Sometimes you just know!
As you can probably imagine, communications is a pretty hot topic of conversation here in the
It’s not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, there may not be a sound grammatical or messaging argument you can use. The problem might be that it just doesn’t flow that well. Often, only a native speaker will be able to pick up on something like that. But convincing a Dane – especially one adamant that there is absolutely nothing wrong with their English – is a different matter! But when your company positions itself as the communications experts, you want to be ready with a range of arguments why that dogmatic Dane should take our word for it.
In the end, we agreed that sometimes it really does come down to a matter of taste. And if our combined experience as English-language communicators in a range of industries is not a good enough reason to trust our judgement, then there’s not a lot more we can do!
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:23 am
Although I agree that flow is a very difficult to explain to someone, I do not think that it can simply be put aside as a matter of taste. Flow is the structure that holds a piece of writing together, and is essential for any piece of good writing. Flow is all about clarity. It guides the reader through a piece of text, letting them know where they are going and why, and leading them to the conclusion. Without flow, the reader is often left confused, not sure how thoughts or arguments fit together.
This is why it’s so important to have another person look at any piece of writing you’ve done. Because while the links between arguments may be obvious to you, they often aren’t for a reader – and it usually takes an objective eye to realize this. So, however hard it is to convince someone that their writing just doesn’t flow – it’s something that we have to do.