Word Choice

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Word Choice
Cartoon
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Word Choice

• Natural
• Active, energetic verbs
• Precise, concrete nouns and modifiers
• Simple language used well
• Paints pictures

• Precise, accurate vocabulary
• Minimal redundancy
• Creative expression
• Memorable combinations of words
• Correct use of domain-specific vocabulary

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Word Choice
The difference between the right word and the
nearly right word is the same as that between
lightning and the lightning bug.
Mark Twain
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Key Question
Do the words and phrases create vivid pictures
and linger in your mind?
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I do not choose the right word. I get rid of
the wrong one.
A.E. Houseman
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Word Choice
Dont say dog. Say cocker spaniel. Dont say
house. Say cottage. Or Vicarage. Or split-level.
Or shack. Its not a fighter plane its an F16A
mist that curls around a boat is more
intriguing than one that simply covers itA
piano that sits in the middle of the room
glowing from a rubdown of cactus oil is a piano
I wont soon forget.
David L. Carroll
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Word Choice
Nice writing isnt enough. It isnt enough to
have smooth pretty language. You have to
surprise the reader frequently you cant just be
nice all the time. Provoke the reader. Astonish
the reader. Writing that has no surprises is as
bland as oatmeal. Surprise the reader with the
unexpected verb or adjective. Use one startling
adjective per page.
Ann Bernays Writer on Writing, 1990
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Bloopers
1. A virgin forest is a place where the hand of
man has never set foot. 2. It is bad manners to
break your bread and roll in your soup. 3.
Running is a unique experience, and I thank God
for exposing me to the track team.
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Word Choice
Bloopers
4. To be a good nurse, you must be absolutely
sterile. 5. A triangle which has an angle of 135
degrees is called an obscene triangle. 6. The
President of the US, in having foreign affairs,
has to have consent of the Senate.
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Word Choice
Use strong, energetic verbs
John Henry sang and he hammered and the air
danced and the rainbow shimmered and the earth
shook and rolled from the blows of the hammer.
Finally it was quiet. Slowly the dust cleared.
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Word Choice
Teaching Word Choice to Students
Use Literature
Step 1...
Read literature excerpts. Feathers and Fools
by Mem Fox, Crazy English by Richard Lederer, I
Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Word Choice
Writing Activities
Step 2...
Word Wheels
A.
Forbidden Words
B.
Appeal to Senses
C.
Mouthwatering Menus
D.
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Writing Activities
Step 2...
Paragraph of One Syllable Words
Can you construct a paragraph at least three
sentences long using only one syllable words?
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Word Choice
Step 2...
WritingActivities
Big words can make the way dark for those who
read what you write and hear what you say. Small
words cast their clear light on big things--night
and day, love and hate, war and peace, and life
and death. Small words are the ones we seem to
have known from the time we were born, like the
hearth fire that warms the home. Writing
Magazine, March 1994 The 50 most common words in
written English are each made up of a single
syllable.
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Word Choice
The paradox of our time in history is that we
have taller buildings, but shorter tempers
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints We
spend more but have less We buy more, but enjoy
it less. We have bigger houses and smaller
families more conveniences, but less time we
have more degrees, but less sense more
knowledge, but less judgment more experts, but
less solutions more medicine, but less wellness.
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Sample Papers
Step 3...
Look at and discuss rubric
A.
Evaluate anonymous papers
B.
Read story together
1.
Evaluate individually, then as small group
2.
Share score with large group
3.
Discuss the reasoning for the score
4.
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Word Choice
Pets are Forever
Many pet owners worry about that difficult day
when they must say goodbye for the last time. A
new method of preservation could make that day a
whole lot easier. Its a sort of mummification of
the 90s, minus the fuss of wrapping and the mess
of embalming fluid. The new method, believe it or
not, involves freeze drying your pet. Its clean,
relatively affordable (compared to the cost of a
live pet), produces authentic results, and
enables you to keep Fluffy beside you on the
couch forever, if you wish. Freeze drying is
really a simple procedure. First, highly trained
technicins remove all the pets internal organs.
They do
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Word Choice
leave muscle tissue and bones intact, however, so
there will be something to freeze dry. They
replace the eyes with lifelike glass marbles in
the color of choice. A special procedure
temporarily reverses the effects of rigor mortis,
allowing the owner to pose the pet as he or she
wishes--sitting, lying down, curled by the fire,
about to pounce, and so on. It is important to
work quickly before the effects of rigor mortis
resume. As a finishing touch, the technician uses
special blow dryers with a fine nozel to make the
pet look more lifelike. One client posed her cat
in the litterbox apparently, that was her most
striking memory of Tiger.
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Word Choice
Freeze drying costs from 500 to 1,000,
depending on the size of the pet and the
complexity of the final pose. About to strike
is more expensive than, say, napping by the
woodstove. The entire procedure takes about six
months, but satisfied clients claim the wait is
worth it. After all, once the pet is returned,
you have him or her forever--maintenance-free
except for occasional re-fluffing of the fur.
Technicians report that freeze-dried pets hold up
best in a relatively low-humidity, dust-free
environment. Experts also offer one final piece
of advice It is not recommended that pet owners
try freeze drying their own pets. Proper
equipment and experience are essential. See your
veterinarian for information.
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Word Choice
Salsa Music
Im writing an essay on my favorite music. My
music comes from Latin America. It is called
salsa. It has a really nice beat to it. They also
play with lots of different kinds of instruments
They really sing nice to. One of the reasons why
I like it is because you can do any type of
movements you what to when you are dancing to
these type of music. Another reason why I like
it is because it has been around for a long time.
Also because they really know how make music back
then. It can be a lot of fun if only you make it
fun if you dont make it fun that I guess you
will not have fun. These are the reasons why I
like salsa music.
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Word Choice
Coaching Checklist
1. Do you have favorite words or expressions in
this piece? Show me. 2. Are there any words you
used for the first time? Which ones? 3. Are there
any words you werent sure of? Which? Shall we
look them up?
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Word Choice
Coaching Checklist
4. Did you use thesaurus or dictionary? Tell me
about that. 5. Are there any words or phrases
youre not happy with? Shall we brainstorm some
other ways to say it? 6. The word or expression
which caught my attention was. (explain it to
the writer)
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Peer respond/edit
Step 4...
Salsa Music
Teacher Assesses Paper
Step 5...
Fluency
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Word Choice
Can you write this more clearly keeping the
intended audience and purpose in mind?
Dear Parent, We have established a special
phone communication system to provide additional
opportunities for parent input. During this year,
we will focus on giving added emphasis to the
goal of improved communication, utilizing a
variety of means to accomplish this goal. Your
inputs, from the unique parental perspective, can
assist us in planning and implementing an
educational program configured to meet the needs
of your child. An open dialogue, feedback and
interfacing of information between parents and
teachers will enable us to work with your child
in the most productive manner. Dr. Harold R.
Smith Administrative Leader
Fluency