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Unit 3 Writing for Successful Communication
• Use standard fonts and sizes.
• Vary font style.
• Use parallel structure.
• Use formatting and organizational symbols.
• Use high quality paper.
A well-formatted document appears open and inviting. Figure 9-1 shows
a poorly formatted document. Figure 9-2 shows an example of how that
document can be properly formatted. Always refer to a style manual, such as
the Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Handbook.
Use an Introductory Paragraph
No one likes to sort through a long paragraph right at the beginning of a
document. Write a short opening for the message that concisely introduces the
main idea. This paragraph should set up the reader for the information to follow.
Figures must have captions that explain the content. It is not necessary to start by saying, “This
fi gure shows…” or “The graph contains…” Simply begin by stating the signifi cance of what
the reader will see. In most circumstances, the caption appears below rather than above the
illustration. The list of fi gures, which appears on the preliminary pages of the document, must
contain each fi gure’s number and the caption as it appears on the fi gure. With fi gure captions,
always use Arabic numerals. In addition, it is standard to capitalize the fi rst letter of all words
except prepositions or articles appearing in the middle of a title. Follow the rules of punctuation
as with narrative text.
Figure 9-1. This excerpt from a style manual is a mass of text without formatting elements to aid readability.
Figure Captions
Figures must have captions that explain the content. It is not necessary to start by saying,
“This fi gure shows…” or “The graph contains…” Simply begin by stating the signifi cance of
what the reader will see.
In most circumstances, the caption appears below rather than above the illustration. The list
of fi gures, which appears on the preliminary pages of the document, must contain each fi gure’s
number and the caption as it appears on the fi gure.
These guidelines apply to the format of fi gure captions.
• Always use Arabic numerals.
• Capitalize the fi rst letter of all words except prepositions or articles appearing in the middle
of a title.
• Follow the rules of punctuation as with narrative text.
Figure 9-2. The addition of formatting—a heading, paragraphs, and a bulleted list—makes this version of the
document shown in Figure 9-1 much easier to read.