Unit 3 Tutorials: Writing, Editing, and

Revising Techniques
INSIDE UNIT 3

Style in Writing

The Role and Function of Style

Style and Word Choice
Style and Sentences
Personal Style and Tone

Revising an Essay

The Purpose of Revising

Revising for Structure, Focus, and Clarity
Helpful Revising Strategies
Feedback During the Revising Stage

Editing and Proofreading an Essay

Editing for Word Choice

Editing Sentences
Using Proofreading Skills
Commonly Confused Words

The Role and Function of Style

by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about what style is, and how it influences other aspects of writing.
Specifically, this lesson will cover:

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 1. What Is Style?
2. Style and Genre
3. Style and Audience

1. What Is Style?
Style is a word that you likely recognize, but when it comes to writing, what exactly does it mean? For the
purposes of today's lesson, we'll define style as the way someone writes, as opposed to what they have written.
Style includes aspects like word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

Even though we often try to separate style from content—that is, to separate the “how” from the “what”—the
two are still very much connected. After all, different types of writing use different conventions of style, and
different audiences will respond better or worse to certain writing styles. Therefore, the choice of style is not
completely up to the writer. Style is, like all other aspects of writing, connected to the writer's purpose and the
rhetorical situation surrounding it.

In the context of writing, think of a convention as a standard or tradition—something that's expected by readers,
and something that writers should do, unless they have a reason for defying expectations. Even then, writers
should be cautious.

EXAMPLE If you choose to defy the convention of beginning a business letter with a formal greeting,
you need to be sure about why you're doing so, and what effect you hope it will have on the recipient.
Following conventions doesn't mean that writers have no freedom when it comes to how they express
themselves, however.

IN CONTEXT

To illustrate the power of style, consider two common categories of writing: formal and informal.
Formal writing is writing that is appropriate for professional or academic environments, but that
doesn't mean it has to be stuffy, convoluted, or full of overly heavy vocabulary.

Informal writing, meanwhile, is writing that's more appropriate for personal writing, narratives, or
interpersonal communication. Informal writing includes slang, colloquialisms, and euphemisms.
However, that doesn't mean it can't express the same kind of high-minded ideas and points as more
formal writing; it would likely just need to do so in a different way. It is up to writers to make good
stylistic choices within the conventions of the type of writing they are performing.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Style

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 The way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

Convention
In writing, a standard or tradition that is expected by readers.

2. Style and Genre

One of the biggest factors impacting a writer's style is the genre of writing they are setting out to produce. A
genre is a category of writing that can be as broad as fiction or poetry, or as specific as Gothic fiction, scientific
reports, or academic essays.

In general, writers should understand and match the genre's expectations. The only reason a writer should
deviate from its convention should be to create an intentional effect or change. Again, if you're going to break
the rules, you'd better know why!

Many genres have specific vocabulary, and it's important to be aware of the differences in meaning based on
the genre, and to know the context for words that have multiple meanings.

IN CONTEXT

If, for example, a writer trying to start an online food blog used the following as the bio for his opening
post, he might run into trouble with that community:

My name is Gordon Randall, and I'm a self-trained chef who loves cooking for my friends and family. I
do it so often, it started to impact my career as an accountant, but I don't care. I just love cooking that
much!

Now, this might not seem like a problem, except that Gordon doesn't know that in the culinary world,
the word “chef” means more than just someone who cooks. Technically, chefs are professionally
trained cooks who run their own kitchens. By making the enthusiastic but naive claim that he is a chef—
and then immediately disproving his own claim in his biography—all Gordon is likely to do is alienate
readers within the genre.

However, what if he changed the term a little? If he called himself a “foodie”—a term people who are
interested in eating and cooking fancy food use to refer to themselves—Gordon would be much more
in line with the conventions of the genre in which he's attempting to write, and his readers would be
more likely to welcome him.

 TERM TO KNOW

Genre
A broad or specific category of writing.

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 3. Style and Audience
One of the primary reasons writers seek to conform to genre standards is that their audience will expect it.
Recall that the audience is the intentional or unintentional reader or readers of a text.

Since different audiences are likely to be persuaded, entertained, convinced, or informed by different styles of
writing, it pays for the beginning writer to be flexible and to always consider the intended audience when
making any stylistic choices.

Deliberately going against the expected or desired style of an audience should only be done to create an
intentional effect. That is, it should be done knowingly and for a specific purpose. Otherwise, the results are
likely to be unpleasant.

IN CONTEXT

Suppose a student in an introductory creative writing class was assigned to write a piece of
constructive criticism on one of his classmate's short stories. There are many ways to engage with that
audience, but here's one way not to:

What the heck was that? Mr. Cabrillo said we weren't supposed to be writing genre fiction, but you put
vampires, werewolves, mermaids, and robots in this story. If I thought I would've gotten away with that,
I could've written such a better version of this story, but no, I had to write about a trip to the lake.
Anyway, I didn't like your story.

Even if you've never been in a creative writing workshop, you can probably tell that the intended
audience—in this case, the writer's classmate and the professor—isn't likely to respond well to this
tone and stance. It's generally uncommon for responders to creative work to be so aggressive or to
offer no constructive criticism as feedback. However, what if the response was something like this?

I thought your story was an interesting take on the science fiction genre, though I was under the
impression that we weren't supposed to be writing genre fiction for this assignment. Anyway, I thought
there was some potential in this draft, though next time you might want to limit the number, or scope,
of your characters.

This would be much more likely to be well received by both parts of the audience. The writer whose
work is being responded to is more likely to take the criticism, rather than rejecting it out of hand as
some kind of personal attack. Also, the teacher would probably be more welcoming to the tone and
the stance, not to mention the word choice that's used here.

As you can see, writers who accurately predict the needs and expectations of their audiences are more likely to
achieve whatever their goals are in writing, or at least to get closer to achieving them. For writers, this is a

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 victory all on its own.

 TERM TO KNOW

Audience
The intentional or unintentional reader(s) of a text.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that style is the way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and
sentence structure. Stylistic conventions, or expectations, change depending on the type of writing you
are doing; therefore, there is a strong connection between style and genre. Likewise, style and
audience must be considered together, as the style you choose will determine how your audience
receives your message.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Audience
The intentional or unintentional reader(s) of a text.

Convention
In writing, a standard or tradition that is expected by readers.

Genre
A broad or specific category of writing.

Style
The way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

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 Style and Word Choice
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of word choice as it relates to style, and how it
contributes to the overall effectiveness of your essay. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Relationship Between Word Choice and Style
2. Variety and Avoiding Redundancy
3. Connotation and Denotation

1. Relationship Between Word Choice and Style

Perhaps the biggest factor in determining a writer's style is her word choice. Whenever writers make the
decision whether to use long words or short words, obscure words or common words, poetic words or simple
words, these choices embody the style of an essay or other piece of writing, and they have a powerful effect on
the reader's experience.

Word choice is particularly relevant when words have synonyms, which are words that have the same meaning
as, or very similar meanings to, other words.

IN CONTEXT

The words “run” and “jog” may share a definition or two, and in some cases, they could be used
interchangeably. In other cases, though, switching between them would completely change the
meaning of the sentence. For example, you wouldn't want to say that someone was jogging away from
a bear.

Take another set of synonyms: the words “party” and “reception.” They both have similar meanings
and could be used interchangeably in some cases, but they have completely different associated
meanings, or connotations, which we will discuss later in this lesson.

As a final example, “use” and “utilize” have the same meaning, but people will read them differently
and think differently about a text or writer that uses one rather than the other.

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 To further understand the relationship between word choice and style, consider the following paragraph:

If you desire a new furry companion, adopting a domestic animal from an adoption facility is a wonderful
option. In addition to dogs and cats, many adoption facilities have rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs as
well. If you have any inquiries about specific animals, facility employees are there to assist you. Adopting
from a facility allows you to locate the perfect domestic animal for you and provide it a joyous home.

Notice how this paragraph makes use of some big, complex words. It is a bit dense and formal. However, this
next version says much the same thing, but in a different way:

If you want a new furry friend, adopting a pet from an animal shelter is a great choice. Along with dogs and
cats, many animal shelters also have rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs. If you have any questions about
certain pets, shelter employees are there to help you. Adopting from a shelter lets you find the right pet
for you and give it a happy home.

What do you think? Both paragraphs are making the same argument and introducing their topic in much the
same way, but other than that, they don't have much in common, do they? Swapping a few words for their
synonyms—which is essentially what causes the difference between the two paragraphs—can have a huge
impact on the reader's experience with a text. As a writer, you need to consider what style you want to display
and what words you will use to show it.

 TERM TO KNOW

Synonym
A word that has the same meaning as, or a very similar meaning to, another word.

2. Variety and Avoiding Redundancy

When talking extensively about the same subject, it's easy to use the same words over and over again. This is
also true for writing, but even more so, because readers tend to be more aware of repetitive words than
listeners.

Therefore, even though it's common—and at times unavoidable—for writers to use the same word repeatedly
during drafting, writers should strive to vary the terms they use, since it's distracting for readers to see the same
word again and again.

One way to do this is to make use of a thesaurus to find synonyms, and a dictionary to make sure the synonyms
share the right meaning, though it's important not to go overboard.

Keep in mind that it's also possible to vary words so much that it becomes distracting for readers in a different
way, which is just as bad, if not worse, than being repetitive. Sometimes, keeping things simple is best.

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  BIG IDEA

When choosing synonyms, writers need to make sure to choose words that are similar enough in meaning
and feeling to the original word. That is, the words need to match in terms of both connotation and
denotation, which you will now learn about in more depth.

3. Connotation and Denotation

So, what are connotation and denotation? They are the two kinds of meaning that a word can have. Denotation
is the literal meaning of a word—the dictionary definition, as it is sometimes called. Connotation, meanwhile, is
the suggested meaning of a word, based on implication or the cultural or emotional associations attached to
the word.

IN CONTEXT

As an example of the differences between denotation and connotation, consider the word “organic.”
This word has many denotative meanings, which vary from genre to genre. For instance, in food
circles, “organic” is a label that means no chemical fertilizers or pesticides were used. On the other
hand, in chemistry, it means anything that's carbon-based. The connotations of “organic” are quite
different—due to advertising, most people think of positive, healthy, or expensive things when they
hear or see the word. In contrast, consider the word “artificial.” The denotative meaning for this is an
imitation or simulation. Yet again, because of advertising and other communications, there tends to be
a different cultural connotation for this word—in this case, it's more negative.

Even simpler words like “snake” have different denotative and connotative meanings. Though “snake”
simply denotes a kind of animal, there are all kinds of connotations for it: danger, deceit, etc. “Shade”
is another term like this. It means shelter from sunlight, but most of us have a positive connotation with
the word “shade,” even though it can also be used to mean a kind of insult. Now, consider what
happens if we make the noun into an adjective. The word “shady” brings about a completely different
set of connotative meanings, doesn't it?

It's important for writers to be aware of both the denotative and connotative meanings of the words that they
use, not just to avoid embarrassing mistakes, but because this knowledge allows writers to make interesting
word choices. It's a kind of freedom to have an active and varied vocabulary, and all writers should be
encouraged to strive for it and pay attention to the uses that other writers make of words. That's the only way to
learn!

 TERMS TO KNOW

Connotation
The suggested meaning of a word, based on implication, cultural association, or emotional association.

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 Denotation
The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that there is a strong relationship between word choice and style. The words
you choose will heavily influence the style of your writing and the impression that you give to readers.
When it comes to word choice, it's also important to consider variety. By using a wider variety of
carefully chosen words, you will avoid redundancy and keep your readers interested in what you have
to say.

Finally, you learned that there is a big difference between the connotation and denotation of words.
While connotation refers to a word's implied, cultural, or emotional meaning, denotation is the more
literal definition of a word. It's important to know the difference between these two meanings so that
you don't accidentally send your readers the wrong message.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Connotation
The suggested meaning of a word, based on implication, cultural association, or emotional association.

Denotation
The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

Synonym
A word that has the same meaning as, or a very similar meaning to, another word.

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 Style and Sentences
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about how style affects a writer's sentences, and why it's important to
consider how sentences are constructed in a piece of writing. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Relationship Between Sentences and Style
2. Sentence Variety
3. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

1. Relationship Between Sentences and Style

Sentence structure is one of the biggest components of any writer's style. The way you choose to put your
sentences together should have a strong connection to the genre you're writing for, the audience you mean to
read your work, and the goals you have in writing it.

When looking at writing from the sentence level, the primary goal should be clarity. This is particularly important
for academic writing, since it's very easy to write complicated, convoluted sentences when conveying the
complex ideas so often required by this kind of writing. Whenever possible, complex ideas should be
expressed in simple sentences, so as to maximize clarity and to enhance the reader's understanding of the
ideas.

Understanding how to structure sentences with an eye for style requires a basic understanding of syntax, or the
formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words are put in the sentences.

There are a couple of different perspectives from which to understand how syntax can give writers more control
over their sentences—not just what they're saying, but how. We now look at these perspectives in more depth.

 TERM TO KNOW

Syntax
The formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form sentences.

2. Sentence Variety

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 One of the best ways to ensure your readers are engaged with your writing is to provide them with a variety of
sentence structures. Likewise, one of the easiest ways to make sure you bore your readers to death is to use
the same sentence structures over and over again.

Writing sentences in a variety of ways, including varying complexity, the number and type of clauses in them, as
well as length and how sentences begin, will enhance the reader's experience with, and understanding of, your
text. To see just how much of a difference a little sentence variety can make, consider the following paragraph:

Drinking diet soda is unhealthy. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are
dangerous chemicals. These chemicals cause health problems. Stomachaches and weight gain are some
of the health problems. Avoid drinking diet soda.

As you can see (and hear), this passage uses, for the most part, a very redundant sentence structure: short,
simple sentences with only a single clause. Now, however, look at this version:

Drinking diet soda is like willingly ingesting poison. Misled by the zero-calorie beverages, consumers
falsely believe that diet soda is a healthy alternative to sugary, non-diet sodas. Although the non-diet sodas
are not healthy, they are less damaging than the diet versions. Consumers should avoid drinking diet soda
because the ingredients in diet soda cause problematic, and oftentimes dangerous, health concerns.

Notice any difference? Not with the ideas. Both paragraphs make identical claims and introduce their topic in
much the same way. However, the second version made use of a variety of sentence structures, and the result
was a much more interesting paragraph.

As you can see, simply changing how sentences are built without changing any of the ideas can make a huge
difference in the reading experience. For the most part, experienced writers have developed a good ear for
what kind of sentence structure will work best for whatever their purpose is.

For beginning writers, though, there are some simple techniques that can help promote sentence variety:

Combine shorter sentences.

Break up longer sentences.
Reorganize sentences to vary their structures and opening phrases.

If you find that your text has too many long or overly complicated sentences, breaking up a couple into shorter,
simpler ones will do wonders for breaking the monotony as well. Reorganization is the most common strategy
and is especially useful if you notice your sentences tend to start in the same way or with the same words. A
little bit of mixing can work magic.

3. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

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 Another important aspect of sentence structure is the concept of active voice and passive voice. These are
terms you've probably heard before from English teachers, but you might be surprised at how many students
have trouble understanding what these terms are and, more importantly, what they can mean for writers.

Active voice is a sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the subject—the person or thing performing
the action. Meanwhile, passive voice refers to a sentence construction that emphasizes the object—the person
or thing receiving the action. In general, active voice is considered to be stronger, more interesting, and clearer
than passive voice constructions. There are times, though, when it's important or strategic to use passive voice,
like the famous admission that “mistakes were made,” which avoids saying who might have made the mistakes.
Or, if the subject is unimportant or unknown, passive voice can be the way to go.

That being said, overuse of passive voice or the use of it in situations that don't call for it can slow down a
narrative and bore readers, in part because passive voice constructions tend to be repetitive.

EXAMPLE The lamp got broken.

In this sentence, the use of passive voice could be a strategic choice by a writer who is attempting to avoid
taking responsibility for the accident. However, unless you as a writer are trying to avoid saying who broke the
lamp, you may as well just write the sentence in active voice.

EXAMPLE I broke the lamp.

Readers are going to be asking the question anyway, which will probably distract them from the rest of the
narrative or essay, and this is almost always a bad thing. Also, if you're trying to write anything more complicated
than that, using passive voice will slow you down even more.

EXAMPLE The brakes were slammed by Mary as the car slid down the hill.
This sentence puts the emphasis on the object of the action—the brakes being slammed—rather than the
subject, Mary. It sounds strange, like something no one would ever actually say. Rather, you should write just as
you speak, which is almost always in active voice.

EXAMPLE Mary slammed on the brakes as the car slid down the hill.
Notice how much more quickly this sentence moves, and not just because it's shorter. By prioritizing the action
in a more logical way (x does y to z, rather than y was done to z by x), you make it easier for readers to
understand what's happened, which improves the clarity of your writing.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Active Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the subject of the sentence—the person or thing
performing the action.

Passive Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the object of the sentence—the person or thing
receiving the action.

 SUMMARY

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 In this lesson, you learned about the relationship between sentences and style. Sentence structures
impact a writer's style by determining how the writer's message is conveyed. It's important to use
sentence variety to avoid monotonous, repetitive sentences. You also learned about the difference
between active voice and passive voice in sentences. Active voice constructions can help you keep
your writing quick, clear, and dynamic, so they are often the better stylistic choice.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Active Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the subject of the sentence—the person or thing
performing the action.

Passive Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the object of the sentence—the person or thing
receiving the action.

Syntax
The formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form sentences.

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 Personal Style and Tone
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn more about style in writing by exploring its connection to tone, as well as
the unique choices that writers can make to develop their personal style. Specifically, this lesson will
cover:
1. Tone and Style
2. Personal Style
3. Personal Style and Tone in Context

1. Tone and Style

Recall that tone is the writer's attitude toward the subject, as conveyed through a piece of writing. Most of the
time, when tone is referenced, it means the tone of a piece of writing, since one writer can make use of many
different tones to suit different purposes. Just like word choice, tone impacts style because it affects how
writers communicate their ideas to their readers.

 THINK ABOUT IT

Consider how one reader might find a text's tone to be overly hostile, while another, due to differing
perspectives, might not. This is why it's so important to remember your audience when determining your
tone.
Consider this paragraph taken from a movie review. Judging from this short excerpt, what would you say the
tone of this piece is? As you read the paragraph, keep an eye out for any hints about the writer's mood or
attitude.

I don't know why we keep paying money to see sequels, but we do. Case in point: Last weekend I paid $14
to see 300: Rise of an Empire. I had no excuse. I didn't really like the first film much, I've hated every 3D
movie I've ever seen, and I am generally skeptical about moviemakers' motives when it comes to sequels.
But since I was with friends I don't get to see often, I kind of just went with it.

So, what did you think? It's rather personal, and even a little abrupt. While not exactly hostile, it does provide the
sense that it might become that way momentarily, doesn't it? It's certainly not trying to maintain an objective
stance.

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 Next, look at the following paragraph. The tone should stand out as different from that of the last paragraph:

Because of technological and social growth, the relationship between the public and its information is
changing. The way people receive their news has never before undergone such a drastic shift as we have
been seeing over the past 10 years or so, and the only thing experts seem to agree on is that the change
isn't stopping. The future will be different, and mainstream journalism as a whole cannot, as it has
traditionally trained itself to do, continue to sit idly by observing and discussing the trend as if it itself were
not a central part of the change.

As you can see, this came from a more academic text, and like most academic writing, it's using a much more
serious, formal tone. It's also more objective and thoughtful. You wouldn't imagine the writer of this text ending
the paragraph with “I kind of just went with it,” like the writer of the last excerpt.

 HINT

One common sign of a formal, academic tone is that there are no personal references, such as “I” or “you.”
These are just two examples of different tones that writers can take. They are by no means the limit to the
range you'll likely see when reading or even writing.

 TERM TO KNOW

Tone
A writer's attitude toward a subject, as conveyed through a piece of writing.

2. Personal Style
Even though there's a huge range of tones that writers can adopt during a particular writing project, in general,
most experienced writers will stick to one or two stances. This, combined with other habitual techniques and
preferences, contributes to what is called the writer's personal style, or voice. This is the unique style for a
particular writer; it's that combination of traits that makes you recognize your favorite writer's work, even if all
you see is a little passage.

Some writers are capable of varying their personal styles, particularly writers that work with different genres,
such as fiction and essays. Even so, once writers develop—over years of practice—a style that they like, they
tend to stick with it, though of course their style will continue to change and mature as they themselves do.

As an example of personal style, read this paragraph taken from an essay called “The Crack-Up” by F. Scott
Fitzgerald:

...Life, 10 years ago, was largely a personal matter. I must hold in balance the sense of the futility of effort
and the sense of the necessity to struggle; the conviction of the inevitability of failure and still the
determination to “succeed”—and, more than these, the contradiction between the dead hand of the past

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 and the high intentions of the future. If I could do this through the common ills—domestic, professional and
personal—then the ego would continue as an arrow shot from nothingness to nothingness with such force
that only gravity would bring it to earth at last.

Fitzgerald is demonstrating his own personal writing style, or voice, in a variety of ways here. The first of which
is his usage of dashes as punctuation. Notice that he has several dashes in his sentences. He's doing that on
purpose to communicate a specific idea or tone in his personal style.

We also see some very lengthy sentences. That's also part of his personal style. He uses elaborate, complex,
sentences because his ideas in general are also complex. When reading his work, we get some sense of how
his thoughts were being processed in his own head.

At the end of the passage, he refers to “an arrow shot from nothingness to nothingness with such force that only
gravity would bring it to earth at last.” That's a rather poetic statement. When we combine the poetic nature,
punctuation, lengthy sentences, and complexity of the ideas he's expressing, we start to get a better idea of
Fitzgerald's personal style.

As a contrast, consider this excerpt from a short story called “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston:

...They had arrived at the house. Lena's lamentations were deep and loud. She had filled the room with
magnolia blossoms that gave off a heavy sweet odor. The keepers of the wake tipped about whispering in
frightened tones. Everyone in the village was there, even old Jeff Kanty, Joe's father, who a few hours
before would have been afraid to come within ten feet of him, stood leering triumphantly down upon the
fallen giant as if his fingers had been the teeth of steel that laid him low.

We can see that Hurston is explaining her ideas in a very straightforward way, rather than making them more
complex like Fitzgerald did. Still, she's using word choice to communicate her personal style. She describes
magnolia blossoms with a “heavy sweet odor,” she uses action words such as “whispering,” and she describes
someone who “stood leering triumphantly.” This vivid imagery is part of her voice.

 TERM TO KNOW

Personal Style
The unique style of a particular writer.

3. Personal Style and Tone in Context

A main takeaway from this lesson is that all forms of writing, no matter how specific and regulated the genre
might seem, have room for writers to express their personal style. Writers have the freedom to make their
writing their own, but it's still important to be mindful of the genre, audience, and purpose for which one writes.

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 Let's look at three short passages written in the same genre and for the same purpose. All three attempt to
make the same claim but with a different style. Here's the first paragraph:

Society, as a whole, may suffer the consequences of a decrease in manners. Americans perceive that
manners have gotten worse in recent years. A survey conducted by Good Housekeeping magazine
demonstrates that 79% of people are ruder to each other now than they were just 10 years ago. An
additional 42% of respondents agree that they encounter rude behavior on a daily basis (Good
Housekeeping, 2002). This study is more than 12 years old, which means that the problem has likely
worsened since the time these results were collected. With at least 42% of Americans experiencing
rudeness on a daily basis, the consequences of this behavior are plaguing society.

The personal style in this first example is rather formal. The writer is using a variety of sentence structures and
has avoided using informal terms or words. Instead, she uses more formal phrases, such as “suffer the
consequences,” “respondents agree,” and “plaguing society.” This is all part of the personal style of this writer.

Next, consider this paragraph, which makes the same argument. Look for stylistic and tonal differences:

Collectively, we are all experiencing the effects of a lack of manners. Americans think that rudeness is a
bigger problem now than it has been in the past. Most people (79%) think that Americans have gotten
ruder. Even worse yet, 42% of people say that they see rude behavior everyday (Good Housekeeping,
2002). If that many people are being affected by rudeness, lack of manners is clearly a big problem.
Society needs to place more emphasis on improving manners.

This example is a little less formal than the first example we just looked at. The author is using the word “we” to
communicate to the audience, and the sentences are a little less complex and have more casual phrasing, such
as “most people think that” and “people say.” You may recall that in our first example, the author wrote,
“respondents agree.” If we compare the phrase “respondents agree” to the phrase “people say,” we can see
that they are stylistically different even though they're communicating almost the same idea.

Finally, consider this version of the argument:

People are so rude lately! It's not just my opinion; it's a fact. A magazine did a survey and found out that
most people (79%) think that people have gotten ruder lately. The survey also found out that 42% of people
see rude behavior every single day (Good Housekeeping, 2002). It's really unfair for us to have to live in a
society where almost half of us are dealing with rude people every day. That adds unneeded stress to our
lives, and our society should focus on improving manners so that we live in a happier place.

This example is written in a very informal personal style. It almost sounds as though someone is just having a
conversation with us about this topic. The author uses a lot of commentary to express her ideas by stating,
“people are so rude,” “it's not just my opinion,” “it's really unfair,” and “so that we live in a happier place.” Even

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 though this example is on the same topic as the other paragraphs, the personal style is impacting the way that
this writing sounds, and that's partially based on the tone the author has chosen for the writing.

As you can see from our three examples, different tones can produce vastly different texts, not just within the
same genre, but within the same topic and purpose.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned about the connection between tone and style. Tone is a writer's attitude
toward a subject, so it can tell us a lot about a writer's thoughts and feelings toward what is being
written about. Tone can also be part of a writer's personal style, which is a writing style unique to a
specific writer. You looked at several examples of personal style and tone in context to see how tone
and style can vary drastically across different texts that share a subject matter and purpose.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Personal Style
The unique style of a particular writer.

Tone
A writer's attitude toward a subject, as conveyed through a piece of writing.

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 The Purpose of Revising
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn more about the role of revising in the writing process, and its importance to
writers of all experience levels. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Revising in the Writing Process
2. The Importance of Revising

1. Revising in the Writing Process

Recall that the writing process is made up of these repeatable steps:

Prewriting
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Proofreading

Revising is the process of “re-visioning” a written work—that is, the process of looking at it again. It involves
evaluating ideas, supporting information, and organization of a work, and making the changes required as a
result of that evaluation.
It's important to understand the difference between revising, editing, and proofreading. Editing focuses on
improving language, clarity, and style at the sentence and word levels, while revising is a look at the entire draft.
Proofreading is when mistakes in grammar, mechanics, and spelling are identified and corrected.

Editing and proofreading are the final steps in the writing process. Before editing or proofreading a written
work, you must first revise to ensure that the goals of the work have been accomplished. Although beginning
writers sometimes overlook revision, subsequent steps in the process will not correct errors that must be
addressed during revision.

 TERM TO KNOW

Revising
The act of re-envisioning an essay or other writing project.

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 2. The Importance of Revising
Revising enables writers to assess and improve their work at the “big picture” level. During the revising step,
writers take stock of their entire project. They confirm that the thesis is well supported, and that the structure
enhances a smooth, logical presentation of ideas.

 HINT

Because revising, like the other steps in the writing process, is repeatable, you should revise as many times
as necessary to improve your work. Even professional writers may complete dozens of drafts before
publishing their work.
Revising is also a good way to overcome writer's block. Experienced writers know that they must revise, usually
more than once, to realize the potential value of their work.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned about the role of revising in the writing process. During the revising stage,
writers look at the big picture of their work, making necessary changes related to the work's
organization, main ideas, and supporting points. Revising is important because it helps writers ensure
that their work is as interesting, convincing, and readable as possible.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Revising
The act of re-envisioning an essay or other writing project.

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 Revising for Structure, Focus, and Clarity
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about the revision process and the most important areas to focus on when
revising. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Revising for Clarity and Focus
1a. Asking Questions of the Thesis
1b. Asking Questions of the Body Paragraphs
1c. Asking Questions of the Introduction and Conclusion
2. Revising for Organizational Structure
2a. Cutting, Adding, and Moving

1. Revising for Clarity and Focus

Remember that revising is the process of re-visioning and rethinking an essay, including its structure, ideas, and
support.

All of the components of an essay must support its thesis, so the following are key strategies for improving the
clarity and focus of each section of the essay.

 TERM TO KNOW

Revising
The act of re-envisioning an essay or other writing project.

1a. Asking Questions of the Thesis

Begin by reading your essay and asking yourself whether you still agree with your thesis. Next, ask whether
your thesis expresses your point effectively and concisely.

It's not uncommon for writers to change their views while writing drafts, so consider what you've written and
make sure it's in line with your current thinking.

1b. Asking Questions of the Body Paragraphs

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 When you're satisfied that your thesis is on track, review each body paragraph and ask whether or not it
supports your thesis and addresses only one topic. Consider whether any of the content can be removed (even
if it is interesting and/or somewhat related to the topic).

You should also ask the following questions about the structure of each of the body paragraphs:

Does the paragraph have a strong topic sentence?

Are the ideas clear?
Does it contain necessary transitions between sentences, points, ideas, and support?

Finally, re-examine the body paragraphs with your supporting sentences in mind, and ask if there are other
points that should be made to strengthen them:
Have you included enough evidence to support the topic of each paragraph?
Is there better evidence available that you can (and should) use?
If you've cited sources to support your work, have you represented them fairly and accurately?

1c. Asking Questions of the Introduction and Conclusion

When revising your introduction, ask the following questions:

Does it present your thesis clearly and completely?

Is it engaging enough to encourage readers to keep reading?

Then, ask whether or how well your conclusion sums up your argument. If there's anything you should add or
change to make it more interesting, now is the time to do so!

2. Revising for Organizational Structure

The revising stage is also a good time for writers to ask questions about the organization of their work,
including whether or not ideas flow smoothly and logically from one to the next.

This is not just a matter of using transitions but also involves considerations like whether ideas are presented in
a more-complex-to-less-complex order, or vice versa. Writers should also ask whether each idea belongs in the
essay, and if additional ideas should be added.

2a. Cutting, Adding, and Moving

Thankfully, word processing applications enable writers to easily manipulate text (words, sentences, and
paragraphs) to improve the organization of a written work. You can add content (e.g., to provide additional
support for the thesis), or remove it when necessary. Any amount of text can be added, deleted, or moved,
depending on what's needed to improve your draft.

To illustrate this, consider the following paragraphs from a sample essay and how they could be improved
through cutting, adding, and moving text:

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 Thesis statement: The decrease in manners in the United States poses societal concerns, and focus should
be placed on improving manners.

Body paragraph 1: Manners and politeness are being replaced with rude, hostile, and even uncivil
behaviors across the country. The decrease in manners is not just the perception of a few overly sensitive
Americans; it is a perception shared by many. Because perception is our own reality, the perception that
manners have decreased means that they most likely have, in fact, decreased.

Body paragraph 2: Society, as a whole, may suffer the consequences of the decrease in manners.
Americans perceive that manners have gotten worse in recent years. A survey conducted by Good
Housekeeping magazine demonstrates that 79% of people are ruder to each other now than they were
just 10 years ago. An additional 42% of respondents agree that they encounter rude behavior on a daily
basis (Good Housekeeping, 2002). This study is more than 12 years old, which means that the problem has
likely worsened since the time these results were collected. With 42% of Americans experiencing
rudeness on a daily basis, the consequences of rude behavior are plaguing society.

Notice that the supporting sentences in body paragraph 2 don't quite match the topic sentence. The topic of
that paragraph is “the consequences of the decrease in manners,” but the supporting sentences discuss the
perception that manners are decreasing. Because this doesn't match the topic sentence or main idea of the
paragraph, we'd need to remove the supporting sentences.

We can then see that body paragraph 1 discusses the perception that manners are decreasing. Revisiting that
body paragraph, it is clearly lacking in strong supporting sentences. This might be a great place to move those
supporting sentences from body paragraph 2 that were about the perception of a lack of manners:

Manners and politeness are being replaced with rude, hostile, and even uncivil behaviors across the
country. Americans perceive that manners have gotten worse in recent years. A survey conducted by Good
Housekeeping magazine demonstrates that 79% of people are ruder to each other now than they were
just 10 years ago. An additional 42% of respondents agree that they encounter rude behavior on a daily
basis (Good Housekeeping, 2002). This study is more than 12 years old, which means that the problem has
likely worsened since the time these results were collected. The decrease in manners is not just the
perception of a few overly sensitive Americans; it is a perception shared by many. Because perception is
our own reality, the perception that manners have decreased means that they most likely have, in fact,
decreased.

Now that we have moved the supporting sentences out of body paragraph 2, we need to replace them with
something so that the paragraph itself is supported. We can include some interesting statistics about the effects
of a lack of manners in the workplace to support the paragraph's topic (the consequences of rude behavior).
Note that the paragraph's concluding sentence has also changed as a result of this new supporting material:

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 Society, as a whole, may suffer the consequences of the decrease in manners. Recent studies shed light on
the nature of the problem of rudeness, specifically in the workplace. In one study, 34% of survey
respondents admitted to suffering from insomnia due to a stress and anger-filled workplace. Additionally,
almost one quarter of respondents said that they have quit a job due to the rude and hostile climate of the
workplace (RudeBusters.com, 2010). In the workplace, rudeness on a daily basis causes concerning
problems for individuals.

This example demonstrates the ways in which adding, cutting, and moving ideas around can strengthen the
organization of your writing.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you examined several important areas of revision that you will need to pay attention to
when revising an essay. Revising for clarity and focus involves assessing an essay's content by asking
questions of the thesis, asking questions of the body paragraphs, and asking questions of the
introduction and conclusion to gain information that will improve these sections.

You also learned that revising for organizational structure allows you to assess the effectiveness of the
way your essay is put together to determine whether your ideas are sequenced logically. When writing
electronically, cutting, adding, and moving content is a simple way to approach this type of revision.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Revising
The act of re-envisioning an essay or other writing project.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 24
 Helpful Revising Strategies
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about five methods of revising that will help you develop the best final draft
possible. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Revising Strategies
1a. Time Management
1b. Reading Aloud
1c. Asking Questions
1d. Revising on Paper
1e. Summarizing

1. Revising Strategies
Remember that revising is a process of “re-envisioning” and rethinking a written work. During revision, writers
reassess the structure, ideas, and support of their work. There are several ways to revise, all of which involve
keeping the “big picture” of the writing project in mind.

Certain strategies work better for some writers than others, but all writers must remain open to new techniques.
Revision strategies can be especially helpful to beginning writers, writers working in a new genre, and those
who are experiencing writer's block.

As you work through the writing process, you'll learn which of these strategies work best for you. Approach
each strategy with an open mind. All of them can help you to improve a draft and overcome writer's block.

1a. Time Management

The first strategy is simple: Give yourself enough time between drafts (or deadlines) to revise. You'll see your
work more clearly—the good and the bad—when you're not rushed.

A day or two of revision is ideal, but even a few hours away from your project will enable you to see your work
as readers will see it. This is a valuable perspective to have when optimizing your draft.

1b. Reading Aloud

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 You can also distance yourself from your work by reading it out loud. Writers sometimes overlook mistakes and
problem areas when reading silently. It's probably safe to say that everyone is more experienced as a listener
than as a reader.

Take advantage of your ears' experience with language to identify words, sentences, and paragraphs that don't
flow as well as they could, or should.

1c. Asking Questions

Another effective revision strategy is to ask questions about the draft. For example, it can be helpful to ask, “Do
I still agree with my thesis?” It's not uncommon for a writer's opinion to change during the writing process. One
of the worst mistakes writers can make is to argue for something that they no longer believe.

You can ask yourself whether you've provided enough support for your thesis. Should you change your thesis to
better align it with supporting information, or vice versa? You should also ask questions about the rest of your
work, including the broad requirements and purposes of the writing project.

The following are examples of good revision questions:

Have I fulfilled the requirements of the assignment on a conceptual level, or only on a technical level (e.g.,
page length, format and layout, etc.)?
Are the tone, voice, and syntax used in my draft appropriate for the assignment?
How will my audience react to this work, and what can (or should) I do to shape their response?
Have I ignored counterarguments that should be addressed?

1d. Revising on Paper

Many experienced writers revise their drafts, especially later drafts, using paper copies. Like reading out loud,
revising on paper sometimes enables you to view your work from a different perspective, and from a critical
distance. You might see the “big picture” better on paper than you did on the screen.

Paper copies can enable you to understand how ideas, proposals, and positions you've included in your draft
do (or do not) fit together. It's also easier for most writers to jot down ideas, notes, and comments on a piece of
paper than with a word processing application. The use of paper copies enables writers (especially beginning
writers) to separate the revision and drafting steps of the writing process.

1e. Summarizing
You can often discover weaknesses in your arguments by rewriting (or verbally stating) the main ideas of your
essay. By writing out your ideas, or telling them to another person, you may find a different way to phrase your
thesis, for instance. You may also notice small but important things that you would not have detected otherwise.

 HINT

This strategy is particularly effective when it is combined with the techniques described previously (or any
effective technique you may discover on your own.)

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  SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that there are several different revising strategies that can be useful when
making changes to your draft. These strategies include giving yourself time between drafts to revise,
reading your draft aloud, asking questions of your thesis and assignment, revising on paper, and
summarizing your main points and ideas. Each of these strategies can be used independently or in
combination with others to effectively revise a draft.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 27
 Feedback During the Revising Stage
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about the role of feedback in the writing process, and the different types of
feedback you may receive. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Feedback in the Writing Process
2. Constructive vs. Nonconstructive Feedback
3. Incorporating Feedback

1. Feedback in the Writing Process

Feedback is advice given in response to reading an essay or other writing project and is typically intended to
lead to revision and a second or third draft that shows improvements over the first draft. This means that
feedback can be part of the writing process when a reader offers a writer reactions and suggestions to the
piece of writing in question.

In college, often a piece of writing will receive feedback from instructors, peers, and even tutors or graders. But
even when you’re not being offered feedback as part of a course’s requirements, you may still seek it out from
your trusted friends and family, using their intelligence and expertise to improve your own work. Moreover, if
you’re in a professional space, you may end up getting feedback from coworkers, supervisors, and other
interested parties.

Regardless of where and when you’re getting feedback on your writing, it’s probably best to have really good
feedback from just a few people instead of lots of feedback from many people. That way, you can be sure that
you’re seeing a diverse set of perspectives on your writing but aren’t getting overwhelmed by an avalanche of
other people’s opinions.

Feedback may arrive in a few ways. Perhaps you’ll have a conversation about a writing project with a boss,
teacher, or friend. Or you may receive physical notes on your writing, either digitally or on paper from a peer or
an instructor. Or you may just get a note at the end of the paper summarizing the reader’s feedback and
thoughts about what you’ve written.

 TERM TO KNOW

Feedback

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 Advice given in response to reading an essay or other writing project; typically intended to lead to
revision and a second or third draft that shows improvements over the first draft.

2. Constructive vs. Nonconstructive Feedback

Feedback is either constructive or nonconstructive. Feedback is usually nonconstructive when it is so extensive
that the writer finds it difficult to make any of the suggested changes. Feedback that is completely noncritical—
that provides no helpful insights into what the writer should work on—is also nonconstructive. Constructive
feedback straddles a line between these two: It provides useful insights and ideas that can be implemented by
the writer.

In other words, the best, most constructive feedback will:

Offer insights into your ideas, organization, and style that can be implemented.
Ask probing questions that help you reconsider and enrich your own ideas.
Stick with personally focused, I-based comments such as “I don’t understand what you mean in this
paragraph.”

On the other hand, nonconstructive feedback may:

Be so critical that making the suggested changes would be very difficult.

Contain personal attacks against the author.
Place a judgment on the values of the piece instead of on the way the piece was written.
Be so noncritical that it doesn’t demonstrate any meaningful changes that the author can make, such as if
someone just writes, “I like it,” “It’s fine,” or even “I don’t get it.”

However you receive feedback, it’s important to learn how to assess if that feedback is constructive or not and
determine how to incorporate it into your writing.

3. Incorporating Feedback
Read the following excerpt from an early draft of an essay. Try to identify problems—not only mistakes in
grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc., but also structural and thematic problems, and “big picture” concerns.

John Stuart Mill believed that scientific knowledge was esential for a “modern” educated human. It was his
belief that scientific reasoning teaches people to question the world around them, and to never take
anything for granted. I think the idea was to train students to properly use their instruments. I generally
agree with John Stuart Mill, at last on the general ideas he hit on. I don't think that we should all have to

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 learn Latin and Greek, but I do agree with his statements about learning second languages and the
cultures involved.

This paragraph will benefit from constructive criticism. The following bolded areas display the kind of
comments a reviewer might make. The comments identify possible typos, as well as questions about how ideas
work together. The imaginary reviewer even asks the writer how the conclusion of the paragraph connects to its
main idea:

John Stuart Mill believed that scientific knowledge was esential (essential) for a “modern” (When was he
writing this?) educated human. It was his belief that scientific reasoning teaches people to question the
world around them, and to never take anything for granted. I think the idea was to train students to
properly use their instruments. (Odd tone—better to be more formal here?) I generally agree with John
Stuart Mill, at last (least) on the general ideas he hit on. I don't think that we should all have to learn Latin
and Greek, (When does he say this?) but I do agree with his statements about learning second languages
and the cultures involved. (What statements? Wasn't he talking about science—that should be your focus, I
think.)

Because the entire essay is not available in this example, it's impossible to evaluate how this paragraph relates
to the thesis, or to the “big picture.” However, there are obvious problems with the paragraph, as the reviewer
constructively points out. Read the following revision, which has incorporated the feedback:

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) believed that scientific knowledge was essential for a “modern” educated
person. It was his belief that scientific reasoning teaches people to question the world around them, and to
avoid taking anything for granted. He wrote that “Facts are the materials of our knowledge, but the mind
itself is the instrument...” (pg. 396). The idea that education should be about developing a person's method
of thinking—in this case, the scientific method—came from Mill and other thinkers of his time. This focus is
even more important in the current era of computers and space shuttles, microwaves and nuclear missiles,
than it was in his day. As Mill said, the benefits of the scientific method are present in everyday life, no
matter what you do for a living.

The writer has taken the feedback into account to improve the development of ideas in the paragraph. As a
result of the feedback, the point about scientific learning is made more effectively. Also, the tone of the revised
paragraph is much more academic.

 BIG IDEA

Feedback helps writers by providing a different perspective on their work and the impact it has on the
intended audience. Used effectively, it's a resource that promotes successful writing.

 SUMMARY

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 In this lesson, you learned that feedback in the writing process occurs when advice is given in response
to reading an essay or other writing project, typically during the revising stage. There is a big
difference between constructive feedback and nonconstructive feedback: While constructive feedback
offers insights into your ideas, organization, and style that can be implemented, nonconstructive
feedback places a judgment on the values of the piece instead of on the way the piece was written, or
is so noncritical that it doesn’t demonstrate any meaningful changes that the author can make. Finally,
you looked at a sample paragraph to see how a writer might incorporate feedback into a revision.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Feedback
Advice given in response to reading an essay or other writing project; typically intended to lead to
revision and a second or third draft that shows improvements over the first draft.

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 Editing for Word Choice
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about different methods of editing for word choice in an essay. Specifically,
this lesson will cover:
1. Editing for Word Repetition
2. Editing Word Choice for Audience
3. Editing Word Choice for Clarity
4. Editing for Slang and Informality
5. Editing Word Choice for Meaning

1. Editing for Word Repetition

In the writing process, copyediting is the stage that involves improving the sentences, word choices, and style
of a written work. Word choice can have a strong effect on the tone and style of a written work, as well as how
the audience receives and responds to it.

When copyediting for word choice, writers should begin by looking for words that are used repeatedly. It's
common for writers to use repetitive language when drafting, but too much repetition can distract readers and
make a work less interesting. Writers should remove unnecessary repetition before copyediting is complete.

Note that elimination of repetition does not include “the,” “a,” “he,” “she,” “we,” and other small but important
words. Larger, more noticeable words, especially those related to the subject, should not be repeated
excessively.

When re-reading a draft, it's a good idea to mark repeated words and replace some of them with alternatives.
This is especially worthwhile when repeated words appear close together in the draft.

 TERM TO KNOW

Copyediting
The act of improving the sentence construction, word choice, and the overall style of an essay or other
piece of writing.

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 2. Editing Word Choice for Audience
When writers edit their work for word choice, they must also consider the intended audience. They should
identify this audience and ask themselves whether they have made word choices that will appeal to it and
support the goals of the work.

Writers must also consider how emotionally charged their word choices are and whether the level of formality is
appropriate. This includes anticipating the reading level of the audience.

IN CONTEXT

Imagine that a college student in an advanced education course was assigned to write a speech to be
given to high school freshman about entering college. It would not be a good idea for the student to
use words and phrases that many in the audience may not understand (e.g., initiative, curriculum,
extenuating circumstances, etc.). Simpler synonyms of those words and phrases (e.g., program,
coursework, emergency situation, etc.) would be more effective.

If the same student was writing a proposal for a new college course, she should not include informal
language that the Supervisory Committee is unlikely to appreciate (e.g., a statement indicating that the
proposed class would be better than all of the “lame classes” currently offered).

When editing word choice for audience, problems are often not related to the words themselves, but to how
those words are used. Consider the tone you would use to address a particular audience; you must always
make word choices that take audience understanding and expectations into account.

3. Editing Word Choice for Clarity

Beginning writers sometimes use words that are vague or overly complex. They also allow jargon to slip into
their writing. This can happen when beginning writers assume that these words will sound more academic,
formal, and mature to readers. Although it's good to make use of your vocabulary when writing, it's usually best
to avoid words that may be unfamiliar to the audience or unnecessary for the context.

One of the goals of any writing project is to establish and maintain a clear, natural voice. The best writers
eliminate vagueness and uncertainty from their work by improving their word choices as they draft. They avoid
excessive formality, which can inhibit meaning instead of conveying it.

Although it is usually best to replace words that seem overly formal with terms that are simpler or more
accurate, sometimes formal terms and jargon are the best word choices. This can be true when they have a
special meaning or appeal for a particular audience, or simply because they do the best job of conveying the
intended meaning.

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  HINT

With respect to word choice, less is usually more.

Read the following paragraph. Can it be improved by better word choices and/or removal of unnecessary
words?

The reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle are multitudinous. Even if an individual chooses an offshoot of
veganism, such as flexitarianism, the health and environmental benefits are still considerable. Indubitably,
eating meat causes more harm than it does good. Henceforth, individuals should avoid eating meat and
other animal products to protect their own health and the health of the environment.

This writer made some odd and unnecessary word choices. Following is an edited version of the paragraph,
with the changes bolded:

The reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle are continuously growing. Even if an individual chooses an
offshoot of veganism, such as eating a mainly vegan diet, the health and environmental benefits are still
considerable. Undoubtedly, eating meat causes more harm than it does good. From now on, individuals
should avoid eating meat and other animal products to protect their own health and the health of the
environment.

4. Editing for Slang and Informality

Beginning writers sometimes use words and phrases that are inappropriate for academic writing. Slang,
including online “shorthand” (e.g., “LOL” for “laugh out loud”), are almost always inappropriate. Slang is
language that does not conform to standard English usage.

EXAMPLE Don't refer to someone as “emo” in an essay, even if that's the quickest way to describe that
person. Similarly, don't refer to a car as a “ride,” or to someone who behaved erratically as “nuts”—not
because your audience wouldn't understand what you've written, but because academic writing uses formal
language to communicate with a scholarly audience.
Some instructors (and some assignments) disapprove or disallow the use of contractions (e.g., “won't” or “can't”)
and the use of the personal pronoun “I” because they are informal. Still, writers can and do establish a unique,
natural voice and style, even when limited to formal terminology.

Sometimes academic writers have stylistic reasons for using slang and other informal language. However, they
must be able to defend this usage if/when it is challenged (e.g., by an instructor or other academic reader). All
writers working in a scholarly context should remove slang and informal words and phrases from their work and
replace them with terms that meet the standards and expectations of written English (and, when applicable, the
requirements of an assignment).

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 34
 Suppose that a student turned in an essay that began with the following paragraph. Would it benefit from careful
editing?

Every time you logon, you are representing yourself digitally. For that reason, it's important that you keep
your feed free of questionable content. Otherwise, people might unfriend you, or you could lose followers.
Or, even worse yet, trolls might start to comment inappropriate and hurtful things. It's just something to
think about, IMO.

This paragraph introduces the writer's position regarding the subject; however, it does so in a way that is not
appropriate for an academic audience. Read the following version (with the changes in bold), which makes the
same argument, in a way that is more appropriate for academic readers.

Every time you log in, you are representing yourself digitally. For that reason, it is important that you keep
your profile free of questionable content. Otherwise, people might ignore you, or you could lose
connections. Or, even worse yet, bullies might start to comment inappropriate and hurtful things. These are
important considerations when using social media.

5. Editing Word Choice for Meaning

It is important for writers, especially beginning writers or writers who are working in an unfamiliar genre, to
carefully check their drafts to ensure that they have used words that they mean to use and have avoided
misspelling and homonym errors. Regarding the latter, homonym errors have become more common as
mistyped words that are spelled correctly are skipped by spell-checking programs (e.g., a spell-checking
program will not tell you when you've typed “principal” instead of “principle”).

Additionally, writers must consider the connotations and denotations of their words, especially when
substituting a new word to increase the variety of their word choices. As you learned in a previous lesson,
denotation is the literal meaning of a word—the dictionary definition, as it is sometimes called. Connotation,
meanwhile, is the suggested meaning of a word, based on implication or the cultural or emotional associations
attached to the word.

IN CONTEXT

Think about the word “cheap.” This word has a definite denotative meaning, which is simply to
represent something that is inexpensive. The connotations of “cheap” are quite different—when
talking about clothing quality, “cheap” indicates a lesser quality fabric. When talking about a person’s
spending habits, someone who is “cheap” doesn’t like to spend much.

Other words like “sweet” also have different denotative and connotative meanings. Though “sweet”

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 35
 typically denotes something that tastes sugary, the connotation of the word often indicates something
good or positive (e.g., “a sweet deal”). “Pour” is another term like this. Its denotative meaning is liquid
flowing in a steady stream, but we often use the connotation of the word “pour” to discuss work
pouring in, which indicates too much work is coming in at once.

As you can see, it's important for writers to be aware of both denotative and connotative meanings in order to
control the impact of their words.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Connotation
The suggested meaning of a word, based on implication, cultural association, or emotional association.

Denotation
The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned about the different ways in which you can address word choice during the
editing process. Editing for word repetition involves removing or replacing words that you repeat too
frequently. Editing word choice for audience involves considering your target audience and how they
might respond to your tone and the words you use. Editing word choice for clarity involves removing
overly complex words in order to make your point in a more concise way. Editing for slang and
informality involves ensuring that your words are appropriate for an academic context. Finally, editing
word choice for meaning involves choosing the right words to convey what you actually intend.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Connotation
The suggested meaning of a word, based on implication, cultural association, or emotional association.

Copyediting
The act of improving the sentence construction, word choice, and the overall style of an essay or other
piece of writing.

Denotation
The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 36
 Editing Sentences
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about the editing process and several areas to focus on when editing your
sentences to be as clear and effective as possible. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Editing for Language in Sentences
1a. Wordiness
1b. Vague Language
2. Editing for Sentence Completeness
3. Editing for Sentence Variation
4. Editing for Syntax

1. Editing for Language in Sentences

Remember that editing is improving the sentences, word choices, and overall style of an essay or other piece of
writing. Style refers to the way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure. As you may
remember from an earlier lesson, tone is a writer's attitude toward the subject of a piece of writing.

Considering all of these areas together means that editing is about making the writing itself better, not
necessarily focusing on the big ideas that the content covers. You’re looking at words and sentences—the
building blocks of the essay.

 TERM TO KNOW

Style
The way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

1a. Wordiness
One common issue is wordiness, which is using too many words to make a point. This is the opposite of the
precise, concise language that you’re aiming for.

Wordy writing often includes redundancies, which occur when you use two or even more words or phrases to
express the same idea or make the same point. In other words, this is when you’re saying the same thing in
multiple ways.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 37
 EXAMPLE The two senators should collaborate together on a shared project.
“Collaborate” means “work together,” so it’s redundant to say “collaborate together.” You can’t collaborate
alone. And this sentence goes one step further, adding more redundancy with “a shared project.” Can you
collaborate on a project you’re not sharing? This kind of phrasing dilutes your writing unnecessarily, so why not
just say: The two senators should collaborate.

EXAMPLE The family is in the process of moving.

The word “moving” implies that there’s a process. Saying that you’re in the process of being in the process of
moving is redundant. You could just say: The family is moving.

EXAMPLE In spite of the fact that I don't like orange juice...

This is a dependent clause that seems to be operating as the opening phrase for a sentence. This is a prime
example of wordiness and could be put more concisely: Although I don't like orange juice...

 TERM TO KNOW

Wordiness
The use of too many words to make a point.

1b. Vague Language

Another common pitfall for writers is vague language, which is overly general and nonspecific language. Again,
this is the opposite of the precise and specific language that you’re hoping to use.

EXAMPLE It is much more interesting for a reader to see the sentence “Watching fireworks engages
every sense as you hear the pops of the explosions, are dazzled by the colors, and smell the acrid tang of
the explosive powder” than the sentence “Watching fireworks is interesting.”
The first sentence is specific and expressive, while the second sentence is vague and kind of dull.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: Study skills are helpful for students.

What makes this sentence vague? +

The word “helpful,” for one, could be much more specific. How helpful are study skills, and in what way
are they helpful? Will these skills help the students’ grades, fashion sense, or ability to fly? The
sentence doesn’t say which, so it’s too vague.

How could you change the vague language in this sentence to make it more specific and clearer? +

You could make the adjective itself stronger, and also make the whole context clearer: Study skills are
beneficial for student grades.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 38
  TERM TO KNOW

Vague Language
Language that is overly general and nonspecific.

2. Editing for Sentence Completeness

When editing, it is important for writers to review their work to find and correct incomplete and run-on
sentences. Although this task may seem like proofreading for grammar and mechanics, which you'll learn more
about later, it's important to perform while editing.

 HINT

Proofreading focuses on correcting typos and similar mistakes. The purpose of editing is to improve clarity
and style. This is the difference between the two, even though while editing, you sometimes correct
problems in word use, punctuation, and areas addressed during other steps in the writing process.
Read the following passage from a sample essay:

I didn't like Beloved much I didn't get what was going with the girl Beloved. She was a ghost, but Sethe
didn't know that, it seems. Odd to think about. Still, I thought the book would have been better if Toni
Morrison kept it more realistic.

Now read the following version, in which a couple of sentences have been edited to improve clarity, style, and
mechanics:

I didn't like Beloved much because I didn't understand what was going on with the girl, Beloved. She was a
ghost, but it seems Sethe didn't know that. This is odd to think about, but I still thought the book would
have been better if Toni Morrison had kept it more realistic.

Only a few changes have been made, but the passage flows better. Readers of the edited version don't need to
struggle with the run-on sentence at the beginning of the original paragraph, or the sentence fragment towards
the end of it. The impact of the argument is improved, even without substantial changes.

3. Editing for Sentence Variation

Repetitive sentences are a problem for some writers. Sentence variation—alternating long, short, simple, and
complex sentences, and changing the beginnings of sentences—can help to maintain readers' interest.

Sentence variation also enables writers to express their ideas in a number of dynamic ways. When all or most
sentences in a work are the same, the ideas they convey may be difficult to tell apart. When editing, review your

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 39
 sentences for variation, and reposition sentences that seem repetitive due to their structure or placement.

Read the following paragraph from a report on a survey of the opinions of women who live near the
construction site of a new power plant:

The first thing we did was gather data from women in our class. The second thing we did was gather data
from women walking around campus. The third thing we did was expand to the neighborhoods nearby. We
did this by putting flyers on the doors of each house, with the questions from our survey and the email to
send responses to. We did this because we wanted to get some information from women beyond the
school. We didn't want to just have data from college students, but every woman who has to live within the
range of the proposed power plant.

The structure of these sentences makes the reading a bit boring. Many of them are of similar length and
complexity, and most begin in the same way. Now read this edited version:

We gathered information from three groups: first, the women in our class, followed by a sample of women
surveyed on campus, and finally, women living in the surrounding neighborhood. In order to reach the
surrounding areas, we put flyers on the doors, along with an invitation to complete the survey online. We
did this because we wanted to get data not only from college students, but from all women who live within
range of the proposed power plant.

The first, second, and third sentences were combined and modified, resulting in one longer and more complex
sentence that conveys the information more effectively. The beginnings of a couple of the other sentences
were also edited to reduce repetition (e.g., the overuse of “we” in the original paragraph). One sentence was
removed because, when information was added to the last sentence, it was no longer needed.

4. Editing for Syntax

Syntax is the formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form
sentences. It is necessary to understand syntax in order to understand the relationship between structure and
style. When editing, writers should evaluate syntax and its impact on the style and tone of their work.

Though you may not have realized it, you've already edited for syntax because it's impossible to change the
structure of a sentence—to make it more complete, or to vary its relationship to other sentences—without
thinking about (and changing) word order. Editing for syntax also involves assessment of how a sentence's
syntax contributes to the style of the entire work.

 HINT

When you review your work, consider whether any sentences are out of place in terms of style, or with
respect to your goals, tone, or voice. If you identify any problems, you know what to do: edit!

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 40
  TERM TO KNOW

Syntax
The formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form sentences.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that the editing stage in the writing process involves editing for language in
sentences. Some common issues to look for are wordiness, or using too many words to make a point,
and vague language, or language that is too general and nonspecific.

You also learned that writers must make sure that each sentence effectively contributes to the style and
clarity of their work. This involves the process of editing for sentence completeness so that incomplete
and run-on sentences are corrected, and editing for sentence variation so that alternating sentence
structures maintain readers' interest. Finally, you learned that editing for syntax is important because
the way in which words are ordered impacts the style, tone, and voice of a written work.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Style
The way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

Syntax
The formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form sentences.

Vague Language
Language that is overly general and nonspecific.

Wordiness
The use of too many words to make a point.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 41
 Using Proofreading Skills
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about the role of proofreading in the writing process, as well as how to
effectively practice proofreading skills. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. What Is Proofreading?
2. When and How to Proofread
3. Proofreading in Action

1. What Is Proofreading?
Proofreading is the last of the steps in the writing process. It involves the identification and correction of errors
in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and formatting. Even though the two previous steps in the process,
revising and editing, sometimes involve proofreading tasks, this step is most effective when it is performed
separately.

Remember, revising is re-envisioning and rethinking the ideas, organization, and structure of a written work;
editing is improving style through word choice and sentence structure. Proofreading focuses on details that
include punctuation and spelling, but it does not address the broader questions that are asked during the
revising and editing steps.

During proofreading, check your work for (and correct) the following errors:

Spelling errors and typos, including mistyped and incorrectly used words that spell- and grammar-check
programs often miss
Errors in capitalization
Errors in punctuation, including the misuse of commas, semicolons, etc.
Errors in grammar and syntax, including incomplete and run-on sentences, missing or misplaced words, and
awkward sentence structure
Errors in quotation format in the body of the text
Errors in citation in the body of the text (e.g., referring to other writers by their first names only) and in the
reference page or bibliography
Errors in document format (e.g., margins, font, font size, and anything else required by assignment
instructions or submission guidelines)

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 42
  HINT

Spell-check programs are useful but limited. Writers should not depend on them to remove all errors, as
these programs will skip words that have been used incorrectly but are spelled correctly.

 TERM TO KNOW

Proofreading
The act of fixing errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, commonly confused
words, and formatting in an essay or other piece of writing.

2. When and How to Proofread

It's common for writers to proofread throughout the writing process. However, even writers who proofread as
they go should include a final step in their process that is devoted exclusively to proofreading. This last step is
necessary because, no matter how impressive the ideas presented in a written work may be, they are often not
well received by editors, instructors, and other readers who encounter technical/mechanical errors.

Time spent proofreading, therefore, is critical to the success (or failure) of a written work. Even when you've
carefully completed all of the previous steps in the writing process, your work may not accomplish your purpose
if you don't take the time, and make the effort, to proofread.

As a result of its technical focus, proofreading is the one step in the writing process when you can allow another
person to help you with your project. This approach is in some ways similar to using a spell- or grammar-check
program to check your work. However, allowing another person to actually make changes to your work is a bad
idea. If that person's changes impact any other part of the writing process, your work may be considered
dishonest and, perhaps, plagiarized.

Instead, if you need help proofreading, ask a friend or tutor to identify and explain the errors they find. Based
on their explanations, you can decide what to do about them (e.g., to make changes or not). By doing so, you'll
avoid any dishonesty, including plagiarism. This approach can also be a good way to learn how to proofread so
that you'll be confident enough to perform this step yourself on future projects.

3. Proofreading in Action
Read the following paragraph and see if you can spot all of the typos and errors in punctuation, grammar, or
syntax:

Many people agree on the fact that playing sports is good for the humane body. Sports are fun, active ways
to engage in teamwork and exercise. Yet, not everybody is included in most sports clubs, teams, and
competitions. This, can be considered prejudicial! One example of this is the modern marathon. Almost
150 years ago, the first marathon was held during the Olympic games in athens. At that time, marathons

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 were men-only races; women were not permitted to compete. However, these days, marathons are
accessible for all: men, women, people with disabilities, and people of all different ages. In 1967, Kathrine
Switzer ran the Boston Marathon, protesting the ban on female runners likewise Dick Traum became the
first person with an amputation to compete when he ran in the 1976 New York City Marathon. These
fundamental changes could only have been achieved by the actions of passionate people

Did you find five problems? If not, don't worry. Like writing itself, proofreading takes lots of practice. Here is the
version that resulted from proofreading. Note the bold parts, which correspond to the changes outlined below:

Many people agree on the fact that playing sports is good for the human body. Sports are fun, active ways
to engage in teamwork and exercise. Yet, not everybody is included in most sports clubs, teams, and
competitions. This can be considered prejudicial! One example of this is the modern marathon. Almost 150
years ago, the first marathon was held during the Olympic games in Athens. At that time, marathons were
men-only races; women were not permitted to compete. However, these days, marathons are accessible
for all: men, women, people with disabilities, and people of all different ages. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer ran
the Boston Marathon, protesting the ban on female runners. Likewise, Dick Traum became the first person
with an amputation to compete when he ran in the 1976 New York City Marathon. These fundamental
changes could only have been achieved by the actions of passionate people.

In the first sentence, the writer misused the word “humane,” so it was changed to “human,” which is clearly the
word that was intended. An unnecessary comma was removed after “this” to begin the fourth sentence. The
writer also failed to capitalize the “a” in “Athens” in the fifth sentence. The eighth sentence was a run-on
sentence, so it was split into two sentences in order to flow more smoothly and logically. Finally, the writer
forgot to add a period after “people” in the final sentence.

It's a good idea to proofread everything you write, even short paragraphs in which ideas are fairly well
developed (like this one). By doing so, you'll reduce the possibility of passing along flawed content to readers,
and perhaps spare yourself some embarrassment.

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that proofreading is the final stage in the writing process when writers look
for and correct errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and formatting. When and how to proofread
are ultimately up to the writer, but it is best to proofread after revising and editing has taken place, and
to make sure you don't rely on spell-check programs alone. You also looked at an example of
proofreading in action to get a better sense of how this process works.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 44
  TERMS TO KNOW

Proofreading
The act of fixing errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, commonly confused
words, and formatting in an essay or other piece of writing.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 45
 Commonly Confused Words
by Sophia

 WHAT'S COVERED

In this lesson, you will learn about some of the most frequently misused, confused, and misunderstood
words in the English language, and how to select the correct words when writing. Specifically, this
lesson will cover:
1. Commonly Confused Words
1a. Affect/Effect
1b. Its/It’s
1c. Your/You’re
1d. Then/Than
1e. There/Their/They’re
1f. To/Too/Two
1g. Sight/Site/Cite

1. Commonly Confused Words

You probably know that there are some words in the English language that are commonly used but easy to mix
up. These are called commonly confused words, which are words that are homophones (they sound alike) but
have different meanings and different spellings.

Because so many words get confused in English, this tutorial will just cover the worst of the worst—the most
common culprits of so many incorrect sentences. If you get used to spotting these words, you'll be better able
to catch errors while you proofread your writing.

 TERM TO KNOW

Commonly Confused Words

Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.

1a. Affect/Effect
“Affect” is most often a verb, meaning to change or influence something.

EXAMPLE This headache affects my ability to read.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 46
 “Effect,” on the other hand, is most often a noun, meaning a result.

EXAMPLE The effect of this headache is that I can’t read.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: The hurricane effected many homes in the region.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

The answer is no. Look at how the word is working in the sentence. The hurricane is doing something
to those homes, so you know that this should be an action word, a verb, and therefore that you’re
looking for “affect.”

Consider the following sentence: The affects of the hurricane were visible everywhere.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

If you look at what function the word is playing, you can again see which word you need here. In this
sentence, there is something that is visible everywhere, so you need a thing. Nouns describe people,
places, and things. Thus, you want the noun form, “effect.”

1b. Its/It’s
When you say “it’s” with an apostrophe, you’re indicating a contraction: “it is” or “it has.”

EXAMPLE The thermometer shows that it’s cold in the house.

You could write “it is cold in the house” and mean the same thing, so that tells you that you’re using the
apostrophe to indicate the combination of those two words.

When you say “its” without an apostrophe, however, you’re using a possessive pronoun.

EXAMPLE Its temperature was low.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: Its time we went to see the monkey house at the zoo.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

You’re trying to imply that you need to get to the monkey house at the zoo—that it is time to go. Thus,
that “its” should have an apostrophe to show that you are contracting “it” and “is.”

Consider the following sentence: The monkey house has been renovated; it's new name is The Monkey

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 47
 Experience.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

Does it make sense to say, “it is new name is?” No. Thus, this should be “its” without the apostrophe.
The name belongs to “it.”

One good trick is to replace any instance of “its” with “it is.” If the sentence still makes sense, then you have the
contraction and should use the apostrophe. If not, then you have the possessive pronoun “it” and should lose
that apostrophe.

1c. Your/You’re
Here is another instance of apostrophe confusion. “You’re” is the contraction of “you are.”

EXAMPLE You’re going to the beach today.

“Your,” on the other hand, indicates the possessive pronoun.

EXAMPLE Your trip to the beach starts today.

The trick to remembering this is to again think about the contraction. If “you are” makes sense in your sentence,
then you’ve got the contraction form. If it doesn’t, just go for “your.”

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: You're time at the beach is over.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

It wouldn’t make sense to say, “You are time at the beach.” So, you need the possessive version.

Consider the following sentence: Your tan after all that time at the beach.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

In this case, using the wrong form of the word actually makes the sentence pretty confusing. You end
up with the implication that this sentence is about your tan, and the whole meaning falls apart. Your tan
after all that time at the beach is what? You might guess here that what is actually intended is “you are,”
giving the sentence a much clearer meaning.

1d. Then/Than
“Then” is usually an adverb meant to show the passage of time or the order of things.

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 48
 EXAMPLE The snow stopped, so then I went out to shovel.
“Than,” on the other hand, makes a comparison between things.

EXAMPLE My driveway seemed to have more snow than my neighbor’s driveway.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: We need to develop our pictures than frame them.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

You see here that this “than” is comparing things. Does that make sense in this context? No, because
this sentence is about a timeline. First you develop pictures, then you frame them.

Consider the following sentence: I'd rather go to the frame shop then the photo shop, since the photo shop
is so far away.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

Again, you can see some multiple meanings come up here. This could mean, “I’d rather go first to the
frame store and then to the photo shop.” But based on the whole construction and context, you might
guess that this speaker would rather go to the shop they are closer to than they would the photo shop.
Thus, you can infer that this author intends “than.”

1e. There/Their/They’re
“There” is an adverb; it’s about location.

EXAMPLE The backpack is over there.

It can also be used as a placeholder.

EXAMPLE There is no one with the backpack now.

“Their” is another possessive pronoun, so it’s about ownership.

EXAMPLE Their backpacks are on the grass.

“They’re” is a contraction for “they are.”

EXAMPLE They’re sitting on the grass now.

The trick once again is to start by un-contracting the word. Do you mean “they are?” If so, use that contraction. If
not, ask yourself if the next word in the sentence belongs to someone. If it does, then you have possession and
want “their.” If not, then you’ve got the adverb working for you, so check that your sentence denotes space.

 TRY IT

© 2024 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 49
 Consider the following sentence: They're is no one answering there telephone, so their probably not home.

Are the underlined words used correctly? +

“They are is.” That doesn’t make sense, so which version of the word should you use? You can’t own
“is,” so this shouldn’t be possessive. That means you need “there,” indicating some kind of location.

At the next spot in the sentence, you see “there telephone.” That telephone is an object, so are you
describing ownership? The phone belongs to them—you need to use “their.”

Could you substitute “they are” in the last spot? “They are probably not home” makes sense. This
doesn’t indicate possession or place, so you should have the contraction form “they’re” here.

1f. To/Too/Two
“Two” is the written form of the numeral 2, so it indicates the amount of two.

EXAMPLE There are two bears in our tent.

“Too,” on the other hand, indicates excess or addition.

EXAMPLE There are too many bears here.

The basic “to” is a preposition indicating movement.

EXAMPLE I must get to my car and escape these bears.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: There are two many cooks in here; some need too leave the kitchen.

Are the underlined words used correctly? +

Starting at the end this time, does “too leave” make sense? Can you have multiple or additional
leaving? No. Instead, this is probably telling some cooks to leave the kitchen. You thus want the form of
“to.”

Then you have “two many.” Would you usually use numerals that way to say, “I have three many
cookies?” No. The “many” is telling you that this is about excess. You need “too.”

Now consider whether this sentence is indicating movement, excess, or numbers: I have to cooks left in
the kitchen, which is just right.

This seems like it’s telling you that the correct amount of cooks for this kitchen is two, so you want the
numeral form “two.”

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 1g. Sight/Site/Cite
“Cite” is a verb, meaning to quote as an authority.

EXAMPLE I will cite Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in my paper.
“Sight” is a noun referring to something that is seen.

EXAMPLE The March on Washington would have been an amazing sight.

Finally, “site” is a noun describing a particular location.

EXAMPLE I would like to go to the site of the March someday.

 TRY IT

Consider the following sentence: I can't find the cite of the party on this map.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

Here you’re trying to find a location; you’re not looking for a bibliography. Thus, you want to use “site.”
Remember, when in doubt, look at the part of speech. If you can remember that “cite” is a verb, then
you can tell that it doesn’t make sense in this context.

Consider the following sentence: The decorations at this party are a beautiful site.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

Here you’re describing another noun, something beautiful. “Site” is a noun, but are those decorations a
location? No, they’re objects, such as streamers and balloons. You’re looking at these decorations, and
therefore the word should be “sight.”

Consider the following sentence: If I copy these decorations, I'll sight the hostess as my inspiration.

Is the underlined word used correctly? +

Here you’re using a verb because you will be doing something—crediting the hostess. Therefore, you
want the verb version, “cite.”

 SUMMARY

In this lesson, you learned that the English language has many commonly confused words. These are
words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Some of the most frequent
examples of these words are affect/effect, its/it’s, your/you’re, then/than, there/their/they’re, to/too/two,

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 and sight/site/cite.

With many of these words, the key to selecting the correct version in a sentence is to consider the part
of speech of the word and the context around it. Although these are not the only instances of commonly
confused words that you will encounter in writing, knowing the differences between these few is a
great start and will give you the skills to identify other word choice errors.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE.

 TERMS TO KNOW

Commonly Confused Words

Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.

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 Terms to Know
Active Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the subject of the sentence—the person
or thing performing the action.

Audience
The intentional or unintentional reader(s) of a text.

Commonly Confused Words

Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.

Connotation
The suggested meaning of a word, based on implication, cultural association, or emotional
association.

Convention
In writing, a standard or tradition that is expected by readers.

Copyediting
The act of improving the sentence construction, word choice, and the overall style of an
essay or other piece of writing.

Denotation
The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

Feedback
Advice given in response to reading an essay or other writing project; typically intended to
lead to revision and a second or third draft that shows improvements over the first draft.

Genre
A broad or specific category of writing.

Passive Voice
A sentence construction in which the emphasis is on the object of the sentence—the person
or thing receiving the action.

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 Personal Style
The unique style of a particular writer.

Proofreading
The act of fixing errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, capitalization, punctuation,
commonly confused words, and formatting in an essay or other piece of writing.

Revising
The act of re-envisioning an essay or other writing project.

Style
The way a person writes, including word choice, tone, and sentence structure.

Synonym
A word that has the same meaning as, or a very similar meaning to, another word.

Syntax
The formation and ordering of words into sentences, as well as the study of how words form
sentences.

Tone
A writer's attitude toward a subject, as conveyed through a piece of writing.

Vague Language
Language that is overly general and nonspecific.

Wordiness
The use of too many words to make a point.

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