SECTION III. CONTENT TEXT - WRITING/STYLE/PRESENTATION
C. Diction
STANDARDS:
1. Use words that are
- direct
- familiar to the public
- informal without being “slangy,” “cute,” or “clever”
- concise
2. Use strong, active verbs whenever possible. Imperatives are more effective than gerunds.
| Poor |
Better |
| UW-River Falls policy requires the submission of account reactivation form. |
You will need an Account Reactivation Form.
Or:
An account reactivation form is required. |
| Course descriptions can be found by utilizing the online inquiry application. |
Use the online inquiry for course descriptions.
Or:
even better: Find course descriptions. |
| Check out this cool info, just in! |
Up-to-date advisories |
3. Avoid “department-speak” and bureaucratic phrases and words.
4. Write out the full name for each acronym the first time it is mentioned on every page.
(Remember that a page deep in the site can be accessed directly through a search engine.) On the home page, write out the term fully at the first mention, with the acronym in parentheses. On secondary and deeper pages, do the same or use the acronym with the full name in parentheses.
For example:
First mention, ITS home page: “Information Technology Services (ITS)” First mention, deeper ITS pages: “ITS (Information Technology Services)”
or “Information Technology Services (ITS)”
