5 signs of a sloppy writer
Adopting a chatty tone—in other words, ‘writing like you talk’—doesn’t let you off the hook when it comes to grammar and language rules. Here are a few you have to keep.
The modern meme, especially in online communication, is, “write like you talk.” Oh, brother.
There is a distinction between a conversational tone and sloppy writing. It’s comparable to “business casual” versus “for heaven’s sake, put some pants on!”
When talkin’ to a bud, ya gonna be droppin’ your g’s offa words, but do you really want that sort of thing in your writing, which represents to the world your competence, your expertise, your perceived intelligence?
Sloppiness reflects badly on you and on your brand, so avoid these common slovenly habits:
Conjunctive-itis
This is not pinkeye, but it does make me see red. “It’s OK to start a sentence with a conjunction.” Yes, occasionally this is fine, but it’s become an epidemic. Listen to a 6-year-old tell a story sometime—every sentence starts with, “Aaaaand …” Is that how you want your writing to read/sound?
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
