Business & Technical Writing/Voc:Coordination

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Expert: Alice J. Bogert - 10/13/2006


Question
Firstly,, thank you so much for providing this service.

I use English as a second language and I very often have to make some English documents.

My questions is:

Can I use ˇ°coordinationˇ± as a noun meaning trying various clothes on a person harmoniously? Or dressing sounds better? Or styling?
What do you call a person who embellishes or styles ones with clothes in accordance with atmosphere?

Thanks in advance


Answer
Hi DS Lee,

The English language is difficult even for those of us who use it as a first language.

One of the basic rules of good writing is to keep it simple, and a good way to do that is to be specific.  One way to accomplish specificity is to avoid words ending in tion, ion, ment,ancy, ant, etc.  Rather, use the verb form of the word.  Examples follow.

(poor)    She offered an "explanation" for why she was late.
(better)  She "explained" why she was late.

(poor)    Her outfits show harmonious "coordination."
(better)  Her outfits are "coordinated" well.   OR
         She "coordinates" her outfits well.

As for the second part of your question, I'm not sure what you mean by a person who styles in accordance with atmosphere.  I'm guessing you are asking how to describe one whose style of dress follows what's currently popular.  Is that what you meant?

Alice J. Bogert  

Business & Technical Writing

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Alice J. Bogert

Expertise

I have taught English grammar to elementary school, high school, and college students for several years in addition to private tutoring for students struggling with writing assignments. I also teach adult writing classes for business professionals in the private sector as well as for various government agencies. I have edited manuscripts and other writings submitted by various authors for publication to magazines and journals

Experience

I have studied English grammar for many years. While employed as a federal probation officer, I wrote hundreds of pre-sentence reports to assist federal judges in making fair and appropriate sentencing decisions. I've written short stories and poetry for publication, and I've helped write policy and procedure manuals for various government offices.

Organizations
National Association of Retired Federal Employees Writers Guild of America Professional Women's Assoc.

Publications
"Journal of Juvenile and Family Courts," 1978. "International Library of Poetry," 2003.

Education/Credentials
I have an M.A, Degree in Sociology, and I minored in English.

Awards and Honors
I received three meritorious quality step awards for excellence during my career as a federal probation officer. I was also a nominee for National Probation Officer of the Year in 1986. I am listed in the 1998 edition of "Who's Who in Professions."

Past/Present Clients
California County and State government Federal government Various School Districts Los Rio Community College District Readers' Digest

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