When writing any sort of piece, whether it be an article or a report, using the right words can mean the difference between a compelling read and a tedious bore. Unnecessarily repeating words, even when they bear the correct meaning, can leave your writing bland and wanting in quality.
Take this paragraph as an example:
Gadget freaks, rejoice! The company has announced that the gadget will shoot videos in native HD resolution, which you can then stream to your HD-ready TV sets for full HD enjoyment.
Contrast it to this, which replaces repeated words across the text:
Gadget freaks, rejoice! The company has announced that the device will shoot videos in native 1080p resolution, which you can then stream to your HD-ready TV sets for a complete high-def viewing experience.
How many times can you repeat a word? Generally, avoiding use of the same word within the same sentence or the one immediately after it can endow your piece with added readability. In its place, you can use a pronoun or another term that carries the same meaning.
When trying to find words that can express the same idea, there’s no better tool to use than a thesaurus. Simply look for the word you’re intending to substitute and look for a suitable replacement. Many English grammar software applications come with a built-in thesaurus that you can use as reference while writing your piece. The software will also likely recognize excessive repetition in your text and suggest replacements from it.
This simple trick of avoiding use of the same words over and over can facilitate tremendous improvements in your writing. Try it today!
Tags: flow, improve flow of writing, improve writing flow, pronouns, thesaurus, word use, writing smoother
