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Chapter 12: Word Perfect

The Importance of Vocabulary

To our way of thinking, there is always something astonishing about a person who encounters an unfamiliar word and doesn't have the curiosity to find out what it means. Oh, we're sorry-is that you we're talking about?

You may ask, "Why do I need these words?" We can only respond by saying that a rich vocabulary is like that top-of-the-line 100-crayon box. Instead of making do with just the plain "brown" you'd find in the 10-crayon box, you get "sepia" and "burnt umber." Just as that kind of variety will enable you to draw a more vivid picture, greater variety with word choice allows you to write in a way that attracts more interest and attention.

Building a better vocabulary is not rocket science. Simply keep a dictionary on hand whenever you're reading a book. Just as you are developing a richer vocabulary from the Word Smart feature of The Complete Student, so can you add to your vocabulary by maintaining your own index of words. When you find a new word that you regard as a "keeper"-jot it down on a 3 x 5 index card, along with its definition, and review your stack periodically. Obviously, another benefit of a good vocabulary is that it can boost your academic achievement. Your appropriate use of rich and varied words will distinguish your writing and you will be better prepared for standardized entrance examinations that you may be taking later in your academic career, like GREs or LSATs.

Spelling Demons

As you start to become more aware of your spelling, you may eventually tame those commonly misspelled words that are often referred to as spelling "demons." Take the test and see how you do with these:

Select the right choice

Accommodate/Accomodate
Independant/Independent
Irritible/Irritable
Accidentally/Accidently
Liason/Liaison
Privilege/Priviledge
Exceed/Excede
Irresistable/Irresistible
Tyrrany/Tyranny
Harrass/Harass
Receive/Recieve
Sieze/Seize
Wierd/Weird
Judgement/Judgment
Seperate/Separate

The correct answers are: 1. accommodate. 2. independent 3. irritable 4. accidentally 5. liaison 6. privilege 7. exceed 8. irresistible 9. tyranny 10. harass 11. receive 12. seize 13. weird 14. judgment 15. separate

Word Usage: The #1 Offender

It would be impossible to penetrate the complexities of English grammar in the limited amount of space we have here. Fortunately, we don't need to-that's what you have composition classes for. Instead, here is the #1 word usage problem and how to solve it.

Lie/Lay
This may well be the #1 usage problem, and it can confuse even erudite writers. You lay down a blanket on the grass, but you lie down on the blanket. The situation is complicated by whatever tense is being used. It really requires a chart to sort this out:

LIE	First person	Third person
present	I lie in bed.	She lies in bed.
past	I lay in bed.	She lay in bed.
Perfect form	I have lain in bed.	She has lain in bed.
Participle form	I am lying in bed.	She is lying in bed.

LAY	First person	Third person
present	I lay it down.	She lays it down.
past	I laid it down.	She laid it down.
Perfect form	I have laid it down.	She has laid it down.
Participle form	I am laying it down.	She is laying it down.

Note the word lain as the perfect form of lie. You may never have seen this word before and, frankly, it is not a word that we can ever remember having used in common parlance, but at least now, if and when you see it, you'll know what it is.

Preparation for Good Writing

Only 9 percent of time is spent writing. You must "P.R.E.P." for good writing. P.R.E.P. stands for Prewriting, Rough draft/rewriting, Editing, and Presentation, as described below.

Prewriting
Prewriting is listing all the things you know about your purpose for writing. It is an exploration, an adventure of the mind. After prewriting, you may decide that you need to research your topic further and that you're not ready to write after all.

Rough Draft/Rewriting
Rewriting is writing for meaning-a process of looking at and reflecting on your writing. You create new meaning when you reorganize your ideas and try to meet the needs of your reader. Rewriting produces new additions, and of course, subtractions-a total reorganization of your thoughts. Your thoughts should begin to flow more naturally and smoothly at this stage.

Editing
Editing, as opposed to rewriting, is "grooming" your writing for the final presentation. It deals with formatting, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Presentation
Preparatory steps can be considered preliminary or prerequisites for the final presentation of the product because the only draft the audience will see is the final product, the one for the public eye.

E-mail Etiquette

In the past, you might have written a letter, made a phone call, or typed a memo. Today you are more likely to communicate with friends, family, and coworkers by e-mail. E-mail is so fast and convenient that people often dash off messages without much thought or care. The result can be ineffective communication or worse, miscommunication.

Writing an E-mail Message
Here are some pointers for writing effective e-mail:

Use an informative subject line. That way, the recipient can easily see the topic of your message.
Start your message with a salutation, just as you would a written or typed letter.
Keep your message short and to the point. People don't like to do lots of reading on a computer.
Don't write anything you wouldn't want the whole world to see, because e-mail is not private. Your recipient may decide to forward your message to a large group of people. In addition, many companies routinely review and save employee e-mails, whether business or personal.
DON'T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO READ. THEY ARE ALSO CONSIDERED BAD MANNERS, LIKE SHOUTING.
Don't write "flame" e-mails-messages that are insulting and meant to hurt. Wait until you cool down to send any e-mail message.
As a courtesy, put your name at the end of your message. To make this easier, create signature blocks you can insert automatically.
Check and proofread your message.

Sending E-mail
Once your message is written and checked, think about the transmission options before you hit any keys.

Send CC copies of the message only to those who really need to see it.
Use BCC copies when you are sending a message to a group of people who don't know one another and who might not want their e-mail addresses seen by strangers.
Don't SPAM-send impersonal e-mail messages to large groups.

From Reaching Your Potential: Personal and Professional Development, 3rd edition by Robert K. Throop and Marion B. Castellucci. Copyright © 2004 Thomson Delmar Learning, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Writing Positive Messages

When the audience will be interested or willing, it is suggested that you use the direct approach.

Direct Approach: Main Idea First

Begin with the request or main idea.
Provide necessary details.
Close cordially and state the specific action desired.

In accordance with the direct plan, the main message is stated clearly and right at the start. The middle section conveys specific details. Close with a positive, pleasant attitude. You may choose to close with a reference to the good news or a look to the future. Offer help, if appropriate. Remember you want to maintain goodwill.

Writing Negative Messages

When the audience will be displeased, it is suggested that you use the indirect approach.

Indirect Approach: Main Idea Later

Begin with a neutral statement that acts as a transition to the reason for the bad news.
Give reasons why a negative answer is justified.
State the bad news (perhaps by implication) and a positive suggestion.
Close cordially.

The indirect plan consists of four steps, and you have probably used it many times to say something that might offend another person.

The first step in the indirect plan, the buffer, begins with a neutral statement that acts as a transition to the reason for the bad news.
The second step, explanation or reasons, allows you the opportunity to give reasons why a negative answer is justified. The reasons will flow naturally if you've done a good job of composing the buffer. It is important to explain why you have reached your decision before you explain what that decision is. If you present your reasons effectively, they will help convince the reader that your decision is justified and fair.
The third step, the bad news or the major idea, needs to be tactfully stated. Clearly state the negative news, but say it as painlessly as you can. Minimize the space or time devoted to it. Since the bad news is a logical outcome of the reasons you've given, your reader is psychologically prepared for it. State the bad news in a positive way. State it in the middle of a paragraph to de-emphasize it visually.
The fourth step, a positive close, is a cordial closing. End the message on a positive future-oriented note. Don't refer to or repeat the bad news. Don't apologize for the decision, and don't anticipate further problems.

Writing Persuasive Messages

When the audience will be uninterested or unwilling, use the plan for persuasive messages. This plan follows the indirect approach and is known as the AIDA plan-Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.

Indirect Approach: AIDA Plan

Begin by capturing attention.
Arouse interest.
Build desire.
Close by asking for action.

Begin by capturing attention. You must immediately "grab" the reader's attention. When you have the reader's attention, you must create interest and desire by offering your audience benefits, appealing to logic, emotion, and need. Close by asking for action. Persuasion is the process of changing people's attitude or influencing their actions; therefore close a persuasive message with an action ending that suggests a specific step the audience may take. Make the action easy.

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