NO CLASS NEXT WEEK

REJOICE!

NO CLASS ON COMING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY

ACADEMIC STYLE

WORDS AND SENTENCES

ACADEMIC STYLE

Clarity of words and structure.

Vague words mean fuzzy thoughts.

Careless sentences mean carelessly conceived thought.

WORD CHOICE

• Use specific words with connotations that suit your meaning.

• Translate inflated language.

• Avoid unnecessary use of figurative language.

• Avoid clichés.

SPECIFIC WORDS

Ali went out of the room.

Ali rushed out of the room.

Do you want to see the movie?

Do you want to see the thriller?

Sabrina's voice is bad.

Sabrina's voice is sharp and squeaky.

Exercise in specific words.

write two specific words for each one below

• Animal• Hungry• Slowly• Move• Said• Book• Sound• Funny

• Attractive• unusual

CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION

Denotation: literal meaning.Connotation: meanings that come out

of emotions and ideas you associate with words.

• The crowd/mob pounded on the window of WAPDA office.

• The crowd/mob cheered when the singer appeared.

Write two specific words for each; one with positive and one with negative connotation.

• Noise• Smell• Sang• Look • Walked• Touch • Ate

• Car• Cold• Clothing

INFLATED LANGUAGEInflated language comprises of words with many

syllables that sound impressive but that do not communicate as effectively as simple every day words. Avoid using long words that you think would impress your reader.

Example: The governor has availed herself of every opportunity to enlarge her knowledge of recently published economic theories.

Translation: The governor has studied recent economic theories.

NOW TRY THIS

The candidate was the victim of incorrect thinking and made a misstatement.

HAVE SOME MORE

Students who cannot successfully function in a mathematical learning situation must be reprocessed until they acquire that vital skill.

ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU

Maximize your workload output so that the neutralization of the effect of the short work day on Tuesday is accomplished by the time of the weekend’s arrival.

JUST THIS LAST ONE

Experience has shown that a suitable course of conduct is to adhere to one’s own standards of behavior and allow others the opportunity to operate according to theirs.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Imaginative use of language more suitable for literature and open forms.

Examples• The maple wears a greyer scarf, the field

a scarlet gown.• Trouble knocked at the door.• Storm roaming the sky like a dog looking

for a place for sleep.

CLICHES

OVER USED EXPRESSIONS.• Six month old Emily is the apple of her

father’s eye.• In her new dress she looked pretty as a

picture.• The show must go on (!)• After a good sleep I felt as fresh as a

daisy.• It was raining cats and dogs.

SENTENCES

CONCISE SENTENCES• Eliminate redundancy.• Avoid empty expressions.• Revise wordy sentences.

SENTENCE VARIETY• Vary the length of your sentences.• Combine sentences to avoid choppy ones.• Vary the beginning of your sentences.

SENTENCES

SENTENCE LENGTH• Use a mixture of simple, compound,

complex and compound-complex sentences.

FAULTY SENTENCES• Revise.• Eliminate faulty subordination and

coordination.• Break up rambling sentences.

REDUNDANCY: ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY WORDS

1. I shouted loudly to warn my brother.

2. The poverty stricken beggar wore tattered clothes.

3. The external world outside of our bodies is full of germs.

4. Messages travel instantaneously at the speed of light.

5. I see in black and white and not color.

EMPTY EXPRESSIONS

Phrases that add no meaning to the sentence.

Due to the fact that it was a legal holiday, schools were closed.Because of the legal holiday…..

• Some empty expressions

On account ofWhat I want isIt seems as ifBecause of the fact

that The reason that The thing is that

WORDINESSAvoid unnecessary

words. Reduce your sentences to a more economical package.

• In a routine manner/ routinely.

• Food that is plentiful/plentiful food

• The war which was fought between

• The war between

ON YOUR OWNDefine is a sentence• Aunt (6)• Dessert (8)• Noon (6)• August 14 (7)

SOME FAULTY SENTENCES

• I liked the movie, and I thought the acting was poor.

• Developing your own photographs can be fun and my friend Bill has his own dark room.

RAMBLING