Writing and English Flashcards
Hence, as a rule, it is better to express a negative in _______ form.
Use this to improve the following phrases:
not honest
not important
did not remember
Positive.
not honest –> dishonest
not important –> trifling
did not remember –> forgot
did not pay any attention to –> ignored
The antithesis of negative and positive is strong:
Not charity, but _________.
Not that I loved Caesar less, but __________.
simple justice.
Rome the more.
Modifiers should come, if possible next to the word they modify.
Fix the following:
All the members were not present.
He only found two mistakes.
Not all the members were present.
He found only two mistakes.
Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
Fix this:
This steel is principally used for making razors, because of its hardness.
Because of its hardness, this steel is principally used in
making razors.
Formal quotations, cited as documentary evidence, are introduced by a ________ and enclosed in quotation marks.
colon
The provision of the Constitution is: “No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state.”
What is wrong with relying on the word “effect”?
As noun, means result; as verb, means to bring about, accomplish (not to be confused with affect, which means “to influence”).
As noun, often loosely used in perfunctory writing about fashions, music, painting, and other arts: “an Oriental effect;” “effects in pale green;” “very delicate effects;” “broad effects;” “subtle effects;” “a charming effect was produced by.”
The writer who has a definite meaning to express will not take refuge in such vagueness.
Factor. A hackneyed word; the expressions of which it forms part can usually be replaced by something more direct and idiomatic.
Fix the following:
His superior training was the great factor in his winning
the match.
Heavy artillery is becoming an increasingly important
factor in deciding battles.
He won the match by being better trained.
Heavy artillery is playing a larger and larger part in
deciding battles.
He is a man who. A common type of redundant expression.
Fix the following:
He is a man who is very ambitious.
Spain is a country which I have always wanted to visit.
He is very ambitious.
I have always wanted to visit Spain.
Less. Should not be misused for ________.
Fix the following:
He had less men than in the previous campaign.
fewer
He had fewer men than in the previous campaign.
Most. Not to be used for almost.
Fix:
Most everybody
Most all the time
almost
Almost everybody
Almost all the time
Nature. Often simply redundant, used like character.
Fix:
Acts of a hostile nature
Hostile acts
One of the most. Avoid beginning essays or paragraphs with this formula, as,
“One of the most interesting developments of modern science is, etc.;”
“Switzerland is one of the most interesting countries of
Europe.”
There is nothing wrong in this; it is simply threadbare and forcible-feeble.
Respective, respectively.
These words may usually be omitted with advantage.
Fix the following:
Works of fiction are listed under the names of their
respective authors.
The one mile and two mile runs were won by Jones and Cummings respectively.
Works of fiction are listed under the names of their
authors.
The one mile and two mile runs were won by Jones and by Cummings.
Very.
Use this word sparingly. Where emphasis is necessary, use words strong in themselves.
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