Chapter 23 Emphasizing ideas Emphasizing Ideas When you

Chapter 23 Emphasizing ideas

Emphasizing Ideas When you emphasize the main ideas in your sentences, you hold and channel reader’s attention.

Using subjects and verbs effectively �Use subjects and verbs of sentences to state key actors and actions Subject names the actor Predicate verb specifies the subject’s action Example: Children grow. Key ideas need to appear as the subject and verb

Nouns made from verbs �Nouns made from verbs obscure key actions and add words Noun Verb Intention Intend Proposal Propose Decision Decide Expectation Expect Persistence Persist Argument Argue Inclusion include

Nouns made from verbs After the company made a decision to hire more workers with disabilities, its next step was the construction of wheelchair ramps and other facilities. After the company decided to hire more workers with disabilities, it next constructed wheelchair ramps and other facilities.

Weak verbs � Weak verbs such as made and was tend to stall sentences � Often buries key actions

Weak Verbs Unemphatic The company is now the leader among businesses in complying with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Its officers make speeches on the act to business groups. Revised The company now leads other businesses in complying with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Its officers speak on the act to business groups.

Passive Voice �State actions received by, not performed by their subject �De-emphasized the true actor of the sentence, sometimes even omitting it entirely �Use active voice in which the subject performs the action The ball was thrown by Janet.

Passive voice The 1990 law is seen by most businesses as fair, but the costs of complying have sometimes been objected to. Most businesses see the 1990 law as fair, but some have objected to the costs of complying. Exercise 23. 1 pg. 380

Old and new information �Readers expect the beginning of a sentence to contain information they already know or that you’ve already introduced. �Look to the sentence ending for new information.

Old and new information Un emphatic Emphatic A B Education often means controversy these days, with rising costs and constant complaints about its inadequacies. But the C value of schooling should not be obscured B D by the controversy. The single best means complaints about its inadequacies. But the B C controversy should not obscure the value of A schooling. Education remains, despite its shortcomings, the single best means of D economic advancement. of economic advancement, despite its A shortcomings, remains education. A – B. C-B. D-A pattern A-B. B-C. A-D. pattern

Being concise �Brevity of expression aids emphasis no matter the sentence structure. �Unnecessary words distract from the necessary words.

Being concise Examples: In my opinion the competition in the area of grades is distracting. It distracts many students from their goal, which is to obtain an education that is good. There seems to be a belief among a few students that grades are more important than what is measured by them. The competition for grades distracts many students from their goal of obtaining a good education. A few students seem to believe that grades are more important than what they measure.

Ways to achieve conciseness �Make subject and verb of each sentence identify its actor and action Avoid nouns made from verbs Use strong verbs Rewrite passive voice as active voice �Cut or shorten empty words or phrases � Exercise 39. 1 pg. 526 all things considered As far as I’m concerned For all intents and purposes In a manner of speaking In my opinion Last but not least More or less In the event that At the present time

Ways to achieve conciseness � Cut unnecessary repetition Cut unneeded qualifiers – in my opinion, for the most part Cut all purpose words such as area, factor Cut all filler phrases – by virtue of, the fact that � Avoid constructions beginning with: there is, or it is � Combine sentences � Cut or rewrite jargon � Reduce clauses to phrases and phrases to single words Exercise 23. 5 pg. 387