How to Write Better

Choosing which words to use is the most important step in writing. A diction error is a word choice error. These errors can take different forms, but occur most often when a writer is ignorant of a correct definition. Younger people tend to test out words that they have only heard used a few times. Though this is one way to learn advanced vocabulary, it can also be a way to learn incorrect definitions. Students will deliberately add sophisticated sounding words to formal academic pieces in hopes of appearing smarter. This can lead to misuses, and can take away from what they actually have written. 

It is useful to get in the habit of confirming definitions, especially when writing. Online dictionaries such as Google Dictionary or Urban Dictionary can be less accurate and less comprehensive than hardcopy dictionaries. When surfing the web for definitions, use Merriam-Webster Online or Cambridge Dictionary Online. These are virtual forms of well-respected print dictionaries and include thesauruses, pronunciation tools, and translators. If you don’t… you may end up looking like an idiot…

There are some words that are similar in spelling and meaning, but are not synonyms. Don't mix them up. “Affect” and “effect” are a commonly confused pair. As a verb, “to affect” means to influence, to move emotionally, to feign, or to adopt something pretentiously, whereas the verb “to effect” means to bring about or to accomplish something. In most cases, “effect” is used as a noun to mean the consequence or result of something. Example sentences using “affect” and “effect” correctly are as follows:

Rising gas prices will have an effect on everyone (effect is a noun).

The speaker affected her audience when she recounted moments from her tumultuous childhood (affect is a verb).

An effective way to internalize the differences between similar words is to memorize a sentences that contains both words.  

My Catholic school principal taught me the major principles of Christianity. 

Jimmy accepted all of his Christmas gifts, except for the hot pink boa!

How appropriately a writer uses his/her words is the prerequisite to good writing, but how he/she arranges these words in a sentence distinguishes fantastic writing from dull. The point of having good syntax (a fitting arrangement of words) boils down to communicating clearly. Convoluted sentences contain needless repetition, outlandish figures of speech, and excessive detail. To communicate effectively, a writer must develop a specific form of writing that sustains his/her attitude toward the subject (tone) and sustains how he/she makes the audience feel (mood). Though Charles Dickens begins a Tale of Two Cities with a seriously cumbersome, run-on sentence, his syntax fits the overall tone and mood of his novel. Consistency... and simplicity are key!