The definition of nefarious-“(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal”- does not make sense in this situation.The reason that this doesn’t work is because even though “nefarious” is a synonym for “bad” it does not fit the context.This is when having a dictionary available is extremely useful, as you will be able to look up the definition of the word and see if the synonym you are choosing fits the context. It is important to remember that synonyms are only words that are similar in meaning, not necessarily interchangeable Words have different connotations, or meanings, based on the situation. Similar to the above suggestion, to increase word choice, you want to start with a thesaurus to help you find other adjectives or phrases to improve your writing. Use a thesaurus and a dictionary together Alan Watts is an eminent figure among British philosophers.The threat of wildfires was imminent after meteorologists mentioned that temperatures would hit over 105 degrees.The threat of wildfires was eminent after meteorologists mentioned that temperatures would hit over 105 degrees.
A good strategy is to try the word out in spoken conversation to learn its nuances prior to including it in your writing. Use a dictionary to check the meaning of a new word or an online resource such as the Corpus of Contemporary American English, which shows how words and phrases are used in different contexts. What you want to avoid is incorrectly using a word that you’re unfamiliar with. The reporter received heavy criticism as her story was biased, and other journalists openly critiqued her methods.īe careful with words that you are unfamiliar with.The reporter received heavy criticism because her reporting was biased, and other reporters did not agree with her methods.One might not be using the same word, but when they use the same root of a word or similar notions within the same sentence, it causes repetition This may seem like a no-brainer, but repetition within a sentence is a common mistake and can quickly detract from the meaning of your writing. The film reviewers misunderstood the plot, which took away from the credibility of their critique.It really seemed quite possible that they basically misunderstood the plot of the entire film which essentially took away from the credibility of their critique.Using too many intensifiers/qualifiers can detract from the meaning of the sentence. A qualifier weakens or lessens the impact of a word or phrase in a sentence, while an intensifier strengthens or emphasizes the importance of a word or phrase in a sentence. Qualifiers and intensifiers are both modifiers to convey the opposite effect within a sentence. The findings of the study were not detailed.The findings of the study were unclear.The findings of the study were not very detailed.There is always a stronger adjective that you can use to replace the combination of the adverb, “very,” and its following adjective. The best way to improve your writing is to read and write often. Improving your writing skills does not require you to be a walking dictionary or have an extensive knowledge of English grammar rules and concepts. Get comfortable with getting outside suggestions and critiques.