College Composition / Unit 18 CMP 0428 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Defining Terms for the Reader
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The idea
Terms a general reader may not know should be defined or replaced, especially technical expressions from a specialized field.
In practice
A paper on a medical topic for a general audience defines specialized terms on first use, or chooses plainer words.
Where people slip
Defining a term the audience knows well can sound condescending; decide based on the actual reader.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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