UAB

UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER

Improving Word Choice

Features of Effective Word Choice

Clarity – the meaning of the word is clear, not ambiguous

Concise – each word has purpose and power; no unnecessary words

Coherent – each word is clearly connected within its phrase, sentence, and paragraph

Emphasis – each word is situated within the sentence in a way that clearly indicates its degree of emphasis in the sentence

Clarity

Watch the use of pronouns – always locate its antecedent and make sure it is clear and agrees: Everyone (singular) wants their (plural) study to be featured in

their (whose?) latest journal. Each aspiring researcher wants his or her study to be featured

in the latest scientific journal.Context shapes meaning, but taken out of context,

a word may lose its clarity. Ex. Character: a person in a fictional setting, such as a novel,

a play, or movie; a symbol on a keypad; positive connotation: one’s inner level of integrity, as in “moral character”; negative connotation: a jokster, as in “he’s a real character.”

Concise

“Less is more” strategy: one strong word choice is preferable to several weak words

Reduce clauses to phrases.Reduce prepositional phrases to adjectives:

Ecosystem with many endangered species Endangered ecosystem

Avoid unnecessary repetitionBe specific, rather than vagueTry reversing the order of the sentence

Coherent

Generally, coherence refers to how the word fits within its paragraph and/or essay context

Repeat key termsUse transitional/cohesive devices that show

connections/relationships among the words: Therefore, Although, In addition to, However, First, Second,

Finally, Because, Moreover, In summary…

Keep consistent connotative value among word choice

Keep verb tense consistent

Emphasis

The location of a word in a sentence indicates its importance.

The strongest position (in English syntax) is the beginning of a sentence or independent clause. Subjects often go at the beginning of a sentence. For emphasis, a connecting word may precede the subject.

The second strongest position (in English syntax) is the end of a sentence or independent clause. Ex. What we really want in sentences is ________.

Strategies to Improve Word Choice

Reduce the use of linking or passive verbs: Circle every use of am, is, are, was, were, being,

been Consider replacing the weak verb with an action

verb: ex. He is exciting vs. He excites. If passive, consider placing the subject before

the verb: ex. She was hit by the ball vs. The ball hit her.

Strategies to Improve Word Choice

Read a variety of nonfiction genres Learn the discourse of your writing community (read

discipline-specific articles, abstracts, reports)Replace clichés Replace unnecessary words or phrases.Replace “It is” or “There are” whenever possible.

Ex. It is imperative that writers use engaging, effective language for academic writing.

Better Ex. Writing for academic audiences requires the use of engaging, effective language.