THIS THAT WORD CHOICE OR WORD CHOICE MATTERS

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THIS? THAT? WORD CHOICE OR

THIS? THAT? WORD CHOICE OR

WORD CHOICE MATTERS What is Word Choice? • Word Choice is the skillful use

WORD CHOICE MATTERS What is Word Choice? • Word Choice is the skillful use of language to create meaning. Word Choice is also known as “Diction. ” It refers to a writer’s selection of words determined by a number of factors like: 1. Meaning: The Significance Of Your Idea 2. Specificity: Identification For Sentence Clarity 3. Tone: Attitude Or Character Of An Idea 4. Audience: The People You Are Writing For

WORD CHOICE MATTERS Why is Word Choice Important ? Since, we can’t all be

WORD CHOICE MATTERS Why is Word Choice Important ? Since, we can’t all be like Shakespeare… At a basic level, writing is comprised of a series of word choices. Essentially, words are the building blocks for that allow us to express our ideas. Therefore, the words you choose affect clarity, tone, attitude, imagery and voice of your writing. 1. Meaning: The Significance Of Your Idea Ex: The king is a fool vs. The king is humorous 2. Specificity: Identification For Sentence Clarity Ex: She owns a “dark” car vs. She owns a “black” car 3. Tone: Attitude Or Character Of An Idea Ex: I am annoyed vs. I am livid 4. Audience: The People You Are Writing For Ex. Presentation for Pre-School Students vs. Presentation for Congressional hearing

Common Word Choice Mistakes Like we saw prior, choosing the right word can really

Common Word Choice Mistakes Like we saw prior, choosing the right word can really impact the meaning and success of your writing. Many word choice problems exist, but here are some common mistakes to catch and look out for Repetition: Occurs when the same words and phrases are repeated in a phrase. Repetition causes a sentence to sound tiresome and monotonous. Ex. I collected a collection of collectibles Homonym: Happens when a word is incorrectly selected because it sounds like another word with a different meaning. Except or Accept, Effect or Affect, Waist or Waste Unintended Connotation: Comes about when a word is incorrectly selected because it sounds like another word with a different meaning. Ex. Her accomplishments were admiral Informal language: Word choice error that can make writer sound unprepared or unmotivated. Ex. He is pretty hip

Tips For Improving Word Choice For Repetition: Consider looking up synonyms of your selected

Tips For Improving Word Choice For Repetition: Consider looking up synonyms of your selected word in a thesaurus. Use words you are comfortable or familiar with. For Homonyms: - Look up the difference between abbreviations (You’re/your) - Know the difference between adjective, adverb, and noun - Idioms (taken for granite -> taken for granted) - Review your spelling (admiral -> admirable) For Unintended Connotation: When in doubt, look up a definition! it is the surest way to ensure you are getting your intended message across. For Informal language: Consider who your audience is and know your genre. Is your writing assignment meant to be academic or informal? Revise for Clarity! Also, it is always a good idea to read your assignment aloud or have a friend review it for mistakes

WORD CHOICE MATTERS Word Choice Practice • Clark _______ (v. ) to the finish

WORD CHOICE MATTERS Word Choice Practice • Clark _______ (v. ) to the finish line. After winning the marathon, he was ecstatic, but _____ sore (adj. ). Potential Answers: Sprinted, Excruciatingly Alicia decided to_________ her trip to Francisco until November. retain retard postpone slow postpone San

Work Cited Nordquist, Richard. "Why Good Writing Is All About Good Word Choice. "

Work Cited Nordquist, Richard. "Why Good Writing Is All About Good Word Choice. " About. com Education. About. com, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. "The Austin Writing Shop. ” Imprecise and Incorrect Word Choice. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. Wells, Jaclyn. "Welcome to Purdue OWL Engagement. " Purdue OWL Engagement. N. p. , 23 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.