Writers face many decisions when working
on a project. Choosing the correct word
for a certain situation is one choice
that writers often either struggle with
or make an incorrect choice. This article
will give some basic guidance to writers
on four of the more common word choices
that authors face.
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor
effect on your writing and on you. Whether
you are writing a cover letter for a job,
a business proposal, or an application
essay for graduate school using words
poorly can result in negative feedback.
One could find entire books regarding
word choices for writers, this article
will touch on some fundamental, but important
ways to choose the correct word for your
situation.
Our starting point will be the use of
"There are" or "There is" to begin sentences.
Consider this; the word "there" indicates
"not here" (in other words, some other
place). Now look at the sentence below
and think about what the meaning is and
what might be intended.
There are four dogs playing with a ball.
If the writer meant that four dogs are
over there and they are playing with a
ball, then this would be technically correct.
If the intention was merely that four
dogs are playing with a ball, here, there,
or anywhere, then the sentence could be
worded better. The following sentence
would show better wording on the writer's
part.
Four dogs are playing with a ball.
The next two words that writers often
confuse are "which" and "that." If the
goal of your writing is to describe something
and you have used commas to separate the
phrase from the rest of the sentence you
want to use "which." When a writer wants
a word to define and the reference is
restricted then you want to use "that."
The first sentence below shows the correct
use of "that" and the second sentence
shows correct use of "which."
The Yodo is the river that runs through
Osaka.
The Yodo, which is a major waterway,
runs though Osaka.
Our next word choice is between "while"
and "although." Another way of thinking
about the word "although" is to look at
its meaning, as found on Merriam-Webster
Online dictionary the meaning is, "in
spite of the fact that : even though."(1)
The definition of "while" indicates a
relation to time, such as during a period
when something else is happening. Two
correctly worded sentences are below.
Although he is not tall, he is a good
basketball player.
While he listened to the radio, he finished
his homework.
A writer's choice between "since" and
"because" also involves the possibility
of a reference to time. Many people use
"since" when they really mean "because,"
this is rarely a correct use of the word
"since." When choosing a word to suggest
"from a definite past time until now"(1)
use "since." If you are not referring
to time, "because" should be the word
you choose. Try using "because," if your
sentence does not make sense then you
probably want to use "since." In the examples
below the two incorrect sentences do not
sound correct, while the correct sentences
actually sound better.
Incorrect: He had few friends since he
was too annoying.
Correct: He had few friends because he
was too annoying.
Incorrect: He has not ridden a bicycle
because 1990.
Correct: He has not ridden a bicycle
since 1990.
Whether you are writing an essay for
school or you are writing a speech for
your CEO, choose your words carefully
because what people hear or read from
you can make a big difference in their
opinion about you and your intelligence.
For anyone writing, regardless of topic,
length, or purpose, ask for assistance
if you need it, not doing so can have
serious repercussions on your reputation.
| About The Author
David Clapham is the owner of Blue
Arch Consulting, a proofreading
and editing business helping clients
worldwide to generate English documents
of all types. Their website is at
http://www.blue-arch.net.
|
This article was posted on January
30, 2005
