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Tag Archives: notes
Language/Writing Tip 24
Two quick tips: 1) In written English, don’t bother with “it seems TO ME.” “It seems” always shows your personal attitude. 2) The sentence lead-in “It can be seen that….” very soon clogs up the sentence. To save a few … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 23
Experiment with where you place your quotations. Compare the following: 1) “‘We’ve got him now!’ said Joe. ‘He can’t get down without being caught!’” vs. 2) “Joe said, ‘We’ve got him now! He can’t get down without being caught.’” vs. … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 22
Here are a three off-the-cuff tips for adding life to your writing: 1) Use adverbs when relating neutral information or citing other sources: Compare: “As Jones states, ‘Hamlet is a famous play.’” vs. “As Jones CORRECTLY states, ‘Hamlet is a … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 21
Another short one this week: The phrase “Until not a long time ago…” is less idiomatic than “until not long ago…” “Until not long ago, I cheered for Ptuj.” It’s obvious that “long ago” has to do with time, so … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 20
A short one: Drop the “I” in “As I mentioned earlier.” Just write: “As mentioned…” (Two further notes: Do not overuse this phrase. Also, see if you can drop the “earlier” – the past tense tells us not to fast-forward.) … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 19
Spot the stylistic problems in this passage: “Inspiration is something of a strength in this little text, and with that I’m thinking more or less of its rather positive qualities. The sentences are fairly short and, on the whole, clear, … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 18
Words, words, words, words. 1) “borrow” A bad joke is worth a lengthy explanation: “Can I borrow an egg?” “Will you return it?” If returning the item is not an option, “borrow” can sound strange. (Unlike native speakers, Slovenians rarely … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 17
Spot the howler in this sentence: “I have learned few things over the years,” said my dad, with a wistful and knowing look. Here, “few things” is a synonym for “I have learned virtually nothing…” Sometimes a missing article does … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 16
Don’t start two sentences in a row with the same word. An example: “Yet despite his frustrations, he never established his own institution, even though his reputation would have allowed him to do so. Yet since the 1990s, American education … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 15
Want to make your writing splendidly dull? No problem. Just repeat words, preferably vague ones: “The good thing about the novel is that it’s a good read.” Less obviously: “Something that we might consider is that some things are not … Continue reading