--- title: "Readability Part 3: Assume Rightly" description: Read this blog by training manager Ethan Trunnell to learn how to make informed assumptions that aid readability, rather than weaken it. image: https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hubfs/Readability%20Part%203%20Assume%20Rightly.webp --- [![McKinnon-Mulherin Logo](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/McKinnonMulherin_May2022/images/MM_WRITE_STAFF_BADGE_COLOR-240x240b.png?width=240&height=405&name=MM_WRITE_STAFF_BADGE_COLOR-240x240b.png "McKinnon-Mulherin Logo")](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/) [![McKinnon-Mulherin Logo](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/McKinnonMulherin_May2022/images/MM_CONSULTING_STACKED_COLOR-500w-space-at-bottom.png?width=500&height=405&name=MM_CONSULTING_STACKED_COLOR-500w-space-at-bottom.png "McKinnon-Mulherin Logo")](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/) - [Home](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com) - [About](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/about-us) - [Press Releases](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/press-releases) - [Careers](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/careers) - [Services](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/services) - [Sales & Business Communication](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/sales-business-communication) - [Learning Solutions](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/learning-solutions/) - [Technical Writing](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/technical-writing) - [Double-Check Proofreading](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/double-check) - [Blog](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/contact-us) 801.895.4745 [info@mcmul.com](mailto:info@mcmul.com) [Previous](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-2-the-context-of-text) [Next](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-4-in-which-there-are-numbers) [![Readability Part 3: Assume Rightly](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hubfs/Readability%20Part%203%20Assume%20Rightly.webp)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hubfs/Readability%20Part%203%20Assume%20Rightly.webp) # Readability Part 3: Assume Rightly Welcome to the third article in our series on readability, which deals in assumptions. Assumptions are an oft maligned—but nonetheless useful and necessary—part of making writing more readable. The key is to make informed assumptions that aid readability rather than reduce it. Let’s walk through some different types of assumptions that writers make, and then finish with some tips for making good ones. ## Making fundamental assumptions You start to assume the moment you write your first word. Why? Because you’re assuming the reader is fluent in the language you wrote that word in. By the end of your first sentence, you’ve already relied on several other grammatical and linguistic assumptions about punctuation and pronunciation. It’s especially important for writers to be sensitive to these fundamental assumptions because it’s easy to go on autopilot and overlook them. For example, writers working in English may forget about English as a second language speakers because they forget that English isn’t everyone’s primary language (1). ## Making valid assumptions Valid assumptions are based on what you know about your audience—and what they may already know about your topic. If you’re writing a beginner's textbook for cooking, you might define the word *mince* the first time you use it. If you’re writing a more advanced textbook, you may be less obliged to do so. Both of these are valid assumptions based on the knowledge of the audience. ## Making incorrect or negative assumptions Incorrect or negative assumptions typically come from a lack of forethought about one’s audience. The cookbook author in the above example could just as easily assume that *mince* is a common enough word that it doesn’t need to be defined. However, if you don’t fully define it, the amateur chef may well end up dicing or chopping instead, leading to undercooked potatoes. Language (especially English) is riddled with these conceptual tangles, and both writers and editors need to correct for them before they confuse their audience. ## Improving assumptions Here are three ways you can make good assumptions about your audience: - **Do your research.** Knowing who the audience is, and what they already know or expect, is half the readability battle. - **Solicit feedback.** As stated above, a substantive edit of a piece of writing includes the identification and resolution of invalid, distracting, or confusing assumptions. Such edits are highly beneficial for readability and are a necessary part of the writing process. - **Practice writing.** These things take practice. As you write for the same audience multiple times, you’ll become increasingly familiar with the best ways to communicate with them. Keep an eye out for the [fourth installment](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-4-in-which-there-are-numbers) of our series on readability, which will summarize some of the algorithms used to mathematically assess readability. --- 1. Five Things That Make English Difficult for Foreigners to Learn: [https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79843/5-things-make-english-difficult-foreigners-learn](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79843/5-things-make-english-difficult-foreigners-learn) By [Ethan Trunnell](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/author/ethan-trunnell) | September 15th, 2020 | Categories: [Writing](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/writing) #### Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-3-assume-rightly&t=Readability%20Part%203:%20Assume%20Rightly) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-3-assume-rightly&text=https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-3-assume-rightly) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-3-assume-rightly&title=Readability%20Part%203:%20Assume%20Rightly&summary=Welcome%20to%20the%20third%20article%20in%20our%20series%20on%20readability,%20which%20deals%20in%20assumptions.%20Assumptions%20are%20an%20oft%20maligned—but%20nonetheless%20useful%20and%20necessary—part%20of%20making%20writing%20more%20readable.%20The%20key%20is%20to%20make%20informed%20assumptions%20that%20aid%20readability%20rather%20than%20reduce%20it.%20Let’s%20walk%20through%20some%20different%20types%20of%20assumptions%20that%20writers%20make,%20and%20then%20finish%20with%20some%20tips%20for%20making%20good%20ones.%20Making%20fundamental%20assumptions%20You%20start%20to%20assume%20the%20moment%20you%20write%20your%20first%20word.%20Why?%20Because%20you’re%20assuming%20the%20reader%20is%20fluent%20in%20the%20language%20you%20wrote%20that%20word%20in.%20By%20the%20end%20of%20your%20first%20sentence,%20you’ve%20already%20relied%20on%20several%20other%20grammatical%20and%20linguistic%20assumptions%20about%20punctuation%20and%20pronunciation.%20It’s%20especially%20important%20for%20writers%20to%20be%20sensitive%20to%20these%20fundamental%20assumptions%20because%20it’s%20easy%20to%20go%20on%20autopilot%20and%20overlook%20them.%20For%20example,%20writers%20working%20in%20English%20may%20forget%20about%20English%20as%20a%20second%20language%20speakers%20because%20they%20forget%20that%20English%20isn’t%20everyone’s%20primary%20language%20(1).%20Making%20valid%20assumptions%20Valid%20assumptions%20are%20based%20on%20what%20you%20know%20about%20your%20audience—and%20what%20they%20may%20already%20know%20about%20your%20topic.%20If%20you’re%20writing%20a%20beginner's%20textbook%20for%20cooking,%20you%20might%20define%20the%20word%20mince%20the%20first%20time%20you%20use%20it.%20If%20you’re%20writing%20a%20more%20advanced%20textbook,%20you%20may%20be%20less%20obliged%20to%20do%20so.%20Both%20of%20these%20are%20valid%20assumptions%20based%20on%20the%20knowledge%20of%20the%20audience.%20Making%20incorrect%20or%20negative%20assumptions%20Incorrect%20or%20negative%20assumptions%20typically%20come%20from%20a%20lack%20of%20forethought%20about%20one’s%20audience.%20The%20cookbook%20author%20in%20the%20above%20example%20could%20just%20as%20easily%20assume%20that%20mince%20is%20a%20common%20enough%20word%20that%20it%20doesn’t%20need%20to%20be%20defined.%20However,%20if%20you%20don’t%20fully%20define%20it,%20the%20amateur%20chef%20may%20well%20end%20up%20dicing%20or%20chopping%20instead,%20leading%20to%20undercooked%20potatoes.%20Language%20(especially%20English)%20is%20riddled%20with%20these%20conceptual%20tangles,%20and%20both%20writers%20and%20editors%20need%20to%20correct%20for%20them%20before%20they%20confuse%20their%20audience.%20Improving%20assumptions%20Here%20are%20three%20ways%20you%20can%20make%20good%20assumptions%20about%20your%20audience:%20Do%20your%20research.%20Knowing%20who%20the%20audience%20is,%20and%20what%20they%20already%20know%20or%20expect,%20is%20half%20the%20readability%20battle.%20Solicit%20feedback.%20As%20stated%20above,%20a%20substantive%20edit%20of%20a%20piece%20of%20writing%20includes%20the%20identification%20and%20resolution%20of%20invalid,%20distracting,%20or%20confusing%20assumptions.%20Such%20edits%20are%20highly%20beneficial%20for%20readability%20and%20are%20a%20necessary%20part%20of%20the%20writing%20process.%20Practice%20writing.%20These%20things%20take%20practice.%20As%20you%20write%20for%20the%20same%20audience%20multiple%20times,%20you’ll%20become%20increasingly%20familiar%20with%20the%20best%20ways%20to%20communicate%20with%20them.%20Keep%20an%20eye%20out%20for%20the%20fourth%20installment%20of%20our%20series%20on%20readability,%20which%20will%20summarize%20some%20of%20the%20algorithms%20used%20to%20mathematically%20assess%20readability.%20Five%20Things%20That%20Make%20English%20Difficult%20for%20Foreigners%20to%20Learn:%20https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79843/5-things-make-english-difficult-foreigners-learn) [Email](mailto:?body=https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/readability-part-3-assume-rightly&subject=Readability%20Part%203:%20Assume%20Rightly) ## About the Author: [Ethan Trunnell](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/author/ethan-trunnell) ![Ethan Trunnell](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Ethan_Trunnell-1.jpg) Ethan is a writer, editor, instructional designer, and project leader based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ## Related Posts ![5 Tips for Writing a Quality Proposal in 2023](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Writing%20Idea%20with%20Typewriter%20mcmul%20green%20copy2.webp?width=767&name=Writing%20Idea%20with%20Typewriter%20mcmul%20green%20copy2.webp) #### [5 Tips for Writing a Quality Proposal in 2023](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/how-to-write-a-quality-proposal) February 9th, 2023 ![What Is a Proofread?](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WhatIsAProofread.webp?width=767&name=WhatIsAProofread.webp) #### [What Is a Proofread?](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/what-is-a-proofread-1) August 16th, 2022 ![Edit vs. Proof: Breaking Down Levels of Review](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Edit%20vs%20Proof%20Breaking%20Down%20Levels%20of%20Review.webp?width=767&name=Edit%20vs%20Proof%20Breaking%20Down%20Levels%20of%20Review.webp) #### [Edit vs. Proof: Breaking Down Levels of Review](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/difference-between-an-edit-and-a-proofread) October 17th, 2021 ![How to Write a Winning Tech Proposal](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/How%20to%20Write%20a%20Winning%20Tech%20Proposal.webp?width=767&name=How%20to%20Write%20a%20Winning%20Tech%20Proposal.webp) #### [How to Write a Winning Tech Proposal](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/how-to-write-a-winning-tech-proposal) August 30th, 2021 #### [Let Them Be: Embrace Singular They](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/let-them-be-embrace-singular-they) June 15th, 2021 ![The Value of a Company Style Committee](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Value%20of%20a%20Company%20Style%20Committee%20%281%29.webp?width=767&name=The%20Value%20of%20a%20Company%20Style%20Committee%20%281%29.webp) #### [The Value of a Company Style Committee](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/the-value-of-a-company-style-committee) January 19th, 2021 ![The Verbal Gardener](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Verbal%20Gardener.webp?width=767&name=The%20Verbal%20Gardener.webp) #### [The Verbal Gardener](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/the-verbal-gardener) November 2nd, 2020 ![Get the Job Part 3: The References, Samples, and Extras](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Get%20the%20Job%20Part%203%20%282%29.webp?width=767&name=Get%20the%20Job%20Part%203%20%282%29.webp) #### [Get the Job Part 3: The References, Samples, and Extras](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/get-the-job-part-3-the-references-samples-and-extras) October 27th, 2020 ### Categories - [Career (11)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/career) - [Design (3)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/design) - [Desktop publishing (3)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/desktop-publishing) - [eLearning (3)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/elearning) - [Instructional design (8)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/instructional-design) - [Instructor-led training (1)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/instructor-led-training) - [Internal communication (5)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/internal-communication) - [Knowledge management (6)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/knowledge-management) - [Marketing collateral (2)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/marketing-collateral) - [News (1)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/news) - [Presentations (1)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/presentations) - [Press Release (18)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/press-release) - [Project management (1)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/project-management) - [Proofreading (10)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/proofreading) - [Proposal (7)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/proposal) - [Uncategorized (4)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/uncategorized) - [User guides (4)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/user-guides) - [Virtual work (3)](https://www.mckinnon-mulherin.com/blog/tag/virtual-work) - Popular - Recent - Proofreading 202: Using Google Docs July 30th, 2021 - [![Got edits? 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