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Correcting Writing Style
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.
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Correcting Writing Style
- 1. do it with Writing RecognizingPotential Problems & Learning to Correct Them http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/style/ adapted
- 2. WRITING STYLE Part OfThe 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. Lookat 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 surewhat you want to say, you may have trouble saying it.
- 8. ? • Struggling tofind 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 problemat 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 wordsmeaning 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 MorePractice
- 14. Overuseof prepositionalphrases (in,over,of,for,at) EX: Thereason 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 factthat 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 Lessonsin Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams
- 20. COMMON PHRASES REPLACEWITH 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 passivevoice & 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 alienremains 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 =makingV & 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: Thealiens 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 consistentlystruggle 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 atolder 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.
Editor's Notes
- #2 CREDITS: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/style/ adapted
- #3 ADD STRONG VS WEAK 10 Wordiness self-tests: http://www2.gsu.edu/~accerl/wordiness/WO-ST.html MORE EXAMPLES & SUBSTITUTES FOR WORDINESS: http://www2.gsu.edu/~accerl/wordiness/WO.html
- #24 ADD STRONG VS WEAK
- #26 You might be hiding the action (the verb) of your sentence inside of a noun. Correct nominalization by returning the abstract noun to its function as verb or adjective. This will take practice—focus on making the sentence simpler in structure (actor and action): Also, look for sentences that begin with the following phrases: there is, there are, this is, that is, it is. Sometimes you need these phrases to refer to an immediately preceding sentence without repeating yourself, but they may be hiding nominalizations. Example: There is a need for further study of aliens. How to locate and correct this problem: Circle these phrases in your paper and try omitting them from the sentence. Who is doing what to whom? Better example: We need to study aliens further.
- #27 Example: The aliens have a positive effect on our ecosystem. How to locate and correct this problem: Locate weak verbs by circling all of the “to be” and “have” verbs in your paper. Correct weak verbs by omitting them and replacing them with a more meaningful verb. Notice that you will need to add information as you specify the nature of the action. Answer the question: “What does the subject really do?”
- #28 EX: The aliens have a positive effect on our ecosystem. How to locate and correct this problem: Locate weak verbs by circling all of the “to be” and “have” verbs in your paper. Correct weak verbs by omitting them and replacing them with a more meaningful verb. Notice that you will need to add information as you specify the nature of the action. Answer the question: “What does the subject really do?”