Diction
Contributed by Theodore Roman on 08 February 2008 at 15:39This past week, I've had a chance to reflect on the writing strategies that I use most often. Often, I have a natural tendency to want to sound "scholarly". In other words, I use far too many words and far too formal diction. When I realize this is happening, though, I slow down, reread my paper, and look to write as though I were talking to a friend who didn't know the subject matter at hand. I've also encouraged many visitors to do the same. However, be warned: informal speech isn't always acceptable. Sometimes precise, high diction works best. The secret is knowing which diction is more appropriate for a specific prompt.
catherine ferrick said
On 26 March 2008 at 22:07Dear Ted Roman,
I wish someone would have helped me write when I attended college as an adult. My writing was extremely poor, and probably is today. The teaching of writing expression needs to be taught early on, as early as elementary school. It is a fact that even today, children as young as six are learning to recognize sentences that hang together. Best of Luck, Your grandmother.