Choose WORDS with Care

Liz, Austin, Adam

Your Goal:

• Choose words that make your message clear, concise, and natural sounding.

4 Effective Word Choice

1. Avoid unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.

2. Use specific words.3. Avoid technical words and jargon.4. Choose words that sound natural.

What do I need to know about modifiers?

• Cut unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Redundant modifiers annoy readers and make writing sound puffed up.

Activity

Directions: Take out the unnecessary adjectives in the following sentences.

1. Let me provide my personal opinion.2. Talks will soon resume again.3. Claire first originated the idea.4. We appreciate your mutual

cooperation.5. Ed outlined our final conclusions.

Activity Answers

• Let me provide my personal opinion.• Talks will soon resume again.• Claire first originated the idea.• We appreciate your mutual

cooperation.• Ed outlined our final conclusions.

How do you know what the “right” word is?

• Watch for easily confused words- to, too, or two; their, there, or they’re; affect, effect; accept, except; amount, number; and many more.

Activity 2

Directions: Match the words on the left to the more specific words on the right.

1.People 2.Put3.An amount

4.Next week

1.Added2.January 12th

3.Employees

4.Dollars

Activity 2 Answers

• 1. People (3- Employees)• 2. Put (1- Added)• 3. An Amount (4- Dollars)• 4. Next Week (2- January 12th)

What do I need to know about verbs and nouns?

• You need to know that active verbs give your writing energy and momentum and specific nouns make your writing precise. Bottom line: Use active verbs and specific nouns.

The End