- (8) Short sentences should be preferred to long ones 'Secretary's attention is invited to O.M

........................He is requested ........................ ..' is better than 'The Secretary's attention is invited to O.M ........................ and he is requested'. 'In case in which' is a clumsy phrase for which 'when', 'where' or 'if ' can usually be substituted. The word 'necessary' is usually superfluous in such phrases as 'the necessary entries', 'the necessary corrections', 'the necessary instructions', etc .

- 9. The phrase 'do the needful' should never be used. Either state definitely what is to be done or say 'do what is necessary'. The word 'avail' is very awkward one, as it is reflexive and also takes 'of ' after it. It is better avoided. Moreover, if you do use it, you must not say 'the leave was availed of ' or 'I availed of the leave', still less 'he is permitted to avail the holidays'. You must say 'I availed myself of the leave' and so on. But why not simply say 'took the leave'? 'Available' also is a bad word. A register 'not readily available' may mean anything, for example, that it was needed for reference by one of the members, or had been sent some-where out of the office, or was locked up and the key was elsewhere. It is very annoying to have one's work increased by having to send a note back to ask what it means.
- 10. Split infinitives should be avoided. Write 'Kindly to state' and not 'to kindly state'. A very common and equally objectionable feature of official communications is a similar splitting of other verbal phrases. For instance, 'The Deputy Commissioner will, in the circumstances now stated, be requested' is not good English. It is quite as easy to say 'In the circumstances now stated, the Deputy Commissioner will be requested to ........................'
- 11. Do not write 'marginally noted' which could onlymean 'having marginal notes'.Write 'noted on margin'. Similarly 'Plan marked' could only mean 'marked with plans' (Compare 'pock - marked'), and 'plaint mentioned' neither does nor possibly could mean anything.
- 12. nstead of such a phase as 'the figures for 1949, 1950 and 1951 were 256, 257 and 348 respectively' which is confusing, write 'the figure for 1949 was 256, that for 1950 was 257 and that for 1951 was 348". This is a little, if at all, longer and is perfectly clear. 'Former' and 'latter' should also be avoided as they are c onstant sources of confusion.
- 13. Do not ride any phrase to death. Some persons begin every letter with the phrase 'with reference to', It is better to vary the phrase so as to make it definite. Say 'In reply to', 'As directed in' and so on; or begin in narrative form 'In their order ........................ Government directed ........................ . ' Avoid the phrase 'with advertence to'.
- 14. In ordinary English 'in case' does not mean the same as 'if ' 'I shall take my umbrella in case it rains' means 'so as to be prepared for rain'. Nor does 'as well as' mean the same as 'and'. It is much more emphatic. It would be absurd to say 'a man was 5 feet 8 inches high as well as 21 years of age', But you might well say that 'he was a good painter as well as a remarkable musician'.