Communications Guide - Fran O'hara

Copy and Editorial Guidelines 4
Section 4.2: Active writing
Focusing on action and achievement is a good way of
communicating the impact of our work.
Examples of active words that could be useful include:
Review
Examine
Audit
Influence
Monitor
Change
Consult
Identify
Define
Work with
Progress
Evaluate
Deliver
Investigate
Listen
Advise
Achieve
Engage
Guide
Act
Using active writing in practice
You should begin sentences with phrases like:
- We have persuaded - We produced
- We changed - We helped
- We have shown - We challenged
- We recommended - Our recommendations had the effect of
- We warned - Our guidance had the effect of
- We gave notice - Our intervention achieved
- We alerted - We issued
- We reviewed - We investigated
- We put the interests of older people in the centre
- Together with xxx we won acceptance for and together we…
- Through our conference we showed that there is an appetite and
need for legal reform.
An example of how to use active writing is shown below.
Instead of: “The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales’ Review
into the whether older people are treated with dignity and respect
whilst they are in hospital has identified that there is good practice in
many areas.”
Use: “We reviewed the experiences of older people in hospitals in
Wales. We found that there are many good examples where people
are treated with dignity and respect.”
Active writing is easier to read. The readability score of the first example
is 28.6. The readability score of the second example is 62.7.
Communications Guide Page 4.4