choosing the right words

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORDS

STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH: most correct form of the English language.

Everyone faces the challenge ofWRITING and SPEAKING ENGLISH WELL.

Objectives:

1. Describe the writing process.2. Evaluate various meanings of words in

order to select appropriate words for intended meaning.

3. Identify and use available references to facilitate the communication process.

4. Evaluate incorrect word usage and select correct word usage.

THE WRITING PROCESS1. Chooses words.

2. Assembles the words into phrases.

3. Connects the phrases to form sentences.

4. Groups the sentences into paragraphs.

5. Organizes the paragraphs into a coherent message.

THE MEANINGS OF WORDS

Semantics

: the study of word meanings: the study of what you mean by what you say

WORD

-the simplest part of language-the fundamental element of any message

TYPES OF MEANINGS

Denotative meaningsare the definitions of words given in

dictionaries.

Connotative meaningsare the subtle and often emotional meanings

that become associated with the words.

Our furniture is CHEAP.

Our furniture is INEXPENSIVE.

WORD REFERENCES

Dictionary:

-definitions and meanings-hyphenation-acceptable and preferred spellings-pronunciation-parts of speech-capitalization-synonyms-antonyms

Thesaurus:

-synonyms-antonyms

INTERPRETING MEANINGS

Word bank- that part of the mind in which all the words the person has ever heard or read in all their contexts are stored.

a REMOTE country

the REMOTE future

a REMOTE cousin

a REMOTE manner

REMOTE control

far away

distant in time

having only a slight relationship

aloof or distant

without physical contact

Technical Vocabulary or Jargon

• Are special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.

• Example:– People who work with computers (CPU, 20GB,

client server, cursor, mouse, etc..)

Bias-Free Language• Bias-free words – are words that do not

discriminate against people on the basis of race, culture, gender, age, religion, physical or mental condition, socioeconomic level, or any other classification.

• Always use language that emphasizes the individual or group first, rather than the condition.

Using Bias-Free LanguageInstead of these gender-specific words…

… choose these bias-free words

Business man

ChairmanFellow workerFiremanforemanHousewifeInsurance salesmanLandlord or landladyMailmanNewsman

Office boyPoliceman or policewomansalesman

Business person or business workerChair, chairpersonCoworker or colleagueFirefighterSupervisorHomemakerInsurance agentOwnerMail carrier or postal workerNewscaster or reporter or journalistMessenger or office helperPolice officerSalesperson or sales representative or sales associate or sales assistant

Politically Correct Words• Avoid using terms that could evoke negative

images of any thing, any person, or any group.

Poor Economically challenged

Taxes Revenue enhancement

Parole Supervised release

Teenager Young adult

Trash Service items (on an airplane)

Janitor Building services attendant

Illegal aliens Undocumented immigrants

PROPER WORD CHOICES

Proper word choices A writer's selection of words as determined by a number of factors, including meaning (both denotative and connotative), specificity, level of diction, and tone. and It-Watch your words. -Ex: Not too frankly just talk wisely. Make it sure that no one will get hurt what you want to say to the person or the people around you.

WordA word is something spoken by the mouth, that can be pronounced. It is also a collection of letters used together to try to communicate a meaning, and these can also usually be pronounced. Some words have more than one meaning,

Example: 'spring' can refer to the season, or the object. Some words have different pronunciation, for example, 'wind' (the noun) and 'wind' (the verb) are pronounced differently. Some words have different spelling for example 'color' and 'colour', which are both correct. Color is used in American English. Some words can be only one letter, for example "a" and "I" in English. Besides English, every other language also has its own words

A simple word is a word that consists of only one morpheme. so that the reader will understand

table 2.1 Altenatives for complex words complex words simpler wordsapproximately aboutascertain find outassistance helpcommence start or beginconverse talkendeavor tryenumerate listfinalize fairinterrogate askit is requested that pleasenegligible small or slightnumerous manyperuse read or studypursuant to your request as you askedrender services servesufficient enoughterminate end or finishutilize use

Table 2.1 contains a list of complex words and phrases and some simple ,direct alternatives. Most of these formal sounding complicated words are often found in business letters, but each of them can be stated in simpler terms that will allow for more effective communication.

CONVERSATIONAL WORDS

informal

* To be conversational, communicators

can fall into the habit of using outdated or

trite expressions and clichés in their

communications ..

TRITE EXPRESSIONS

- boring from much use- lacking originality or freshness; dull on

account of overuse.

TABLE 2.3 TRITE EXPRESSIONS WITH CONVERSATIONAL WORDS

Instead of these Trite Words .. .. Choose these Conversational Words

we will thank you to please

at the present writing now

kindly advise me or kindly inform me

please write me or please call me

regret to inform you that am sorry that

due to the fact that because

pursuant to according to

CLICHÉS

- Stereotyped expressions that tend to resemble a play on words, or puns.

- Use only cliché if you are sure any reader will understand your intended meaning.

TABLE 2.4 CLICHÉS AND OVERUSED EXPRESSIONS

Avoid these Clichés Avoid these overused expressions

All things being equal A done deal

Wishful thinking Crystal clear

Break the ice Drastic action

Needs no introduction Lion’s share

By leaps and bounds Touch base

On the cutting edge Needless to sat

Step in the right direction Dragging one’s feet

CONCISE WORDS

Each word in the message should help make the meaning clear or the tone friendly. It helps the readers by:

saving the readers time aiding in the understanding of the message making the communication more interesting

To achieve further conciseness in your writing, avoid using repetitive, or redundant words. Some examples That the italicized words are unnecessary and should be omitted:

honest truth

repeat again

true facts

past history

first began

Doublet -is created when two or more words

that have nearly the same meaning are joint by the word and.

Examples:basic and fundamentaleach and everyhelp and cooperation

Time Wasters Time Savers

at the present in time or at this moment in time

now

despite the fact that although

I want to take this opportunity to tell you that we are grateful to you

thank you

in the near future soon

Substituting Time Savers for Time Wasters

Correct Words Avoid using words that are not

recognized by language experts as usable words.

Ex. Irregardless is not recognized by language experts; a better choice is regardless.

Specific Words Specific words present a clearly

defined picture in a reader’s mind. General words present a hazy,

indefinite picture to the reader.

Ex. Sweater Red Sweater Red, plaid, V-neck sweater.

Positive Words Positive words create a pleasant aura

around your message. They impart enthusiasm and confidence, while negative words tend to trigger unpleasant feelings.

Effective business writer knows and deliberately uses positive words to help stimulate the desired response from the reader.

Positive words emphasize to the reader what can be done rather than what cannot be done and will help you develop and maintain favorable relationships and goodwill.

NEGATIVE WORDS

•Expressing, containing, or consisting of a negation, refusal, or denial.

•Lacking positive or constructive features.

USING CORRECT WORDS AND PHRASES

INSTEAD OF THESE FREQUENTLY MISUSED WORDS AND PHRASES...

....CHOOSE THESE CORRECT WORDS AND PHRASES

A LOT OF MANY OR MUCH

BETWEEN US THREE AMONG US THREE

DONT HAVE BUT HAVE ONLY

IF YOU WILL WHETHER YOU WILL

GOODWILL

- IS THE FAVORABLE ATTITUDE AND FEELING PEOPLE HAVE TOWARDS A BUSINESS.

YOU MUST:• PROJECT A POSITIVE TONE• PROMOTE A SERVICE ATTITUDE TO

BUILD AND MAINTAIN GOODWILL IN ALL YOUR MESSAGES.