Ambiguity in corporate documents is not style: it is risk

Ambiguity in corporate documents is not style. It is risk.

Consider the sentence: “I helped the exhausted colleague at the end of the day.” Who was exhausted: the person who helped or the colleague? In a conversation, context may resolve the doubt. In a document, that room for interpretation can compromise the guidance.

Two versions eliminate the problem: “Exhausted, I helped the colleague at the end of the day” or “At the end of the day, I helped the colleague who was exhausted.” The correct wording depends on the intended meaning.

Word position matters

Clarity results both from the choice of terms and from sentence structure. Reviewing syntax, pronoun references and punctuation helps ensure that the reader finds the intended meaning.

Avoid rework and conflicting interpretations. Rely on professional proofreading.