Download Improving Word Choice

Improving Word Choice
UAB
UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER
Features of Effective Word Choice
 Clarity – the meaning of the word is clear, not
ambiguous
 Concise – each word has purpose and power; no
unnecessary words
 Coherent – each word is clearly connected within its
phrase, sentence, and paragraph
 Emphasis – each word is situated within the
sentence in a way that clearly indicates its degree of
emphasis in the sentence
Clarity
 Watch the use of pronouns – always locate its
antecedent and make sure it is clear and agrees:


Everyone (singular) wants their (plural) study to be featured in
their (whose?) latest journal.
Each aspiring researcher wants his or her study to be featured
in the latest scientific journal.
 Context shapes meaning, but taken out of context, a
word may lose its clarity.

Ex. Character: a person in a fictional setting, such as a novel,
a play, or movie; a symbol on a keypad; positive connotation:
one’s inner level of integrity, as in “moral character”; negative
connotation: a jokster, as in “he’s a real character.”
Concise
 “Less is more” strategy: one strong word choice is
preferable to several weak words
 Reduce clauses to phrases.
 Reduce prepositional phrases to adjectives:

Ecosystem with many endangered species  Endangered
ecosystem
 Avoid unnecessary repetition
 Be specific, rather than vague
 Try reversing the order of the sentence
Coherent
 Generally, coherence refers to how the word fits
within its paragraph and/or essay context
 Repeat key terms
 Use transitional/cohesive devices that show
connections/relationships among the words:

Therefore, Although, In addition to, However, First, Second,
Finally, Because, Moreover, In summary…
 Keep consistent connotative value among word
choice
 Keep verb tense consistent
Emphasis
 The location of a word in a sentence indicates its
importance.
 The strongest position (in English syntax) is the
beginning of a sentence or independent clause.


Subjects often go at the beginning of a sentence.
For emphasis, a connecting word may precede the subject.
 The second strongest position (in English syntax) is
the end of a sentence or independent clause.

Ex. What we really want in sentences is ________.
Strategies to Improve Word Choice
 Reduce the use of linking or passive verbs:
 Circle
every use of am, is, are, was, were, being,
been
 Consider replacing the weak verb with an action
verb: ex. He is exciting vs. He excites.
 If passive, consider placing the subject before
the verb: ex. She was hit by the ball vs. The ball
hit her.
Strategies to Improve Word Choice
 Read a variety of nonfiction genres
 Learn the discourse of your writing community (read
discipline-specific articles, abstracts, reports)
 Replace clichés
 Replace unnecessary words or phrases.
 Replace “It is” or “There are” whenever possible.


Ex. It is imperative that writers use engaging, effective
language for academic writing.
Better Ex. Writing for academic audiences requires the use of
engaging, effective language.