Page 956 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Word Choice

1

Use language appropriate to particular situations.

With so many ways to speak and write, it is no surprise that word

choice can be problematic. We all use different levels of language

depending on the situation. In a single day, you may shift your way of

speaking several times, bringing out your best grammar and

vocabulary for a job interview, speaking simply and in short sentences

to a child, and using slang or even profanity with good friends. Most
people make these shifts automatically, without much thought.

Similarly, it is necessary to make shifts in the way you write. The

language you use for texting is not the same language you use in an

email to your parents. The language you use to write a paper in your

English class is not the same language you use to post messages on
a social networking site. Shifting from one form of writing to another is

one of the skills that everyone needs. This chapter helps you fine-tune

that skill and recognize categories of word choice that are generally

not appropriate for college writing: slang, clichés, wordiness, and

conversational constructions.