One glance at the following sentence causes a reader to pause and wonder what is wrong since some words dont seem to fit: The peasant trotted into his bungalow, his shoulders dipped from languor and cold. Good writers find ways of tightening and strengthening their work by using appropriate, specific words. They create concrete images as they avoid general, overused, cringe, and/or incorrect words, whether in stories, articles, business letters, policy manuals, or speeches.

One source of appropriate and specific words is a thesaurus or synonym dictionary. However, as illustrated in the sentence in the preceding paragraph, unless the word is appropriately specific, it doesnt work. Several words in the sentence are synonyms of general ones, but are not specific enough. For example, the word trotted indicates a jaunty type walk or run. A bungalow is a house or dwelling, but one that would be better than something that a peasant would occupy. Shoulders may dip, but only momentarily. Languor creates a picture of almost laziness.

Rewriting the sentence using appropriate synonyms results in something such as The peasant stumbled into his hovel, his shoulders bowed from weariness and cold. Using the right word or words makes a big difference.

William G. Tapply (Dont be a SHOWOFF, The Writer, November 2005) states to stay away from fancy words. He gives a quote from Mark Twain that underscores the need for using the right word, The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.

Being specific is a must for vivid, strong, and correct writing. Avoiding cringe words is also necessary. Words that cause a reader to cringe include those that are repugnant, outdated, painfully inept, old hackneyed and archaic, cloyingly sentimental or weaselly, or misused. According to Arthur Plotnik, in the April 2005 The Writer, some medical terms have become popular, but their use is repugnant to many readers, especially when the medical term is used metaphorically, out of synch with the context of the term. The gravy oozed like ______ from a _______. Cringe words dont belong in business, but in fiction works, such language should come from the mouths of characters or narrators who are themselves cringey.

According to Tapply, If creative figures of speech risk distracting readers, old hackneyed ones will surely bore them. Therefore, such wording shouldnt be a part of anything that needs to appeal and keep the attention of a reader.

Misused words or grammatical errors hurt writing. A business letter with incorrect or misused wording harms a companys reputation. Such errors weakens all writing. So does the use of outdated, inept, or archaic words.

For example, certain words or word usages make a person or company appear ignorant even if neither is. Intriguing needs to tell with whom, with what, or what is meant. Puzzling, enigmatic, ambiguous followed by because ... are better usage. Its means it is, not its, the possessive pronoun of it. Irregardless isnt a word, but it is one of those inept useages. Highlight, signpost, and transisiton are not verbs. Verbs impact, finalize, interface, or share do not mean to talk or to discuss. Input and outgo as the opposite should be avoided.

Then between you and I shows poor grammar usage, since the correct form is between you and me. Between is a preposition and requires the object form of any pronoun. All right is always two words. Affect is always a verb; effect is usually a noun. The list of misused words continues possibly into the hundreds. The following is a very short list of those which should be examined: Who and whom are often used incorrectly. Who is the subject form of the pronoun while whom is the object form.

They, their, them are plural forms. He or she are singular. Due to politically correctness, many people use he (him, his) or she (her) IF the gender of a person isnt known. Such usage is awkward. Some writers then use he in places and she in others. Perhaps a better way would be to make the antecedent plural and use they (them, their), such as in the following examples: Anyone who likes honesty will give his or her honest opinion. Anyone who likes honest will give his honest opinion. People who like honesty will give their honest opinion.

Please note that using anyone with their is incorrect: Anyone who likes honesty will give their honest opinion mixes a singular antecedent (anyone) with a plural pronoun (their). A singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun which refers to it.

The verb to lay means to place and requires a direct object. The verb to lie (unless meaning to tell untruth) means to recline and never has a direct object. The forms of lay are lay (present tense), laid (past tense), and laid (past participle). The forms of lie are lie (present), lay (past), and lain (past participle). Yes, lay is found as the present tense of to lay and as the past tense of to lie. One needs to look at how each is used.

A complete course in grammar and composition or a book over the same subject would show more problems and ways of correcting errors. However with work, consideration, and a large dose of common sense, we can learn to write the right word and realize that the correct word does matter.

Sources:
1. William G. Tapply, Dont be a SHOWOFF, The Writer, November 2005.
2. Michael Creurer, Using the right words, www.changing.ca/right_w3ords.php
3. Arthur Plotnick, Clear out the cringe words, The Writer, April 2005.
4. Constance Hale, Writing basics: 7 deadly sins of grammar, The Writer, May 2006.
5. Writing Better: A Handbook for Students, www.amherst.edu/~writing/writingbetter/pitfalls.html
6. Lesson plans and note from Vivian Zabel

Vivian Gilbert Zabel
http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel