Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

            The subject of chapter sixteen was writing with style. One of the first steps is to know the writing situation. The style of writing for a scholar would be different from the style of a news corporation. Writing concisely allows the readers to understand the content more easily. This can be achieved by removing unnecessary modifiers, removing unnecessary introductory phrases, and also eliminate stock phrases, which are phrases which can be condensed into a smaller number of words. Using active and passive voices effectively means to determine which is the most appropriate and use it. Active voices specify the actor; however that is not always important and sometimes is a hindrance. If this is the case, a passive voice may be more appropriate. If a consistent point of view is not obtained, reading can be quite difficult. Always maintaining the point of view will make a work easier to understand. Another important factor is to carefully choose words. Choosing the proper formality, specialized language, and the variety within the document allows the readers it is focused towards to understand the content more clearly. For polishing the writer’s style, varying the sentence structure allows the work to have a rhythm, and not be just a long boring paper. Effective transitions allow the reader to clearly move through the work. More variety in the words introducing an author and their work will cause them to stand out more in the eyes of the reader. To avoid sexist language, using words like “they,” allow the gender not to be specific, and therefore sexist language is avoided. In order to continue polishing writing style, consulting a handbook can help, as also can reading widely and observing the styles of other authors.