Editing for Word Choice Ms. Lydia Christoph Graduate Writing Center

Word Choice is Very Important “Now admittedly, this football painting is not the Mona Lisa or one of the paintings on the ceiling of the Sixteenth Chapel.” –From a Student Essay Unfortunately, many students do not read enough to have a good idea of how to use words either correctly or well. How can we encourage good word choice and good word choice editing among students?

Poor Word Choice A towel has mammoth psychological cost. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitchhiker) ascertains that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will mechanically assume that he is also in custody of a toothbrush…soap, tin of biscuits…compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc. Furthermore, the strag will then gleefully lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other substances that the hitchhiker might fortuitously have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and wideness of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still is acquainted with where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with. –From Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Good Word Choice A towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush…soap, tin of biscuits…compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with. –From Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Improper Word Choice Too formal: I shall go nobly hence from here to meet my fate at the magnificent grocery store. Unaware of Audience: Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted codpiece to the brig. Too slangy: What make you think you know what go down up in da hood anyway, playa? Wrong Connotations: Well, let's see: Who's on first, What's on second, and I Don't Know is on third. Confusing Wording: For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, or else everyone would know where it was.

Proper Word choice Appropriate Language: In lower-level papers, try to stick with words that you would normally use in conversation, except for technical or subject- specific terms. Thesaurus: Use the thesaurus sparingly: make sure you know what each word means. Appropriate Word and Usage: Look up unfamiliar terms in the dictionary. What Sounds Good: Read more, so you know what sounds natural and what doesn’t. Connotations: Make sure you understand the connotations of the words you use.

Proper Word Choice Continued Awkward or Vague: Check your writing for clarity and concrete explanations. Go from Simple to Complex: If something sounds confusing or strange, think about how you can make the nouns or verbs more specific or clear—then work on the adjectives and adverbs. Read Out Loud: Read each sentence in your paper aloud. Does every word sound correct? Simplify: Try to be simple and clear—don’t try to impress your audience with fancy terms that may be unnecessary or confusing.