Improving Word Choice

1. Improving Word Choice

2. Why Word Choice is Important Ideas are rarely new. So when you write, there’s a good chance that what you are presenting has been said before. In order not to bore your audience, you have to make your writing unique and original. But how does one accomplish this? Write with style. Quality word choice is significant improving a to a writer’s style. Clever phrases, powerful verbs, just-right nouns . . . these lead to a voice all your own, one you will enjoy using and one that will keep your audience reading.

3. Using Powerful Verbs Verbs come in two types: state of being verbs and action verbs. State of being verbs are most often variations on the “to be” verb: is, was, are, were, has been . . . Most other verbs are action verbs, showing someone or something doing. These are the ones you can have fun with: blast, tip-toe, wrench, guzzle, fling, mutate, project, wink, plop, flutter, cascade, sink, yelp and snooze.

4. Using Powerful Verbs First of all, look for ways to use action verbs over state of being verbs whenever possible. Original: The teacher is at her desk while the kindergarteners are all over the room. Rewrite: The teacher cowers at her desk while the kindergarteners sprint all over the room.

5. Using Powerful Verbs Some action verbs are very common and over used. Replace boring action verbs with ones that are not only snappy, but precise. Consider this sentence: “No,” she said and walked out of the room. The verbs are actions verbs, but not very exciting ones. How about this instead: “No,” she murmuredand shuffled out of the room.

6. Using Precise Nouns The man walked into the room. The nouns in the sentence above are vague, general and unexciting. The priestwalked into the courtroom. Isn’t that better? Strive to use interesting, precise nouns to describe objects and people.

7. Using Precise Nouns Here’s another example: Original:A dog bounded across the yard, scaring the group half to death. Rewrite 1:A Doberman Pincher bounded across the estate, scaring the vandalshalf to death. Rewrite 2:A toy poodle bounded across the Astroturf, scaring the trick-o-treaters half to death.

8. Using Adjectives Use adjectives with caution. One mistake of beginning writers trying to improve their word choice is to go into “adjective overload.” Here’s an example of what NOT to do: The lovely, fluffy, wonderful pillow helped me get a peaceful, relaxing and great night’s sleep. Boomer, our hyper, crazy, big, furry dog, licked my little cousin’s smallpink hand until she gave him a treat.

9. Using Adjectives “Adjective overload” doesn’t just happen when long strings of adjectives get thrown into a sentence. Some writers will only use one adjective per noun, but the problem is when they use an adjective for EVERY noun. Another example of what NOT to do: My fantastic friend gave me a wonderful present for my very special day. It was an awesome poster of a cute kitten and an adorable puppy playing. It sure made up for the terrible name she called me on that awful school day last week.

10. Using Adjectives If you were gagging on that last example, you tuned into the fact that many commonly used adjectives are just that – common and overused – and a bit sickening when used too heavily. Avoid adjectives such as wonderful, pretty, lovely, great, awful, terrible and the like. These words “tell” rather than “show” and make for boring reading. How was the day beautiful? Describe it!

11. Using Adjectives So what DO we do? Use strong, descriptive adjectives only when they really add to an idea. Consider lively adjectives such as these: blistered sun-kissed raspy saturated silken papery bejeweled turbid willful eerie gritty catastrophic acrid tattered haunting crystalline redundant soulless variegated cynical sinuous unruly sluggish vacuous bitter discombobulated scaly brazen polished lucid

12. Using Adjectives Those listed on the last slide are just a few examples of hundreds of adjective possibilities. Here are a few in use: • We followed the sinuous path of the river through the forest. • Cortez’s bitter conquest of the Mayans was the beginning Western rule in the Americas. • Grace’s haunting voice lilted over the airwaves. • The sluggish clerk scanned our items, grabbing each with scaly hands, which made me reach for the travel-sized bottle of hand lotion displayed in the checkout line.

13. Using Adverbs Whereas an adjective describes a noun, an ADVERB describes, who would have guessed it, a verb. Most adverbs are “ly” words. Again, you want to avoid over using adverbs, but let’s take a look at a few good examples in action: • The thief stealthy crept down the museum hallway. • Tirelessly trudging through the mud, the oxen harnessed to the plow continued their thankless job. • Superman intuitively sensed the danger.

14. Creative Phrasing Phrasing is probably the area where you can have the most creative fun in writing. Creative phrasing is taking ordinary words and phrasing them together in a unique, pleasing manner. Look at these words to describe a desert scene:cactus, sand, windy, hills, arid, sun-baked, blue sky, expansive, tumbleweed, harsh, unforgiving, sparse, rocky, rigid Use these some of these words creatively to create a descriptive picture of a desert scene (#10 on your notes).

15. Creative Phrasing Here are some of the combinations I came up with: • cactus-ridden, sun-baked hills of sand • Expansive tracts of gritty sand gave home to sedentary cactus and racing tumbleweed • the sharps winds of the desert lifted sand into the expansive sky • spikes of cactus rose up into the unerring blue • a palace of harsh, wind-driven sands and sun-baked rocks • a arid canvas of sand carpets and cactus and topsy-turvy tumbleweed • thirsty waves of sand • the fat dollop of a barrel cactus

16. Creative Phrasing Many times, this just take a little rearranging of words you already have. Original: As I drove along the highway, I could see the summit of Pasachoa off to my left. Having hiked on it, I know it’s green, and all of its contours make it look like some grabbed it and twisted it, but today I couldn’t see much because the windows were fogged up. Rewrite: The green, twisted summit of Pasachoa slid by to my left, but I could see little more than a dark splotch through the veil of fog resting on the windows.

17. Creative Phrasing Here are a few examples from my own writing. These are from an essay about Christmas lights: electric holiday frenzy icicle merriment psychedelic in-your-face festiveness From an essay about traveling in Peru: a flurry of confused activity mountains draped in noble robes of snow a makeshift woolen cocoon a dark sequined mantle (to describe the night sky)

18. Use “Dense” Words Once a month is monthly. Something new is novel. People they don’t know are strangers. Something impossible to imagine is inconceivable. To think about for a long time is to ponder. Throughout the whole year is periodically. Over and over again is redundant or incessant. Something that doesn’t last long is fleeting. Refusing to follow directions is obstinate.

19. Use “Dense” Words The previous slide just gives a few examples of how you can reduce wordiness and improve the flow of your sentences. A big vocabulary helps, but is not necessary. Just pay attention to the words you use and ask yourself if anything better is available. Remaining attentive to your writing is the key to improving it!

20. Words to Avoid Avoid “like” as a modifier. NO: I was, like, horrified by the situation. YES! I was horrified by the situation. Avoid “like” as a replacement for said or synonyms. NO: Layla was like, “No way!” YES! Layla shrieked, “No way!”

21. Words to Avoid (or use in serious moderation) run thing stuff good bad went said pretty ugly awful nice sucks mad sad happy get well so

22. Avoiding Clichés A cliché is an overused expression. Many clichés are similes, such as “smokes like a chimney” or “like a bump on a log.” While clichés are often colorful, they are also unoriginal and tired. Any writer can throw one in, and far too many do, degrading the quality and art of the writing.

23. Avoiding Clichés More examples: Couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag Everything is coming up roses Let the cat out of the bag Raining cats and dogs Safe and sound Snug as a bug Kicked the bucket Live and learn No guts, no glory First and foremost

24. Avoiding Clichés There are hundreds more clichés than the ones just listed. How do you spot one in your writing so that you know to replace it? Ask yourself if you’ve heard that before, more than just once or twice. If so, it’s probably a cliché.

25. Avoiding Clichés How do you replace a cliché? Be creative! Use description. Look at the difference between these two sentences: Cliché: The weather was awful! It was raining cats and dogs! Creative: Thick rain drops pounded the pavement with force, sending pedestrians running for cover. Notice how the second sentence is much more interesting and descriptive? Challenge yourself to, as the joke goes, avoid clichés like the plague. Har, har, har.

26. Using the Thesaurus A thesaurus is a lot like a can of paint: it has the potential to help you or cause a lot of harm. Many writers new to the thesaurus make the mistake of choosing big, academic-sounding words that they really don’t know. While synonyms are similar, they are nuanced enough that the word you choose has the potential to throw off your reader and make you look silly. Plus, many words have more than one meaning. If you choose a synonym for an alternate meaning to the one you are using, it makes your sentence sound quite strange.

27. Using the Thesaurus The best use of a thesaurus is to find word you know, but just hadn’t thought of at the moment. For example, let’s say you want to describe something a soft – a voice, hair, the flowers of a petal, skin or music. “Soft” replacements:silky, downy, velvety, supple The words mellifluous and faintcan also replace soft, but only for sounds. Diffusedand dimwork for only for light or color. Chances are you know most of these words, you just might not have thought of them without the help of a thesaurus.

28. Using the Thesaurus I even used the MSWord thesaurus in writing this Power Point presentation. To remedy my over-use of the word interesting, I looked it up and found many alternatives – words I know, but just hadn't thought of at that moment. Interesting:appealing, attractive, motivating, exciting, fascinating, attention-grabbing, remarkable, note-worthy, catchy Obviously, not all of these words will work for all occasions, so choose your words carefully!

29. Last Word Good word choice does take time and thought, although it comes easier the more you practice. Slow down, consider your words when you write and revise, and you will begin to see a dramatic improvement in the quality of your writing. Reading is another great way to help improve your word choice. Nothing builds a strong vocabulary bank like reading books!