PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
WEEK 12 STYLE EXERCISES – REMOVING AMBIGUITY / WRITING POSITIVELY
SOME SUGGESTED ANSWERS

Exercise 1: Highlight or underline the word or expression in the following sentences that are redundant (ie not necessary to the meaning because the same thing has already been said.) Source: Carter, Susan (2000) Practical English (4th ed), Sydney, Longman

1) Our manager is more positively optimistic than was the case last week.

Explanation: Optimistic implies being positive

2) The secretary was often in the habit of returning late from her tea break.

Explanation: a habit is something you do often.

3) The old widow woman asked the solicitor to draw up her will.

Explanation: A widow by definition is a woman.

 

Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences to remove the ambiguity.

1. The Department cannot have too many inspectors on duty during peak hours.

Suggested answer: The Department needs all its inspectors on duty during peak hours.

Explanation: Using 'cannot' is confusing as it could mean that the Department should not have all of its inspectors on duty.

2. When I entered his office, the chief accountant was reading a letter to his secretary.

Suggested answer: When I entered the chief accountant's office, he was reading a letter to his secretary.

Explanation: Whose office did you enter? The chief accountant's or the secretary's? Both could be referred to as 'his'.

3. The conference will be held at a time to be determined later in the year.

Suggested answer: The time of the conference will be determined later in the year.

Explanation: What will happen later in the year: determining the time of the conference or the conference itself?

 

Exercise 4: Highlight or underline the negative expressions in the following sentences and then rewrite them to stress the positive. The first one is done for you.

1) We are sorry to tell you that the alterations will not be completed until Thursday.

Suggested answer: Your alterations will be completed by Thursday.

Explanation: Don't say what you can't do. Tell them when the alterations WILL be completed.

2) You needn’t worry about experiencing any further delays in getting this shipment.

Suggested answer: This shipment will be arrive by 10th September.

Explanation: Using words like delay and worry makes readers unnecessarily fearful. Just tell them the good news.