figure 2 for examples.) f. Avoid long, rambling paragraphs. If a paragraph is longer than 20 lines, it should probably be restructured to include subparagraphs. g. Organize the material. Where the issuance templates do not provide a specific structure, organize sections, enclosures, and appendixes so that earlier paragraphs serve to make later paragraphs clear. When possible, use paragraph headings to highlight important concepts so the reader may see at a glance what the paragraph is about.