Unit A - Use of English Flashcards
How many words should sentences be on average?
15 to 20.
Why is it important to make things easy to read?
Because the reader is under no obligation to read it - has to be easily absorbable from anywhere.
What are the dangers of using the passive voice?
- Longer sentence - does not get to the point.
2. Have to wait until the end of the sentence for the topic.
When is it acceptable to use the passive voice?
- When we don’t know who the actor is.
- When we know who the actor is but we wish to avoid blame.
- When the action, or person acted upon, is more important than the actor.
What is the active voice?
Actor + action = active.
What is the passive voice?
Object of action, then action, then actor = passive.
Why should we use details rather than generalities?
Because details provide a vivid, memorable picture of the story. Generalities are not clear.
What are the three ways to be brief when writing?
- Leave something out (trivial or irrelevant points)
- Write more tightly (no passenger words and phrases)
- Do both.
What can be a cause of unclear writing?
Ambiguity.
How can double meaning be resolved? (three points)
- Rewording sentence
- Using same words in a different order
- Adding punctuation
What is done to sentences that are too long?
Cut into two or three.
What is the stance on pronouns?
Should be clear to whom they refer.
What do prepositions signal and how should they be used?
Signal an additional idea and so must be used sparingly.
What does the ease of reading also depend upon?
Length of individual words.
The use of which two words can help avoid confusion?
‘Even’ and ‘only’
What is the stance on jargon and why?
Do not use. Meaningless to non-specialists.
What is the stance on technical terms?
Avoid or explain. Can add flavour to features but need to check if others understand.
What is the stance on buzzwords?
Fashionable but quickly become subject of parody. Use while they’re hot if you must but drop them quickly.
What is the stance on clichés, automatic adjectives, automatic verbs, and tautologies?
Always avoid.
What is the stance on puns?
Depends on editor. Avoid for internet publications as lacks SEO, aim for clever play on words, ideally should be fresh and original.
What is the stance on ‘tragedy’?
Don’t overdo it.
What is the significance of age?
It can contribute a lot to a story, illustrates it more, gives it more life.
What is wrong with adjectives such as ‘pretty’, ‘attractive’, ‘old’, etc?
They are subjective.
How are the words ‘youth’, ‘boy’, ‘girl’, and ‘teenager’ used?
Depends on story. About a boy band visit, 13-19 year-olds are teenagers. In court, youths and girls from 15 to 18. After 18, men and women. ‘Boy’ up to and including 14.
How old does a person have to be to use the word ‘elderly’?
70.
What should you avoid when writing sentences?
Inverted passages.
What are paragraph divisions usually based on in news reporting?
Typographical appearance or the way it sounds when read aloud.
Why should you avoid long paragraphs?
They are harder to read in newspapers or online and may cause the reader to stop reading.
What are the outside limits for paragraph length?
30 words for intro, 50 words for other pars.
What is the advantage of shorter paragraphs?
They aid reading online.
