In this issue
	A Warm New Year! Top tips for better NETIQUETTE Use active not passive voice Quiz time And Finally ...

Top tips for better NETIQUETTE

The topic of e-mail seemed to be of interest to many readers last month. Therefore I thought I would continue the theme this month with a few more thoughts on the subject of e-mail. In personal relationships the conventions of behaviour are called etiquette. In e-mail we have netiquette - a set of rules for e-mail that have evolved from experience. Here are my top tips for better netiquette: Never leave a response too long. It is common courtesy to respond to a message as soon as you receive it - even if you have to say that a detailed response will be sent later. E-mail addresses must be correct. Correctly addressed e-mail messages are received within seconds, but it can take a while to receive an error message letting you know that an incorrectly addressed message wasn't delivered. Take off the caps lock. DON'T SHOUT! Even though you want to get noticed, please do not use capitals in e-mail messages. Using capitals is like shouting - it is rude and will usually be counter-productive. And also . . . NEVER RESORT TO EXCESSIVE PUNCTUATION*@!!**?!!!! Informality is OK in e-mails. Replace formal salutations like "Dear Leslie" with "Hi Leslie" or even just "Leslie". Similarly, replace "Yours sincerely" with "Best wishes" or some other informal closing. Also, avoid overuse of the very boring 'Regards', or worse still abbreviations like 'Tnks & Rgs'. Don't be lazy. Think of something novel and different, or just sign off with your name - that's OK! Question your subject heading. People are most likely to read important looking messages first. Give your messages a clear and specific subject heading. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. The shorter your messages, the more likely they will be read and understood. Remember to paragraph just the same as in other business documents and present your messages attractively - this will add to the clarity of your message. Ensure regular house-keeping. Delete or file your old and read messages so as to keep your system fast and efficient. Do your filing and deleting regularly. If you receive copies of e-mails that you don't need to see, tell the author so that it doesn't happen again. Tidy up long sentences to eliminate waffle. Tapping away at the keyboard as you think, it is easy to allow sentences to become too long. Read through your message carefully to make sure it is accurate, brief and clear - this will improve clarity and understanding. Take a pride in your finished message. You cannot call an e-mail back for second thoughts, so get it right first time! Every now and again . . . please pick up the phone! Remember, e-mail is wonderful, but it's also good to talk! E-mail your way to the top ... »

Use active not passive voice

'Voice' is a grammatical term that refers to whether the subject of the sentence is acting or receiving the action. Using active voice can considerably improve your writing style. Active voice makes your writing more interesting, more lively and more ... well, active! Check out these two examples of a similar message: Active voice: Tim played the violin. Here, the subject is the actor, Tim. You can almost see Tim playing the violin, totally absorbed in his music. The sentence is alive and interesting. Passive voice: The violin was played by Tim. Here, the subject is the violin. The action is gone. The emphasis has been moved from the subject performing the action to the subject receiving the action. It is not so easy to visualise what is happening. The sentence is dull and boring. Here are some tips that may help you to tell when a sentence is passive: Watch for sentences that start with the action, rather than the actor. Sentences that start with the action are often passive. Watch for various forms of the verb 'to be', such as: is, are, was, were, will be, have been, should be, etc. Also, watch for a phrase including the word "by" after the verb. Such sentences may not always indicate that the sentence is passive, but they often give you a clue. Passive voice was preferred by our great-grandfathers because they did not want to show any responsibility in their writing. It also created a distance between the writer and the reader. Yes, passive voice was perfect for our great grandfathers. Our writing today, however, should show responsibility, and it should be more personal and natural, more focused. Once again, I feel compelled to remind you of my golden rule, "If you wouldn't say it, don't write it!" There are some occasions when it would be more appropriate to use passive voice. Follow this link to read more about active and passive voice on my Links to Learning channel. Learn more about active and passive voice ... »

Quiz time

LAST MONTH'S QUIZ For the answers to last month's quiz please click here. Remember, last month's quiz was all about placing commas in sentences correctly. If you want to remind yourself of the rules for the comma please click here to take you to this section of my Links to Learning channel. THIS MONTH'S QUIZ Using the information in this month's featured article, and the additional advice in Links to Learning, rewrite these sentences using active voice (answers next month): The quotations are usually sent out every Monday by John Tan. The seminar on Presentation Skills will be conducted by Marianne Shaw. Arrangements have been made for a repeat order to be sent to you immediately. If the goods have not been received by next Friday our transport department should be informed immediately. The cheque was presented to the charity by the Prince of Wales. The recipient of this month's customer service award was Martin Lee, who received his award from the Managing Director. These items may be collected from my office between 8.30 am and 1.00 pm Monday to Friday. The new employees will be given their induction training by Mandy Roberts at 10.30 am. It was stated in the article that we should contact you for further information. We would appreciate it if you could kindly respond to us before the end of the year as we are in the midst of closing our year-end accounts. Learn more about active and passive voice here ... »

And Finally ...

TIP OF THE MONTH from Helen Bradley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England For every month in 2003, read and put into action the writing tips in Shirley Says - 12 easy ways to expand your knowledge! That's all for January. I'll look forward to seeing some of you at my workshops in January, and will be back in February with a Chinese New Year issue of Shirley Says. Best wishes for a wonderful 2003! Shirley PS: You may reprint this e-newsletter or forward it to your customers and colleagues. However please keep this copyright and contact information intact: Copyright Shirley Taylor 2002. Shirley Taylor is author of several popular books on effective communication and business writing. She lives in Singapore and works as an international trainer, seminar leader, professional writer and conference speaker. Visit http://www.shirleytaylor.com.