The Four C’s of Good Writing

Brenham Writing RoomCreated by D. Herring

What are the Four C’s?

Good Writing Is . . .– Concise– Credible– Clear– Correct

What is Concise Writing?

Concise writing has a clear point and includes only information absolutely necessary to communicate that point. – Clear points are communicated through the thesis

statement and topic sentences.

Concise writing does not include an irrelevant or unnecessary information.Concise writing leads to Unity, in which all ideas are connected and related.

What is Credible Writing?

Credible writing is writing that is believable. Credible writing is achieved through providing proof for what you say.– Proof is provided through Support, which is

your examples and details.

What is Clear Writing?

Clear writing contains signals to the reader about which points are most important and how all points fit together to form a whole.Clear writing is achieved primarily through the use of Transitions.

What is Correct Writing?

Correct writing is just as it sounds, correct.

Correct writing is free of errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Why are the Four C’s Important?

Understanding and adhering to the Four C’s is important because– In college, the more concise, credible, clear,

and correct your writing is, the more successful you will be.

– The same holds true in the workplace; your writing indicates to your boss, your co-workers, and others your communication skills and competency. You will be judged based on your writing ability, especially correct writing!