WORD CHOICE Correcting errors to eliminate certain troublesome words and phrases, to eliminate double negatives, and to use frequently confused words correctly.

TROUBLESOME PHRASINGS Phrasings that announce your intent or opinion Unnecessary or faulty modifiers Faulty synonyms Etc. Faulty grammar usage

P HRASINGS THAT ANNOUNCE INTENT / OPINION Do NOT use phrases that announce intent: “as this paragraph will explain” “my paper will prove” “as I have shown” Do NOT use phrases that show the obvious: “in conclusion” Do NOT use phrases that identify your opinion when it is clear “I believe” “in my opinion” “I think”

U NNECESSARY OR F AULTY M ODIFIERS Do not use the word very to intensify things that cannot be intensified. Someone cannot be very dead. Do not use unnecessary qualifications such as really, different, and particular. It makes the essay wordy. In this particular case and in this case are essentially the same thing. Do not use modifying nouns and adjectives wit the suffix –type. Find the actual word you want to use. A desert-type climate is a dry climate.

F AULTY S YNONYMS Do not use being as or being that as synonyms for since or because. Being that finals start next week, I should study. Since finals start next week, I should study. Do not use expect as a synonym for suppose. I expect dinner will be ready in an hour. I suppose dinner will be ready in an hour. Do not use real to mean very. It was real hot yesterday. It was very hot yesterday. Do not use of to mean have. He could of gone if he had the time. He could have gone if he had the time. Do not use plus as a synonym for and to join main clauses. I need to go to the store plus get gas at the gas station. I need to go to the store; in addition, I need gas at the gas station.

E TC. Etc., and more, and so forth, and such suggest that you could say more but do not want to. Sometimes these are appropriate, but usually, YOU SHOULD SAY WHATEVER YOU COULD SAY. Do not use etc. with such as. Such as indicates you are listing a group. Do not use and etc. Etc. means and so forth, and etc. means and and so forth.

F AULTY G RAMMAR AND U SAGE Avoid referring to people with the relative pronoun which or that. Instead, use who or whom. Do not use irregardless. Use regardless or because instead. Eliminate the phrase the reason is because. Use the reason is that or because instead. Avoid using so as an intensifier unless it is followed by a clause beginning with that. Do not use vice versa. If you want to indicate the opposite is also true, write out exactly what the opposite is. Replace a lot and a lot of with many, much, or a great deal. Use try rather than try and.

A VOID REFERRING TO PEOPLE WITH THE RELATIVE PRONOUN WHICH OR THAT. I NSTEAD, USE WHO OR WHOM. Avoid: Donna is the woman which won the essay context. Avoid: Donna is the woman that won the essay context. Use: Donna is the woman who won the essay context.

D O NOT USE IRREGARDLESS. U SE REGARDLESS OR BECAUSE INSTEAD. Self-explanatory

E LIMINATE THE PHRASE THE REASON IS BECAUSE. U SE THE REASON IS THAT OR BECAUSE INSTEAD. Avoid: The reason fewer people are becoming teachers is because teachers’ salaries are not competitive. Avoid: The reason fewer people are becoming teachers is that teachers’ salaries are not competitive. Use: Fewer people are becoming teachers because teachers’ salaries are not competitive.

A VOID USING SO AS AN INTENSIFIER UNLESS IT IS FOLLOWED BY A CLAUSE BEGINNING WITH THAT. Avoid: After studying for final exams, I was so tired. Use: After studying for final exams, I was very tired. Use: After studying for final exams, I was so tired that I slept for twelve hours.

D O NOT USE VICE VERSA. I F YOU WANT TO INDICATE THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE, WRITE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE OPPOSITE IS. Avoid: My mother is always criticizing me and vice versa. Use: My mother is always criticizing me, and I am always criticizing her.

R EPLACE A LOT AND A LOT OF WITH MANY, MUCH, OR A GREAT DEAL. Avoid: Jane earned a lot of respect when she turned in a wallet. Use: Jane earned a great deal of respect when she turned in a wallet.

U SE TRY RATHER THAN TRY AND. Avoid: Try and understand my position. Use: Try to understand my position.

C OMMONLY C ONFUSED W ORDS I will post these on my website

D OUBLE N EGATIVES Be sure to use only ONE negative to express a single negative idea. Be careful of contractions—the include a form of not, which is a negative A list a negatives include: No Not Never None Nowhere Nobody Nothing No one Hardly Scarcely

D OUBLE N EGATIVE E XAMPLES … She can’t hardly wait for Leonard to arrive. I cannot go nowhere with you. Is this a double negative? No one can do anything to help? Henry would be nothing without you. I never knew nobody.