Great article. While I agree that writing skill is incredibly important, I disagree with Mr. Tan's advice to just 'write lots and keep reducing your text' as t

Great article. While I agree that writing skill is incredibly important, I disagree with Mr. Tan's advice to just 'write lots and keep reducing your text' as the best way to go about writing clearly. I certainly didn't learn how to write clearly at University and I had to write loads of reports and essays for 5 years. I actually owe a great debt of gratitude to my first job out of University where I worked as an analyst for a finance and economics consultancy. The CEO was fanatical about making everything Plain English writing style. It was a trial by fire. Anyway, my advice is to go on a Plain English writing course. The course instructors usually critique your writing and offer helpful insights on how to improve. If that's not possible, go through the guides on the Plain English website (http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/free-guides.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/free-guides.html). I also highly recommend applying the writing principals in Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Style-Clarity-Chicago-Writing-Publishing/dp/0226899152 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Style-Clarity-Chicago-Writing-Publis...). This book is worth its weight in gold.