Writing Application
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Understanding grammar rules is essential, but the ultimate goal is applying them effectively in your own writing. This lesson focuses on using advanced grammar strategically to enhance clarity, create emphasis, and develop a mature writing style that will serve you well on standardized tests and beyond.
Grammar as a Tool for Clarity
Clear writing depends on precise grammar. Consider how grammatical choices affect meaning:
- Pronoun clarity: Vague pronoun references force readers to guess your meaning. Always ensure pronouns have clear, unambiguous antecedents.
- Modifier placement: Misplaced modifiers can create confusion or unintended humor. Place modifiers as close as possible to what they modify.
- Parallel structure: Consistent grammatical patterns make complex ideas easier to follow and remember.
- Active vs. passive voice: Active voice typically creates clearer, more direct sentences, though passive voice has strategic uses.
Sentence Variety and Sophistication
Mature writing uses a mix of sentence structures:
- Simple sentences: Provide clarity and emphasis for key points
- Compound sentences: Show equal relationships between ideas
- Complex sentences: Establish subordinate relationships, showing which ideas are primary and which are supporting
- Compound-complex sentences: Handle multiple related ideas efficiently (use sparingly)
Strategic Use of Grammatical Structures
Appositives: Rename or explain a noun concisely without creating a new clause.
Weak: Marie Curie was a physicist. She won two Nobel Prizes.
Stronger: Marie Curie, a pioneering physicist, won two Nobel Prizes.
Participial phrases: Add descriptive information while varying sentence openings.
Basic: The storm damaged the coastline. It left millions without power.
Sophisticated: Sweeping across the coastline, the storm left millions without power.
Absolute phrases: Provide additional context or detail as grammatically independent modifiers.
Example: The deadline approaching rapidly, the team worked through the night.
Concision: Eliminating Wordiness
Effective writing conveys meaning efficiently. Common wordiness patterns to avoid:
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because |
| in spite of the fact that | although |
| at this point in time | now |
| in the event that | if |
| has the ability to | can |
| make a decision | decide |
Examples
Example 1: Improving Clarity
Original: The researchers studied the effects of the new medication on the patients, and they found that it reduced symptoms significantly, and they also noted fewer side effects than the previous treatment.
Analysis: This sentence strings together three independent clauses with "and," creating a monotonous, unclear structure. The pronoun "they" is used twice, and "it" has a somewhat distant antecedent.
Revised: The researchers found that the new medication significantly reduced patients' symptoms while producing fewer side effects than the previous treatment.
Explanation: The revision combines related ideas, eliminates unnecessary words, and clarifies the relationships between concepts.
Example 2: Creating Emphasis
Original: Climate change is a serious threat. It affects ecosystems worldwide. It causes extreme weather events. It threatens food security.
Analysis: Four short, choppy sentences dilute the impact of any single point.
Revised: Climate change poses a serious threat to ecosystems worldwide, causing extreme weather events and jeopardizing food security.
Explanation: Combining related ideas into one sentence with participial phrases creates flow while maintaining emphasis on the main point.
Example 3: Using Parallel Structure
Original: The program aims to increase literacy rates, reducing poverty levels, and the improvement of public health outcomes.
Analysis: The three goals use inconsistent grammatical forms (infinitive, gerund, noun phrase).
Revised: The program aims to increase literacy rates, reduce poverty levels, and improve public health outcomes.
Explanation: All three items now use the same infinitive form, making the sentence clearer and more elegant.
Practice
Revise the following sentences to improve clarity, concision, and style. Write your revised version before checking the suggested answers.
1. It is important to note that the study was conducted over a period of five years, and this means that the results reflect long-term trends rather than short-term fluctuations.
2. The author uses symbolism. The author uses imagery. The author uses metaphor. These techniques create a complex narrative.
3. When the committee reviewed the proposal that had been submitted by the team, they determined that it needed revisions before they could approve it.
4. The new policy will have an effect on all employees who work in the building, and it will require them to complete training, and they will need to follow new procedures.
5. Running quickly down the hallway, the fire alarm was loud and startling to the students.
6. Due to the fact that the economy is experiencing a downturn, many companies are making the decision to reduce their workforce.
7. The scientist made observations about the behavior of the animals and she recorded data about their feeding patterns and she analyzed the results.
8. There are many students who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine, law, or going into the field of engineering.
9. The novel, which was written in the 19th century and which deals with themes of social inequality and which has influenced many later authors, remains widely read today.
10. Walking through the museum, the paintings impressed the visitors with their vivid colors and intricate details.
Check Your Understanding
Suggested Revisions
- The five-year study reflects long-term trends rather than short-term fluctuations. (Eliminates wordiness; "It is important to note" and "this means that" add nothing.)
- Through symbolism, imagery, and metaphor, the author creates a complex narrative. (Combines choppy sentences; uses parallel structure.)
- The committee determined that the team's proposal needed revisions before approval. (Reduces wordiness; eliminates vague pronouns; uses possessive instead of relative clause.)
- The new policy requires all building employees to complete training and follow new procedures. (Eliminates redundant structure; combines related ideas.)
- Running quickly down the hallway, the students found the fire alarm loud and startling. (Fixes dangling modifier; "students" are running, not the fire alarm.)
- Because the economy is experiencing a downturn, many companies are reducing their workforce. (Replaces wordy phrases with concise alternatives.)
- The scientist observed animal behavior, recorded feeding pattern data, and analyzed the results. (Uses parallel structure; eliminates repetitive subject and conjunction.)
- Many students are interested in pursuing careers in medicine, law, or engineering. (Fixes parallel structure; all items now follow the same pattern.)
- This influential 19th-century novel, which addresses social inequality, remains widely read today. (Reduces excessive relative clauses; integrates key information more concisely.)
- Walking through the museum, the visitors were impressed by the paintings' vivid colors and intricate details. (Fixes dangling modifier; visitors are walking, not paintings.)
Revision Checklist
When revising your own writing, check for:
- Clear pronoun references (can you identify each pronoun's antecedent?)
- Properly placed modifiers (do they clearly modify what you intend?)
- Parallel structure in lists and comparisons
- Varied sentence structure (mix of simple, compound, and complex)
- Concise phrasing (can you eliminate words without losing meaning?)
- Active voice where appropriate (who is performing the action?)
Next Steps
- Apply these revision strategies to a recent essay or writing assignment
- Practice identifying wordiness in published writing and consider alternatives
- Move on to the Editing Workshop for timed revision practice
- Return to practice problems periodically for review