Here we are telling you not to be wordy, but earlier, we used 14 words to express our values, personality and tone. There is a reason for this.

Those 14 words can be used as a checklist. If you monitor your written work and the way you speak against the list, it will help make sure that you are hitting the tone we are looking for.

Ask yourself if what you are saying and the words you are using convey the attributes in your list. Again, you don’t have to convey all of those attributes but the overall tone and sense should convey the essential spirit.

If you do this, then what you are saying and the way you are saying it are probably about right.

Download our latest style guide and editorial standards.