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| Preface | |
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| About the Authors | |
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| Introduction Can Do Writing | |
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| Skillset: Analysis | |
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| Analyze Purpose and Audience | |
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| What Result Do You Want from the Document? | |
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| Who Is the Audience? | |
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| What Does the Audience Do with the Information? | |
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| What Information Does the Audience Need? | |
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| Does the Audience Know Little or Much About the Information? | |
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| Does the Audience Need Proof? | |
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| Plan How to Write to Multiple Audiences | |
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| Write Your Document's Five-Part Purpose Statement | |
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| Decide the Type of Document or Oral Communication to Use | |
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| Pick a Verb That Describes What the Document Does | |
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| Assemble the Five Parts into a Purpose Statement | |
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| Use the Purpose Statement to Settle Controversies | |
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| Purpose Statements Make History | |
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| Practice Steps 1 and 2 Using a Case Study | |
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| Select Facts | |
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| Use the Purpose Statement As You Select Facts | |
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| Organize Your Points in a Sentence Outline | |
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| Write Your Points Using Short Words in Short Sentences | |
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| Evaluate Points to Eliminate Irrelevancies and Redundancies | |
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| Order the Points | |
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| Practice Steps 1 through 4 Using a Case Study | |
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| Skillset: Composing the Draft | |
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| Compose the Draft | |
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| Compose the Draft Body | |
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| Compose the Draft Conclusion | |
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| Compose the Draft Introduction | |
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| If Necessary, Compose the Draft Executive Summary | |
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| If Necessary, Compose the Draft Abstract | |
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| Skillset: Editing | |
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| Review the Draft for Organization and Logic | |
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| Test Organization by Answering Three Questions | |
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| Use Sentence Outlining Techniques to Improve Organization | |
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| Test Logic by Answering Five Questions | |
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| Edit for Coherence | |
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| Repeat Key Words throughout Your Document | |
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| Ensure That Each Paragraph Begins with a Point | |
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| Use Transition Words | |
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| Use Vertical Lists for Series of Like Items | |
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| Ensure Your Graphics Make a Point | |
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| Apply Visual Devices | |
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| Edit for Clarity | |
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| Use Concrete and Specific Words | |
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| Use Active Voice | |
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| Simplify Tense: Stay in Present Tense When Possible | |
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| Avoid the Helping Verbs Would, Should, and Could | |
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| Identify and Replace Ambiguous Pronouns | |
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| Use Standard English Words | |
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| Check Sentences for Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers | |
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| Edit for Economy | |
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| Cut Useless Verbs | |
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| Cut Useless Prepositions | |
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| Cut Who, Which, and That | |
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| Cut Useless Repetition | |
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| Cut Redundancy | |
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| Cut Useless Comments | |
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| Cut Useless Modifiers | |
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| Edit for Readability | |
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| Measure Readability Using the Gunning Fog Index | |
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| Replace Long Words with Short Words | |
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| Break Long Sentences | |
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| Conclusion Congratulations! | |
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| Index | |