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http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2014/04/02/a-small-exercise-that-will-improve-your-word-choice/

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Hemingway Editor makes your writing bold and clear.

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Here's a link regarding what words and phrases to use in an essay

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Useful Essay Words and Phrases

Certain words are used to link ideas and to signpost the reader the direction your line of reasoning is about to take, such as adding more emphasis, or introducing an alternative point of view.

Below is a selection of words used to link ideas, depending on the direction of your argument.

Adding more to a point already made
moreover; furthermore; again; further; what is more; in addition besides; above all; as well (as)
either; neither...nor; not only...but also; similarly; correspondingly; in the same way; indeed in fact; really; in reality, it is found that...
as for; as to; with respect to; regarding

Writing in lists
first(ly); second(ly); third(ly)
another; yet another; in addition; finally
to begin with; in the second place
moreover; additionally; also
next; then; and to conclude; lastly; finally

Putting the same idea in a different way
in other words; rather; or; better; in that case
to put it (more) simply
in view of this; with this in mind
to look at this another way

Introducing examples
that is to say; in other words
for example; for instance; namely; an example of this is
and; as follows; as in the following examples; such as; including especially; particularly; in particular; notably; chiefly; mainly; mostly

Introducing an alternative viewpointUseful Essay Words and Phrases

Certain words are used to link ideas and to signpost the reader the direction your line of reasoning is about to take, such as adding more emphasis, or introducing an alternative point of view.

Below is a selection of words used to link ideas, depending on the direction of your argument.

Adding more to a point already made
moreover; furthermore; again; further; what is more; in addition besides; above all; as well (as)
either; neither...nor; not only...but also; similarly; correspondingly; in the same way; indeed in fact; really; in reality, it is found that...
as for; as to; with respect to; regarding

Writing in lists
first(ly); second(ly); third(ly)
another; yet another; in addition; finally
to begin with; in the second place
moreover; additionally; also
next; then; and to conclude; lastly; finally

Putting the same idea in a different way
in other words; rather; or; better; in that case
to put it (more) simply
in view of this; with this in mind
to look at this another way

Introducing examples
that is to say; in other words
for example; for instance; namely; an example of this is
and; as follows; as in the following examples; such as; including especially; particularly; in particular; notably; chiefly; mainly; mostly

Introducing an alternative viewpoint
by contrast; another way of viewing this is; alternatively; again; rather; one alternative is; another possibility is on the one hand...on the other hand
conversely; in comparison; on the contrary; in fact; though; although

Returning to emphasise your earlier viewpoint
however; nonetheless; in the final analysis; despite x; notwithstanding x; in spite of x while x may be true, nonetheless
although; though; after all; at the same time; on the other hand; all the same; even if x is true; although x may have a good point

Showing the results of something
therefore; accordingly; as a result
so, (then,) it can be seen that
the result is; the consequence is
resulting from this; consequently; now
we can see, then, that; it is evident that
because of this; thus; hence; for this reason; owing to x; this suggests that; it follows that in other words; otherwise; in that case; that implies

Summing up or concluding
therefore; so, my conclusion is
in short; in conclusion; to conclude; in all; on the whole
to summarise; to sum up briefly; in brief; altogether; overall; thus; thus we can see that

Useful phrases to introduce quotations

* as X points out,...
* According to X,...
* To quote from X, '...'
* X states/suggests that...
* X tells/shows us that...
* In an article...

References: Stella Cottrell The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2003)
Useful words and phrases found in research reading
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Useful Essay Words and Phrases - 67250 Words

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Useful Essay Words and Phrases Certain words are used to link ideas and to signpost the reader the direction your line of reasoning is about to take, such as adding more emphasis, or introducing an alternative point of view. Below is a selection of words used to link ideas, depending on the direction of your argument.

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Some tips on how to be a better writer.

https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-simple-ways-to-become-a-better-writer

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Here's a website explaining the correct words to use in an essay: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/

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Said is Dead http://www.sd47.bc.ca/school/pie/Students/Documents/%27Said%20is%20Dead%27%20Word%20List.pdf

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From the University of North Carolina

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How to improve on word choice and writing overall-

http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Writing-Skills

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Here is the link: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/word-choice/

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Showing how word choice affects tone, voice, attitude, and imagery. This also discusses how a words connotation affects greatly the way a reader feels as well as how to make more effective word choices.

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Here's a good power point regarding clarity

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Tips on becoming better writer

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/a-guide-to-becoming-a-better-writer-15-practical-tips.html

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http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/word-choice

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Steps to writing improvement

http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/WritingSkills.htm

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Rules for Better Writing

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(Flickr photo by Takashi Hososhima)

If You're Struggling to Write Better Business and Marketing Copy, Here Are Several General Writing Tips that Will Help You Focus Your Skills.

My friend, a middle-school teacher, tells a joke that goes like this:

He asked his students to write essays about their winter-break vacations. One student wrote, "My family went skiing. It was good."

My friend admonished him, "That's fine, but 'good' is such a bland word. Can't you think of something else that conveys the experience better? Try using a thesaurus to find a more exciting word than 'good.' "

After consulting the thesaurus, the student turned in his second attempt: "My family went skiing. It was an item for sale."

Ah, ah! Funny, right?

Well, maybe if you're a word nerd.

(If you don't get the joke: Of all the possible synonyms the student could've used, he chose one that made zero sense - at least in this sentence. Rather than substituting another adjective, say, "stupendous" or "satisfactory," he chose a different part of speech altogether - a noun, as in "goods and services.")

The lesson: Beware the thesaurus. You can use it when writing. Just be absolutely certain you understand the full meaning of your chosen synonym and the context before plugging it in. It can change the meaning of your sentence, and perhaps your entire email message or website, entirely.

That's one lesson we'll cover in this post.

Free trial on Treehouse: Do you want to learn more about starting your own business in web design and development? Click here to try a free trial on Treehouse.

As an editor for freelance writers and journalists, I've taught writing for several years to beginners, seasoned veterans and everyone in between. And along the way, I've continually run across common mistakes all writers, including me, commit.

In this guide, I'll tackle basic writing for business and marketing purposes, which isn't really that different than writing for publications. Most writing, at its core, is communicating information clearly to audiences - whether it's one person or millions.

If it's so simple, why do so many people get it so wrong?

We can usually trace writing mistakes back to breaking one of a handful of guidelines you should follow when writing nearly anything. I say "nearly anything" because this advice probably wouldn't suit presidential speechwriters, Russian novelists or haiku enthusiasts.

But it might suit you.

In the end, writing - even for marketing and business purposes - is an art, like painting or composing music. You can get better, but only by understanding and practicing solid techniques.

Here are some of them.

1. Be simple

Don't overwrite.

Construct clear and straightforward passages. Write shorter sentences. Write shorter paragraphs. You're not writing a novel or poem. Sure, you want a welcoming and attractive voice, but you're not trying to win the Man Booker Prize.

As you become a more comfortable and disciplined writer, you can experiment with varying your sentence length, weaving longer and shorter paragraphs together, and adding spice and nuance.

Structure is incredibly important, too. If you're writing something lengthy, consider creating an outline first that clears a path for you: the major points you want to make, where you want to make them and how they should relate to each other.

Many writers mistakenly focus only on individual sentences and ignore their larger structure. When they're done, there's nothing ostensibly wrong with each sentence, but the structure is a mess.

2. Be responsible

Answer to yourself.

You should be able to justify every word, phrase, sentence and paragraph - especially if what you're writing will live for a long time and be read by many. Often, you should ask yourself: Is this the word I really want to use? Do I understand its implications? You should also justify your structure: Maybe this sentence makes sense, but does it make sense in this location? Is it related to the passages near it? Will it confuse my readers?

3. Be yourself

Don't force it.

All writers have a natural voice - whether you're an accomplished wordsmith or not - and that voice should surface naturally when you write. If you're trying to write differently than you normally would, you're not being yourself - and then you leave yourself open to awkward phrases and unintentional mistakes.

For instance, I purposely vary my sentence and paragraph lengths, often following a long (but grammatically correct) sentence with a short, impactful one that often stands alone as its own paragraph. I frequently use alliteration, detailed lists and colorful anecdotes. These don't work for everyone.

I also use lots of em dashes (these things: -) when writing. And that's fine because that's part of my voice, and I understand when to use them. On the flip side, I detest ellipses (these things: ...) even though em dashes and ellipses are somewhat interchangeable. I'll even occasionally use a well-placed exclamation point, though my wife - also a writer - thinks I'm crazy.

It all comes down your style. (But I'd suggest you don't use ellipses. I think they're lazy!)

One caution: Don't let your voice muddle clarity. You can have both, but don't sacrifice understanding for cleverness.

Another caution: When I say "be yourself," I also mean that quite literally. Never steal someone else's writing or ideas and pass them off as your own. It can constitute plagiarism or copyright infringement. Always cite your sources and link to them.
More resources
Copyscape.com allows you to input large amounts of text into a form field that then uses Yahoo and Google APIs to find matches on the internet. This allows you to check whether someone else has used your work, or if you've unintentionally used someone else's words. Each search costs five cents. You can use Google or Yahoo searches to check your work. But it's tedious. You have to put chunks in quotes to search for matches.

4. Be your audience

Don't assume you make sense.

Remember that you're writing what you're writing because you think you understand it. Of course it makes complete sense to you! Shouldn't it make sense to everyone?

That's a mistake. Try to see your writing through someone else's eyes and ask: Does this really make sense? If you have the luxury of a second perspective, have a peer or two read it. If they're confused or have to ask you questions about what you mean, address those portions. They're likely right.

5. Be pitiless

Murder your darlings.

That old aphorism - sometimes attributed to William Faulker, Eudora Welty or Oscar Wilde, but probably coined by Arthur Quiller-Couch - simply means you'll often need to remove your favorite passages or words if you can't justify their presence. All writers have been there. We're in love with a phrase we've written, but it just doesn't fit. When that happens, kill it. Don't stress over shoving it in somewhere.

6. Be brief

Write it once.

Redundancy is a common mistake everyone makes. Writers often rewrite phrases, sentences and passages they've already written - just in different words. If they're lucky, their readers won't notice or care. What's worse, their readers will become frustrated or angry because they may feel like they're wasting their time. Even worse than that: They get bored. They'll give up and close your site.

I have zero scientific evidence to support this, but here's my theory: Too-verbose writers create redundant passages because they subconsciously think they didn't explain it well the first time.

If you find redundancies in your writing, ask yourself: Where did I explain this already, and did I explain it clearly?

7. Be tight

Squeeze out the flotsam.

Tightening is one of the best things you can do as a writer. There are a few steps I follow when tightening. First I look for major structural redundancies: What sections are similar and can be combined? Sometimes I can eliminate an entire paragraph.

Then I look for passages and sentences that can be removed or combined with others. Ask yourself: Am I saying the same thing again? If so - or even if it's close to the same thing - I consider removing it.

Last, I look for words I can remove without changing my meaning. This can trim your writing significantly and leave you with something fresh, clear and simple.

8. Be correct

Read what you wrote.

Then read it again.

And then read it again.

And always run a spelling, punctuation and grammar check. Microsoft Word is still the best spellchecker around, but because it's a bit pricey, you can often find free tools like Google Docs (although it won't check grammar) that suffice.

Check for commonly misused homonyms, too. These are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings - like "their," "there" and "they're," or "it's" and "its."

Also, be wary of shorthand, emoticons or emojis. We've all seen them: LOL, b4, ttyl, ppl and the rest. Sometimes they may make sense, but be careful and consider your audience.
More resources
This list from Weber State University contains common mistakes every writer should know, including homonyms, misused words and problem phrases.

Here's a list of common mistakes - and how to avoid them - I compiled for Treehouse writers.

Grammar Girl, aka Mignon Fogarty of QuickandDirtyTips.com, is another excellent resource for those pesky grammar and punctuation problems.

9. Be courteous

Write for your grandma.

This mostly applies to emails and other communication. Remember that written words can't carry voice inflection, body language or any other modifying treatments. Therefore, you can't control as easily how someone will react to what you write. What sounds cheerful to you may sound snide to your reader.

Put another way: Your audience can react negatively, even if what you mean is written with the best intentions. When you're corresponding with a client, a boss or a coworker, be cautious and write with professionalism.

Try to include a salutation - "Hi Tim," - whenever you can. Always end with a "Thanks, Tim" or "Best, Tim" or similar sign-off. These common courtesies are short and free, and they can mean a great deal to the receiver.

Also be wary of writing too much from your mobile phone or tablet. The convenience these devices provide can also be a pitfall and lead you to crafting curt and possibly discourteous replies. If you must use a mobile device, try to include a salutation and "thank-you" sign-off or at least your name. Always check your spelling, grammar and punctuation. And read it for autocorrect errors. Then read it again.

10. Be prompt

Don't put off responses.

We're often tempted to read emails immediately but not respond until later. If you've told someone you will email her by Tuesday, email her by Tuesday. The same goes for promised communications or work you've done.

11. Be focused

Remove distractions.

If you find yourself having a hard time concentrating on your writing or proofreading, try removing all distractions. Turn off the TV, radio, music or anything that provides auditory distractions. You may think you're just reading, writing and looking at your work - but you're actually hearing it. Any competition can negatively affect your work, and unless you've been immersed in loud working environments - like a newspaper, a stock exchange or a nitroglycerin plant - your mind's likely to wander. (If you want to work with music, play it softly and consider songs that don't have lyrics, such as classical or electronic music. You may love the Beatles, but Paul McCartney will fight your inner monologue.)

If you're still having trouble and find yourself missing easy mistakes, read aloud what you wrote and visually focus on each word as you go along. Hearing it aloud will help you spot missed or incorrect words.

You might also give it an hour or a day. Return to your writing after a break. You'll catch mistakes if you give yourself a rest.

This guide isn't exhaustive, of course. Learning to be a better writer takes years. The best advice I've learned is this: Read a lot. Write a lot. Scour the web for the type of writing you want to do. See what others are writing and how it affects you as a reader.

With consistent and practiced effort, you'll improve.

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11 Rules for Better Writing, or How Not to Use a Thesaurus - Treehouse Blog

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(Flickr photo by Takashi Hososhima) My friend, a middle-school teacher, tells a joke that goes like this: He asked his students to write essays about their winter-break vacations. One student wrote, "My family went skiing. It was good." My friend admonished him, "That's fine, but 'good' is such a bland word.

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An important way to improve your writing is to consider your choice of words. Good writers are careful to use precise language and avoid wordiness, cliches, and slang. In this workshop, you'll learn how to tighten up your writing by practicing good word choice.

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Phrase | Alternative
everyday life | can be cut completely or made specific. Consider: everyday life is very different for a college student and, say, a stock broker or homeless person!
in today's society | today, currently
pros and cons | advantages and disadvantages, costs and benefits
people | which ones? Be specific.
society | who is "society"? Too many alternates exist to list. Instead, be specific about which group of people is being considered
this day & age | today, presently

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http://literatureguides.weebly.com/improve-writing-by-improving-word-choice.html

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Making better word choices

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A source to help avoid cliches

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What is a cliché?

Here are some examples of familiar clichéd expressions:

We're still as sick as a parrot about the result.

When it's all said and done, at the end of the day, I can say I made a difference in the world.

The first comes from a newspaper, the second from the transcript of a television news programme.

Clichés are words and phrases that have been used so often that they're no longer very interesting or effective. They may have started out as a colourful, inventive phrase, like as sick as a parrot, but they've been picked up and used so widely and indiscriminately that they've lost their impact and become stale.

Clichés are part of our everyday speech - we often don't realize that we're using them. They also occur especially frequently in certain types of writing (such as journalism) or areas of activity (such as sport, business, or politics), as demonstrated by the two examples above.

What's wrong with using clichés?

When you're writing on a more formal level, it's better to try to avoid using clichés. They tend to annoy people, especially if they're overused, and they may even create an impression of laziness or a lack of careful thought. Some people just tune out when they hear a cliché and so they may miss the point that you're trying to make.

Here's a list of some common clichés to look out for and avoid:

at the end of the day

back on track

the fact of the matter

few and far between

a level playing field

in this day and age

to all intents and purposes

when all's said and done

in the final analysis

come full circle

par for the course

think outside the box

avoid someone or something like the plague

in the current climate

mass exodus

at this moment in time

the path of least resistance

a baptism of fire

in any way, shape, or form

fit for purpose

Action points

Once you've spotted a cliché in your writing, you need to rephrase your sentence.
Here are some tips and strategies to help you do this.

1. Think about what the cliché actually means

Think about the basic sense of the expression: what does it actually mean? You'll probably find that some key words come to mind either as synonyms or as 'ingredients' of the overall meaning. Now you can:
o use one of these key words to replace the cliché altogether
o look them up in a thesaurus to find other alternatives
If you find it difficult to come up with the basic meaning, try looking the cliché up in a dictionary. Then you can use the words in the dictionary definition as a starting point for finding suitable synonyms in a thesaurus.

2. Decide whether you actually need the expression at all

Quite a lot of clichés are just long-winded 'fillers', i.e. words or groups of words used just to maintain the flow of speech, or to pad out a speech or piece of writing. If you identify a clichéd expression of this sort, you can just remove it altogether. Wordy, overused phrases might increase the length of a piece of writing but they won't improve its general quality.

3. Rewrite your sentence

Here are some examples of how you might go about replacing clichés in your writing. First you'll see a sentence containing a cliché (in bold). The second column gives its meaning, with key words highlighted in bold, the third gives some suggestions for how to take action, and in the final column the original sentence is rewritten without the cliché.

The authorities announced that they would not tolerate drugs within the sport in any way, shape, or form.

under any circumstances

mainly used for emphasis and can be omitted without changing the meaning

The authorities announced that they would not tolerate drugs within the sport.

In the closing scene, the film comes full circle.

return to a previous position or situation

reword along the lines of the meaning

In the closing scenes, the film returns to the ideas with which it began.

Children's services in the city's hospitals were not fit for purpose, according to the report.

meet the required standards

reword using the meaning given, or find synonyms for the key words

Children's services in the city's hospitals were not meeting the required standards, according to the report

The company considers that this requirement is, to all intents and purposes, impossible to achieve.

in all important respects

mainly used for emphasis and can often be omitted

The company considers that this requirement is impossible to achieve.

Key points

While you probably can't avoid clichés altogether, remember:

Clichés can be a barrier to communication and clear expression.

Clichés can often be reduced to just one or two words that convey your meaning in a clearer or more original way.

Clichés can sometimes be removed completely without the meaning of a sentence being affected.

This guide on how and why to avoid cliches is taken from our Writing Skills section on the premium version of Oxford Dictionaries Online. Featuring accurate and clear guidance on grammar, spelling, and punctuation, the Writing Skills section also has indispensable advice on style and usage, including help on selecting the correct level of language for different situations.

Find out more about the premium version of Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Here are some examples of familiar clichéd expressions: We're still as sick as a parrot about the result. When it's all said and done, at the end of the day, I can say I made a difference in the world. The first comes from a newspaper, the second from the transcript of a television news programme.