NEED TO RESPECT BOUNDARIES, NOT TAKE WHAT ISONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN Y...

3. Need to respect boundaries, not take what isOnce you have written your introduction, write theyours, not get too involved in your life—other-body of your essay paragraph by paragraph, followingwise, they will not be welcome. (It’s okay to your outline. Make sure each paragraph has a clear topicnot be friendly and not be helpful, I can livesentence and specific support. Don’t forget about tran-with that—but it’s not okay to not respectsitions between paragraphs. Key words and phrases likeboundaries.)more importantlyand similarly help guide your reader

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through your argument. (See “Transitions” on page 72 toNotice how effective word choice cuts back on wordi-review transitional words and phrases.)ness and creates much more powerful sentences in theAfter your supporting paragraphs, write a brief con-following example:clusion. Restate your thesis,but not in exactly the samewords. Don’t introduce any new topics. Instead, makeHe walked very quicklyinto the room.readers feel as if you have covered your topic thoroughlyHe rushedinto the room.and that they have gotten something meaningful fromHe racedinto the room.reading your essay. Here’s an example:He burstinto the room.When you live side by side with someone, it’sEach italicized verb has much more impact than theimportant to have a good relationship. To be averb walkedand its two modifiers,very quickly. Thesegood neighbor, you need to be friendly andexact verbs create a vivid picture; they tell us preciselyhelpful. Most importantly, you need to respectboundaries. Your house is yourhouse; your lifehow he entered the room.is yourlife. It doesn’t belong to your neighbor.Exact nouns will improve your sentences, too. Here’san example of a general sentence made more precise:

W

RITING WITH

S

^TYLE

The machinemade a loud noiseand thenStylerefers to the manner in which something is done.For example, we all buy and wear clothes that fit our ownstopped.personal style—the way we like to look and feel when weThe generatormade a loud bangand thenare dressed. The same is true of our writing; each personhas his or her own individual style, and the more youThe second sentence, with its exact nouns, tells us whatunderstand stylistic techniques, the more effectively youkind of machine it was and what kind of noise it made,can express yourself in writing.giving us a much clearer picture of what happened.Style in writing is created by several different ele-Adjectives, too, should be precise. Instead of writing:ments, including:I am very tired.

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word choice

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consistent and appropriate toneTry an exact adjective:

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variety in sentence structure and use of punctua-tion and other techniques for effectI am exhausted.

Word Choice

One of the most important decisions writers make isExhaustedmeans very tired—and it’s a much morepowerful word to convey your idea.constant: word choice. As you write, you are always, inevery sentence, thinking about the right words toexpress your ideas. The “right” word has three essential

Appropriate Level of Formality

Word choice determines level of formality and vice versa.characteristics:Would you say to your boss, “Yo, wassup?” Probably not.