1. Word Logic Brenham Writing Room Created by D. Herring

2. Selecting the Correct Words  Avoid Misused and Wrong Words  Avoid Idiomatic Errors  Avoid Inappropriate Levels of Language  Avoid Inappropriate Tone  Avoid Inappropriate Connotations

3. Avoid Misused Words  Watch out for Homophones—words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. its/it’s; their/there/they’re; your/you’re  Watch out for other commonly confused words whose meanings and usage are often misused. good/well; lay/lie; affect/effect; lose/loose  Be aware of your own commonly misused words and always check for those in your writing.

4. Avoid Wrong Words  Avoid using words that don’t even exist. Irregardless (should be Regardless) Allready (should be All ready or Already) Alot (should be A lot or Allot) Its’ (should be It’s or Its)  Avoid using words whose meaning you’re not sure of. Unless I get a bank loan, I’ll be forced to lead an immortal life. (should be immoral)

5. Avoid Idiomatic Errors  Some common idiomatic errors include similar with (should be similar to) off of (should be off) different than (should be different from) should of (should be should have) relate with (should be relate to)

6. Use Appropriate Levels of Language  Avoid using Slang—words identified as nonstandard by the dictionary, as well as shortened or abbreviated words. Examples: yucky, lousy, thru, info, TV, fixin’ to, 24/7  If I don’t get the job, I’ll be bummed.  My mom is really cool.  Eventually, I’ll go to grad school.

7. Use Appropriate Levels of Language  Avoid using Clichés—phrases used so often that people no longer pay attention to them. Examples: make ends meet, hard as a rock, playing with fire, work like a dog  Your point is crystal clear.  I feel light as a feather.  I plan to give 110 percent!  Raises around here are few and far between.

8. Use Appropriate Levels of Language  Use contractions sparingly. Always use contractions to avoid stilted phrases (let’s go rather than let us go).  Use contractions appropriately. A contraction is formed by joining words and leaving out one or more letters. An apostrophe is used to indicate where the letters have been omitted. It’s = it is She’s = she is You’re = you are  The apostrophe must be place correctly! Doesn’t, not does’nt Class of ’06, not Class of 06’

9. Use Appropriate Tone  Tone is the voice you use as the writer of an essay.  Some tones should be avoided all together or used very carefully in order to avoid offending the reader. Avoid using Invective (Angry), Sarcastic, Ironic, Flippant or Cute, Sentimental, Preachy, and Pompous tones.

10. Avoid Inappropriate Connotations  Denotation = dictionary meaning of a word.  Connotation = the emotional associations surrounding its meaning. home vs. residence conservatives vs. right-wingers assertive vs. aggressive  Avoid using words that have negative, emotionally-charged connotations.

11. Selecting the Best Words  Avoid using Vague Words.  Avoid using Offensive Words.  Avoid using Euphemisms.  Avoid using Sexist Language.

12. Avoid Vague Wording  Make your words as precise as possible. Unclear: Tom can relate to Jennifer. Clear: Tom understands Jennifer’s financial problems. Unclear: The thief stole several things from my backpack. Clear: The thief stole my notebook, my calculator, and my flash drive. Unclear: I like to have fun on the weekends. Clear: I like to go out to dinner and to the movies on the weekends.

13. Avoid Euphemisms  Euphemisms are words that sound pleasant applied to subjects some people find distasteful. passed away vs. died under the influence of alcohol vs. drunk

14. Avoid Sexist Language  Keep language gender-neutral, as much as possible. Try using plural pronouns, such as “they,” in order to avoid using “he” or “she”. Use gender-neutral occupational titles  salesperson vs. saleslady or salesman  police officer vs. policeman