Use Everyday Language
Write plainly; you always have limited space, so you have to be brief and thorough. Often, the judges must read 20 to 100 proposals in just a few days. Yours will stand out and be memorable if your proposal is clear, concise, and jargon free.
Here are some tips for stating it simply:
Don't add unnecessary adverbs. Use strong action verbs instead.
Use short sentences.
Avoid redundancy, particularly within a sentence. (You may note, however, that questions in various sections of an RFP are somewhat similar, and that forces you to be repetitive.)
Eliminate strings of prepositional phrases.
Cut the fat from your sentences. Rather than saying, “The project we began last year addressed the needs of at-risk three-year olds,” write, “Last year, we addressed the needs of at-risk three-year olds.”
Use short and fewer nouns in a sentence.
Consider the difference between these examples taken from
Compare that paragraph with this:
We've all been subjected to sociological changes in language. Two decades ago, the word “impact” was only used as an adjective for a sore tooth or as a noun describing a car crash. Now, it's not only accepted as a verb, but has also become overused to the point that it has lost its “impact.”
To avoid using “impact” as a verb, learn the difference between “affect,” and “effect,” and use them appropriately. Usually, if you're tempted to write “impact,” you want “affect,” which means “to influence.” When “effect” is a verb, it means “to bring about.”
“Proactive” has been done to death, especially when used in the phrase “proactive rather than reactive.” Just say your team will be “active” in addressing issues as they arise. It means the same thing. Or even better, “The team will actively address issues as they arise.”
Some jargon is specific to an industry or focus and, because it is used among peers only, it tends to put off your reading audience. For instance, if you were to tell someone who hasn't read this book and is unfamiliar with the grant-writing process that you are reading the rubrics in an RFP, he or she could very well feel like you were trying to be secretive or trying to exclude them.
Other forms of jargon are idiosyncratic ways of expressing yourself. While these “tics” are perfectly appropriate in spoken language, they muddy writing. Avoid turns of phrase and redundant words and descriptions. Also avoid too many prepositions — “off of” — and lengthy, redundant phrases, such as “the reason is because” or “due to the fact that….”
Using everyday language does not excuse street talk. Be politically correct, particularly when you are discussing individuals. Say “people with disabilities,” not “disabled people.” (Emphasize the person rather than the disability.) Don't sensationalize a disability with such phrases as “afflicted with,” “unfortunate,” “pitiful,” or “victim of.” And don't use the word “handicap” unless you're writing about golf. You want to emphasize the person's abilities. Say “She walks with crutches,” or “He uses a wheelchair,” rather than “He is confined to a wheelchair.”
Use “able-bodied,” rather than “nondisabled” when discussing people who don't have a physical condition that interferes with their ability to walk, see, hear, learn, or lift.
Use “people of color,” “minority individuals,” or terms such as “African-American,” “Hispanic/Latino/Latina,” “Native American,” and “Asian” when you have to be specific about ethnicity.
Use inclusive, nonsexist language by substituting “she/he” and “his/her.” Better yet, you can avoid that awkward structure by changing a single-tense subject and verb to the plural. Then you can use “they are” instead of “he/ she is.” Avoid words that contain “man.” Change “chairman” to “chair,” “manpower” to “workforce,” or “manmade” to “synthetic.”
Another tired phrase is “at-risk youth.” Substitute “teens,” “adolescents,” “young adults,” “students,” or “boys and girls” for youth when you're talking about programs for teens.
