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F2 Writing for Residents

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Lesson 3 of 6 · Video

The first sentence

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2 minutes 8 seconds. Captions are on. Narrated slides. The narration is a synthesized voice; a recorded voice replaces it later.

Put what the reader needs to know or do in the first sentence of every page, section and notice, because many people read nothing else.

Notes

Step 1 of 7

Start here

The first sentence is the only one you can count on being read. On a phone it may be the only one on the screen. If it is a welcome, a mission statement or a legal preamble, the reader has to dig for the thing they came for, and many will not.

This lesson is one habit: put the point first.

Step 2 of 7

Lead with what the reader needs

The first sentence of a page answers the reader's question, or tells them what they can do here. Journalists call this the inverted pyramid: the most important fact first, details after, background last.

Before:

Welcome to the Parks and Recreation Department. We are committed to providing quality programs for residents of all ages. Our department offers a wide range of activities throughout the year.

After:

Summer camp registration opens Monday, March 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. Camp runs June 22 to August 14 for children ages 6 to 12 and costs $120 a week for residents.

The second version uses fewer words and answers four questions before the reader has scrolled.

Step 3 of 7

Cut the openings that say nothing

These lines take the most-read spot on a page and give the reader nothing to use:

  • "Welcome to the ___ page."
  • "The Town is committed to ___."
  • "This page contains information about ___."
  • "Notice is hereby given that ___."
  • "Please be advised that ___."

Delete them, and start with the sentence that came after. If the welcome matters to someone, it can go at the end.

Step 4 of 7

The first sentence of every section

The rule repeats under every heading. A reader who jumps to "What it costs" should see the cost in the first sentence, not a paragraph about why fees exist.

  • Weak: "Fees are set annually by the Board of Selectmen following a public hearing and are subject to change."
  • Strong: "A fence permit costs $50. The Select Board sets fees each year."

Step 5 of 7

Write it as a sentence a person would say

Imagine a resident at the counter asking, "What is this page for?" Your first sentence is your answer. You would never reply, "Pursuant to the town code, the following information is provided." You would say, "This is where you apply for a fence permit. It costs $50 and takes about a week."

Step 6 of 7

When the law dictates the wording

Some notices must use words set by statute, or must appear in a newspaper in a set form. Keep that text. Put a plain first sentence above it that says what is happening and what the reader can do, then the required text under a heading such as "Legal notice." Lesson 4 covers legal wording in more detail, and your attorney decides what the statute requires.

Step 7 of 7

A test you can run in a minute

Cover everything on the page except the title and first sentence. Ask a colleague who does not work on the page:

  1. What is this page for?
  2. What would you do next?

If they cannot answer both, rewrite the first sentence until they can.

Sources

Transcript

Synthesized narration; a recorded voice replaces it later.

  1. 0:00The first sentence is the only one you can count on being read.
  2. 0:03On a phone it may be the only one on the screen.
  3. 0:06This lesson is one habit: put the point first.
  4. 0:10Before: Welcome to the Parks and Recreation Department.
  5. 0:13We are committed to providing quality programs for residents of all ages.
  6. 0:18After: Summer camp registration opens Monday, March 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. Camp runs June 22 to August 14 for children ages 6 to 12 and costs $120 a week for residents.
  7. 0:33Fewer words, and four questions answered before the reader scrolls.
  8. 0:38Journalists call this the inverted pyramid: the most important fact first, details after, background last.
  9. 0:45Cut the openings that say nothing.
  10. 0:47Welcome to the page.
  11. 0:49The Town is committed to.
  12. 0:50This page contains information about.
  13. 0:53Notice is hereby given.
  14. 0:55Please be advised.
  15. 0:56Delete them, and start with the sentence that came after.
  16. 1:00The rule repeats under every heading.
  17. 1:02A reader who jumps to What it costs should see the cost first.
  18. 1:06A fence permit costs $50.
  19. 1:08The Select Board sets fees each year.
  20. 1:11Write it as a sentence a person would say.
  21. 1:14If a resident at the counter asked what this page is for, you would say: this is where you apply for a fence permit.
  22. 1:20It costs $50 and takes about a week.
  23. 1:24When the law dictates the wording, keep the required text.
  24. 1:28Put a plain first sentence above it, then the required text under a heading such as Legal notice.
  25. 1:33Your attorney decides what the statute requires.
  26. 1:37A test you can run in a minute.
  27. 1:39Cover everything but the title and first sentence.
  28. 1:42Ask a colleague: what is this page for, and what would you do next?
  29. 1:46If they cannot answer both, rewrite the first sentence.
  30. 1:50Your task.
  31. 1:51Pick three pages or notices you maintain.
  32. 1:54Delete any opening that says nothing.
  33. 1:56Rewrite each first sentence so it tells the reader what they can do and the main fact: a date, a cost, a deadline or a place.
  34. 2:04Run the one minute test on one, then publish all three.

Task

Your task at your institution

Quiz

4 questions. Choose one answer for each, then check them. Each answer shows its reason.

1. What belongs in the first sentence of a service page?
2. Which opening is strongest for a hearing notice?
3. Where should 'Welcome to the Parks Department' go?
4. Each section under a heading should start with:
Show the answers
  1. B. What the reader can do here and the main fact they need. Many readers stop after a line or two. Give them the task and the key fact first.
  2. B. The Select Board will vote on a new trash fee on Tuesday, November 10, and you can speak before the vote.. It says what is happening, when, and what the reader can do about it.
  3. B. Nowhere, or after the information people came for. A welcome line takes the most-read spot on the page and tells the reader nothing.
  4. A. Its main point. Readers who jump to a heading read its first sentence. Put the answer there.