Hints on Writing Skills Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant.

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Hints on Writing Hints on Writing Skills Skills Milly Grillone Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant FAO Junior Consultant

Transcript of Hints on Writing Skills Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant.

Page 1: Hints on Writing Skills Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant.

Hints on Writing SkillsHints on Writing Skills

Milly GrilloneMilly Grillone

FAO Junior ConsultantFAO Junior Consultant

Page 2: Hints on Writing Skills Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant.

Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

• Communication links peopleCommunication links people

• Verbal vs Non-Verbal CommunicationVerbal vs Non-Verbal Communication

• Effective Communication = Effective Communication =

good information + good imagegood information + good image

• Barriers to effective communication:Barriers to effective communication:

1.1. Accurate Information accompanied Accurate Information accompanied by a bad imageby a bad image

2.2. Good image accompanied by Good image accompanied by confused informationconfused information

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Communication Writing Communication Writing Skills Skills

Information is transmitted effectively if it is properly Information is transmitted effectively if it is properly structured …and well presented. Information is structured …and well presented. Information is important as much as important as much as the waythe way you communicate it. you communicate it. What do I mean by the way to communicate an What do I mean by the way to communicate an information?information?Designing your paper taking into account not only good Designing your paper taking into account not only good graphics and formatting but, above all, good grammar, graphics and formatting but, above all, good grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and organization.sentence structure, vocabulary and organization.

The role of words in communication….The role of words in communication….

Word Word ChoicChoicee

Word OrderWord Order

PunctuationPunctuationSentence StructureSentence Structure

Paragraph DevelopmentParagraph Development

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ABOUT THE ABOUT THE

• Communication enhances the Communication enhances the visibility of the Center and visibility of the Center and

strengthens its linkages with the strengthens its linkages with the outside world outside world

• Think about formal and informal Think about formal and informal communicationcommunication channels channels

• Writing skillWriting skill as a Communication as a Communication Tool, an ability to transmit Tool, an ability to transmit

information and, above all, to information and, above all, to raise your reader’s interestraise your reader’s interest

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How to write a summaryHow to write a summary

• Summarizing means extracting the most Summarizing means extracting the most relevant informationrelevant information

• A summary ranges from the brief one sentence A summary ranges from the brief one sentence condensation to more lengthy paraphrase: it condensation to more lengthy paraphrase: it must must reduce the amount of informationreduce the amount of information

• The shorter the summary, however, the greater The shorter the summary, however, the greater the danger of oversimplification or outright the danger of oversimplification or outright misrepresentationmisrepresentation

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First StepFirst Step Attentive Reading Attentive Reading

• Do justice to what you read , rather Do justice to what you read , rather than reading into a work only what is than reading into a work only what is familiar to youfamiliar to you

• Observe how the author structured his Observe how the author structured his writingwriting

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Second StepSecond StepSelection of informationSelection of information

Identify key sentencesIdentify key sentences (underline them as you (underline them as you read): Thesis Statement (which sums up the read): Thesis Statement (which sums up the major point of the whole work) and topic major point of the whole work) and topic sentences.sentences.

I.I. Grasp the Core InformationGrasp the Core Information

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II.II. Sort Out the Major PointsSort Out the Major PointsLook for the most relevant Look for the most relevant points expressed in the points expressed in the paragraphs paragraphs (underline them as (underline them as you read)you read)

Second StepSecond StepSelection of information (2)Selection of information (2)

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Third StepThird StepWrite your SummaryWrite your Summary

• Put into words the Thesis Statement, add the Put into words the Thesis Statement, add the other major pointsother major points

• Reduce ExplanationsReduce Explanations• Formulate Formulate in your own wordsin your own words ( (not by copying not by copying

and pasting randomlyand pasting randomly) squeezing major points ) squeezing major points that seem to be implied by the author but not that seem to be implied by the author but not spelled out in any sentence (remember that your spelled out in any sentence (remember that your purpose is to report what is said, not to interpret it)purpose is to report what is said, not to interpret it)

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Third StepThird StepWrite your SummaryWrite your Summary

• Omit passages that Omit passages that rerestate the same state the same point and needless wordspoint and needless words

• Do not mention Do not mention irrelevant detailsirrelevant details

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““Economical Wording”Economical Wording”

• Try to Try to sum upsum up When the author uses a phrase, try to use When the author uses a phrase, try to use a single a single

word.word. Where several synonyms restate the same idea, Where several synonyms restate the same idea,

choosechoose the the oneone that gives the central common that gives the central common meaningmeaning

• Preserve Preserve The emphasis of the original text, giving more The emphasis of the original text, giving more

relevance to a point treated at length than to one relevance to a point treated at length than to one mentioned in passingmentioned in passing

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Proofreading is your Proofreading is your lifebeltlifebelt

SELF ASSESSMENTSELF ASSESSMENT

RevisionRevision

Your judgment will be objective and Your judgment will be objective and rigorous as much as you are able to rigorous as much as you are able to have the reader’s critical eyehave the reader’s critical eye

OTHERS’ OTHERS’ ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

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The commitment The commitment concerning concerning

export subsidies export subsidies is probably the is probably the most important most important element of the element of the

agreement agreement because of because of it’s it’s immediate and immediate and

direct impact on direct impact on world marketworld market

Seven more Seven more Members Since Members Since

the establishment the establishment of the WTO on 1 of the WTO on 1 January 1995: January 1995:

Ecuador, Estonia, Ecuador, Estonia, Latvia, Kyrgyz Latvia, Kyrgyz

republic, republic, Magnolia Magnolia and and

PanamaPanama

Agricultural exports to the countries of

AFTA reached an increase of 28% along the whale

of the 90s

The multiple The multiple exchange rate exchange rate

system was system was also used as an also used as an instrument for instrument for

stabilizing stabilizing prices and prices and

limiting limiting importation importation to to

essential essential commoditiescommodities

Several related Several related resolutions were resolutions were issued such as issued such as allowing the allowing the

General General Establishment of Establishment of Meat to export Meat to export the Awas sheep the Awas sheep

mailsmails

This in turn This in turn requires producing requires producing commodities that commodities that meat meat foreign foreign market market requirements and requirements and supporting export supporting export oriented industryoriented industry

Proofreading is a fundamental step: it helps Proofreading is a fundamental step: it helps you identify the following…you identify the following…

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Some final suggestionsSome final suggestionsCheck for.. ….Check for.. ….

WordsWords

OverusingOverusing Concerning Concerning agricultural agricultural planning, planning,

agricultural agricultural planning was planning was centralized till centralized till

19871987

What is What is Syria is Syria is going to going to lose in case lose in case of not of not adhesion to adhesion to the WTO?the WTO?

This is This is particularly particularly

true, in a world true, in a world that is that is

becoming more becoming more even more even more

inter-dependentinter-dependent

Although political Although political motivation is considered motivation is considered as a dominant aspect of as a dominant aspect of the international the international cooperation, the cooperation, the economic economic considerations, are considerations, are consideredconsidered crucial in crucial in assessing the impact of assessing the impact of international international cooperation by cooperation by addressing the gains addressing the gains and losses on economic and losses on economic criteriacriteria

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Check forCheck for extra long extra longsentences …sentences …

We can conclude that also in the case of export the We can conclude that also in the case of export the increased trade activity between Syria and AFTA countries increased trade activity between Syria and AFTA countries was not mainly a result of AFTA or of any other bilateral was not mainly a result of AFTA or of any other bilateral agreement, but it came as general effect probably, the agreement, but it came as general effect probably, the case of this effect has to be indicated in the Government case of this effect has to be indicated in the Government allowances and encouragement for export in general as it allowances and encouragement for export in general as it was mentioned in section 2.1was mentioned in section 2.1

In this context, contractual trade In this context, contractual trade relations between neighboring relations between neighboring

countries strengthen political ties countries strengthen political ties and exchange between civil societies and exchange between civil societies

can all support the multilateral can all support the multilateral process and reinforce political process and reinforce political

satiability, unless they use this satiability, unless they use this relation for more protectionismrelation for more protectionism

Both residents and non-residents by Both residents and non-residents by national of Arab and foreign countries national of Arab and foreign countries development project within the framework development project within the framework of general economic, social and political of general economic, social and political development plans in the field of development plans in the field of agricultural projects, both plant and animal agricultural projects, both plant and animal production, agro-industrial, industrial and production, agro-industrial, industrial and transportation projectstransportation projects