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CHAPTER 5
WRITING THE PAPER

Introduction

501. When the reading and note-taking are completed, there remains the organization of
materials into a final plan. At this stage, the outline should be written as a basis for the
paper itself. Students should refer to the written communication docket for assistance with
the writing phase, as only outline details will be given here.

502. If research confirms the original idea, only minor revisions of the outline should be
necessary. If the research shows the original hypothesis to be incorrect, the outline will
need to be revised to fit the findings of the research. Once the outline is completed, the
notes should be laid out to correspond to the final outline. Some notes will not
(unfortunately, perhaps) be usable. On the other hand, certain facts may be missing and it
may be necessary to go back and took them up. The more thorough the research, the fewer
will be the gaps that must be filled in later.

Writing the Draft

503. If detailed notes have been taken, and the outline has been carefully planned, writing
the first draft of the paper should not be difficult. The more familiar the writer is with his
materials, and the more thoroughly he has thought through his problem, the easier his
writing will be. The first few pages will probably be the most difficult to write, but once the
problem unfolds the writing usually becomes easier.

504. Writing habits vary considerably; some people write and revise at the same time;
others try to get something down on paper and then review it. If a person has difficulty in
writing papers, he should began writing without worrying too much about language and form
the objective is to get something onto paper quickly and fluently so that the revision can be
done later on. At this stage, the card number may be used as an acknowledgement.
Specific details can be added later.

Revising the Draft

505. Once a writer has completed his draft, he should re-read what he has written and
start to revise layout and content. There is no correct way of revising copy; the writer who
has worked out a good system for himself should continue using that system. The writer
who is editing his own writing should do his best always to switch his viewpoint to that of his
reader, a good way to accomplish this is to put the draft aside for a day or two before editing
it.

506. A writer will do a better job of editing his own draft if he reads it aloud at least one. He
should read the draft no less than three times, checking successively for content,
organization and effective expression.

a. First Reading- Content. During the first reading, ask yourself:

(1) Does it contain sufficient information?

(2) Are more examples needed?
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(3) Do the facts need more interpretation?

(4) Are the sources the best obtainable?
(5) Is the data accurate and relevant?
(6) Are the important points emphasized?
b. Second Reading - Organization The following questions should be
considered during the second reading:

(1) Is the subject clearly stated?

(2) Is the aim precise and not too broad?
(3) Is the subject advanced in logical sequence?
(4) Has a proper balance been maintained?
(5) Have the various parts or sections been connected?
(6) Is the theme consistent with the aim?

c. Third Reading- Effective Expression. Finally, ask yourself:

(1) Are the sentences correct and unambiguious?

(2) Has the writer developed coherence?
(3) Is there sufficient variety in sentence length and structure?
(4) Is the vocabulary at an appropriate level?
(5) Is there economy in style and an absence of verbiage and officialese?
(6) Is the tone appropriate?

Selecting the Right Words

507. Every good writer tries to present his ideas in the most effective manner possible. In
order to do this, he selects words that fit his ideas, he combines those words into clear
sentences and organizes the sentences into patterns of thought. In short, he writes in a
simple, direct style with proper attention to vocabulary. Some foreign words that have
become an integral part of the English language are at Annex A.

508. The words that a writer uses are his basic building materials. If he fails in the proper
choice and use of words, his paper will suffer accordingly. He should choose words that
mean the same to the reader as they do to him. Too often, inexperienced writers try to use
individual and unusual meanings of words to win battles that should be won through simple
expression. If the reader does not understand correctly what is intended, it is likely to have
been the writer who has failed, not the reader. In this regard, most textbooks on effective
communication offer the following advice in one form or another.

a. Use concrete words in preference to abstract words the reader does not
understand. Concrete words represent experience which the reader can mentally
share.

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b. Avoid useless and meaningless words and phrases. If a word or phrase can
be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence, it should be left out. The
student should remember this old adage: ’The great art of speaking and writing is
that of knowing what to leave out’.

c. Choose words that have clear, specific meanings and which convey an idea
precisely. Ambiguous words and generalizations only clutter a sentence and confuse
the reader.

509. When he writes, a writer does not simply present facts and ideas; he also shows
relationships between facts, between ideas, and between facts and ideas. He uses verbs
not only to show these relationships to tell or show what action occurs but also to indicate a
state, a feelings or just an existence. Verbs must be selected to make certain that they show
effectively the relationships the writer has in mind.

510. A good writer avoids or phrases that say something in a complex, roundabout way
when a simpler form is more effective. These may be trite phrases that have become
habitual, or they may be unnecessary prepositional phrases. Some typical examples are
these:

Wordy Phrase Simplified Form

Experience has indicated Learned

Is responsible for selecting Selects
In a situation in which When
In the event of If
On behalf of For
In a number of cases Some
In the majority of instances Usually

Annex:
A. Common Foreign Words or Phrases

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