This document provides tips for improving writing style by learning to recognize and correct common style problems. It discusses issues like wordiness, overused phrases, qualifiers, redundant words, overuse of prepositions, stock phrases, weak verbs, nominalizations, and fancy terminology. The tips include locating these problems in one's writing and replacing problematic constructions with more direct, active language to improve clarity and effectiveness. The goal is to have the subject and verb close together and make clear who is doing what.

1. do it with
Writing
Recognizing Potential Problems & Learning to Correct Them
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/style/ adapted

2. WRITING STYLE
Part Of The Problem -
SUBJECTIVE
People have different ideas about what
constitutes good writing style

3. What’s the point?
• Communicating & being understood
– Get point across
– As straightforwardly as possible
• Some writing may be grammatically correct
– Wordy / Awkward
• Express ideas + directly, elegantly, & persuasively

4. HOW to IMPROVE
• By learning how to recognize matters of style
in your writing, you will have more control
– The way someone reads your paper will be a result of
choices you have made.
– If those choices are deliberate, you’ll have more control
over how the reader reacts to your argument.

5. GAME PLAN
1. Look at common, style-related writing
problems
2. Tips for finding them
3. Work on correcting them in revision process

6. WORDINESS
• We use “filler” words when we speak
– They don’t actually have anything to add to the meaning
• In writing, filler words & phrases are more obvious
& act as delays in getting the reader to your point.
– May be unrelated to style
• Uncertainty about topic
• Lack of a developed argument
• Lack of evidence.

7. But
ifyou aren’t sure what you
want to say, you may have
trouble saying it.

8. ?
• Struggling to find what you mean or playing with a vague idea or
concept
• You write garbled / rambling sentences.
• It doesn’t mean that you are a “bad” writer or that you have a “bad”
writing style or ideas.
• It indicates you are using writing as a way to think—to discover your
point.
• It’s okay to let yourself think on the page & write to discover what
you mean.
• Taking time to write & clarify your point for yourself may save you
time later.

9. WORDINESS
Tackling one problem at a time

10. OVERUSED SAYINGS / EXPRESSIONS
Boring & unoriginal
Easy as pie / Don't play with fire,
Beauty is skin deep
EX: France bit off more than it could chew in Vietnam, and
America’s intervention was too little, too late.
HOW TO CORRECT: Replace clichés with more precise
descriptions. Slow down & write exactly, precisely
what you mean. Ask yourself “why? or “how?”
BETTER EX: As the French faltered in Vietnam, even American
intervention could not save the collapsing regime.

11. LOTS OF QUALIFIERS
very, often, hopefully, practically,
basically, really, mostly
EX: Most people usually think that having weapons in the
home is generally pretty unnecessary.
HOW TO CORRECT: Eliminate some & the point you
are making will be stronger & more direct. Some are
necessary, but use them carefully & thoughtfully.
BETTER EX: Most people think that having weapons in the
home is unnecessary.

12. Using 2 words meaning
the same thing
EX: Adrienne fulfilled all our hopes and dreams when she
saved the whole entire planet.
HOW TO CORRECT: Choose & use only the most
precise term.
BETTER EX: Adrienne fulfilled all our hopes when she saved
the planet.

13. Some Wordiness
Takes More Practice

14. Overuseof prepositionalphrases
(in,over,of,for,at)
EX: The reason for the failure of the economic system of the
island was the inability of Gilligan in finding adequate
resources without incurring expenses at the hands of the
headhunters on the other side of the island.
HOW TO CORRECT: Circle all preps. / Ask: Who did what to
whom? Write it again.
BETTER EX: Gilligan hurt the economic system of the island
because he couldn’t find adequate resources without angering
the headhunters.

15. Stockphrasesyoucanreplace
with1or2words
EX: The fact that I did not like the aliens affected our working
relationship. The aliens must be addressed in a professional
manner.
HOW TO CORRECT: Locate this problem as you do clichés. Is
this just something people say? What do the words actually
mean? Correct this problem by looking for a single word that
expresses your meaning.
BETTER EX: My dislike of the aliens affected our working
relationship. The aliens must be addressed professionally.

16. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace
by Joseph M. Williams

20. COMMON PHRASES REPLACE WITH
It is possible that
There is a chance that
It could happen that
The possibility exists for
MAY, MIGHT, CAN,
COULD
Is able to
Is in a position to
Has the opportunity to
Has the capacity for
Has the ability to
CAN
Not often RARELY
Not allow PREVENT
Not admit DENY
Not accept REJECT

21. NOUNS (person/place/thing/concept)&VERBS are
& SOULthe of sentences.
They are the essential
elements
S & PREDICATE / ACTOR & ACTION
OneshouldbeabletoclearlylocatethemainS&Vin
sentences&,ideally, theyareclosetogetherinsentences.

22. STYLE CRIME
Some “crimes” are varied symptoms of 1
problem: the S & V (actor & action) are hiding.
• The reader has trouble following who is doing what
to whom.
• Use of passive voice / weak verbs may make the
text hard to understand. Text’s hard to decipher.

23. • Use passive voice & weak verbs strategically
once you master them.
• If you’re still struggling to figure out what
they are, you need to aim for “active voice”
and “strong verbs” to improve your writing.
We’ll look at STRONG/WEAK verbs shortly

24. EX: The alien remains were lost
by the government. The alien
remains were lost.
The car was wrecked.
Better (active): The government lost the alien
remains. I wrecked the car.
HOW TO CORRECT: Locate passive tenses / Who’s doing the
action? Use the active tense. Put the actor back in the subject
of the sentence.

25. FANCY TERM =making V & ADJ -> Nouns
TOO MUCH is not good / hard to decipher
EX: The discovery of the aliens was made by
the government. The car wreck was a result
of a lack of visual focus. There is a need for
further study of aliens.
HOW TO CORRECT: Circle all the nouns. Several in 1 sentence?
Better: The government discovered the aliens. My sister
wrecked the car when she forgot to wear her glasses.

26. WEAK VERBS
YOU located & corrected passive voice & nominalization
problems but your sentences still seem to lack meaning or
directness?
Verbs such as “to be” verbs and “have” verbs can often be
replaced by “STRONG” verbs, verbs that carry specific
meaning. Concentrate on what the subject of your sentence
does and make that the verb in the sentence.

27. WEAK VERBS
EX: The aliens have a positive effect on our ecosystem.
BETTER: The aliens improve our ecosystem.
HOW TO CORRECT: Locate weak verbs by circling all the “to
be” & “have” verbs in your paper. Correct weak verbs by
omitting them & replacing them with a more meaningful verb.
You will need to add information as you specify the nature of
the action.
Answer the question: “What does the subject really do?”

28. • It’sfinetousebigwordsifyouknowthemwellandtheyfityour
overalltone—justmakesureyourtoneisconsistent.
• Inotherwords,don’tsay“Thatmiscreanthasasuperlative
aestheticsense,buthe’sdopey.”
• Usingoverly“erudite”wordsbecauseit’swrongtousethesame
wordsoverandoveragain?Iftheyaresignificantorcentralterms,
it’sokaytorepeatthesamewords.

29. GUILTYNot
If you consistently struggle with 1 of these issues,
focus your attention on it If 2 or more are issues,
work on 1 at a time.
Finish a writing, take the issue you want to address &
isolate it.
Edit it using the “locate & correct” tactic. Ignore all
else (spelling, punctuation, content).

30. GUILTYNot
• Look at older samples of your writing & apply the same
strategies.
• With practice you will become more able to resolve
style issues faster and make fewer and fewer style
errors.
• Try reading papers out loud to yourself as another way
to identify style problems.