Who said a choice of words is a choice of worlds

Logan, and Karen Williams. South-Western Cengage, Word choice is an essential element for any student learning to write effectively. Appropriate word choice allows students to display their knowledge, not just about English, but with regard to any given field of study from science and mathematics to civics and history.

Adapted from "Business Communication, 8th Edition," by A. The challenge for teachers of composition is to help students understand the reasoning behind the specific word choices they've made and then letting the students know whether or not those choices work. Simply telling a student something doesn't make sense or is awkwardly phrased won't help that student become a better writer.

Arguably, choosing effective words when writing literature is more complicated than choosing words for composition writing. First, a writer must consider the constraints for the chosen discipline in which they are writing. Since literary pursuits as such as poetry and fiction can be broken down into an almost endless variety of niches, genres, and subgenres, this alone can be daunting. In addition, writers must also be able to distinguish themselves from other writers by selecting a vocabulary that creates and sustains a style that is authentic to their own voice.

When writing for a literary audience, individual taste is yet another huge determining factor with regard to which writer a reader considers a "good" and who they may find intolerable.

That's because "good" is subjective. For example, William Faulker and Ernest Hemmingway were both considered giants of 20th-century American literature, and yet their styles of writing could not be more different.

Someone who adores Faulkner's languorous stream-of-consciousness style may disdain Hemmingway's spare, staccato, unembellished prose, and vice versa. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

SmartList To Go allows you to create, view and manage databases on your handheld. SmartList To Go makes it possible for you to create, view and manage databases on your handheld. Words are the most powerful communications and business tools any of us have.

And the good news is that no matter who you are — Bill Gates or Bill Bailey — you have the same access to these powerful tools as anybody else. Words, properly used, can help you grow your business beyond your wildest dreams. Conversely, used without proper thought and skill, words are about as helpful to you as, well, lightning bugs. Follow these recommendations and while your words might not make history, they will be duly noted, better remembered — and most importantly, more effective.

About the Author: Ernest Nicastro, a direct marketing consultant, copywriter and lead-generation specialist, heads up Positive Response, an award-winning marketing firm specializing in B-to-B marketing and lead-generation. Contact Ernie directly at ENicastro positiveresponse.

All Rights Reserved. Blog Menu. Business Know-How Powered by. Nicastro August 11, This is literally the equivalent of Microsoft coming to your house and locking a CD in your car CD player. WasteWise has collected the following environmental factoids to help you understand the impacts of waste prevention and recycling.

Instead of using the word "problem" - try substituting it with the word "challenge. Saying, "This strategy presents a challenge," makes the listeners feel like the team will be able to rise to the occasion. There are many words and phrases that you can incorporate into your daily vocabulary to help you make friends more easily and create a rapport in the workplace, or pull off a compelling presentation.

According to Darlene Price, author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results , words like "affordable, "convenient", "easy" and "free" still carry a lot of weight with an audience. In no area is this more essential than in sales writing. Any copywriter worth their salt will know that you never speak to customers about features. You can reach them when you talk about the benefits instead. Picture a consumer in the market for a pair of hiking boots. Chances are, they won't be too swayed by the hand-woven, breathable mesh fabric.

Tell them their feet will stay drier and more comfortable for longer and they'll be much more inclined to buy. They can see the benefit and feel themselves in the shoes; not just hear about the material they're made of. Another key factor to keeping your user on the page is remembering the value of "you. It's very tempting to launch into a one-sided diatribe about the company history and achievements.

Donor Power Blog and Adcouver have declared war on meaningless words and I've enlisted to fight. Nothing bugs me more than seeing nonprofits use dry, vague and eviscerate language to talk about themselves. Heaven forbid they should take a stand or piss off or exclude someone. But think about it: what cause has succeeded that hasn't mobilized powerful, concrete and, yes, offensive language to effect change?

Were the British driven back across the Atlantic by polite conversation? Did statistics capture the horrors of slavery. Did Winston Churchill inspire a nation with "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets