College Composition / Unit 10 CMP 0242 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Choosing the Precise Word
The idea
Choosing the precise word means testing each candidate against meaning, connotation and audience.
In practice
Work in order. First, state exactly what the sentence must say. Second, check the denotation: does the word literally mean that? Third, check the connotation: does its feeling suit the writer's tone and claim? Fourth, check the register: is it formal enough for the genre, and free of slang and unexplained jargon? Fifth, check that it is not a commonly confused look-alike, such as affect for effect. Sixth, prefer the plain, concrete word that does all of this over a vague or showy one. For example, to describe a cut in funding, reduced is neutral, slashed adds alarm, and trimmed suggests the cut was minor.
Where people slip
The most tempting wrong choice is usually a near-synonym with the wrong connotation, such as stubborn where the writer means determined. Read the surrounding sentences to see which attitude the writer holds.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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