Supercalifragilistic expialidocius from the movie Mary Poppins simply means wonderful from the Oxford dictionary. The use of words like this is a good example of the misguided approach of novice writers when they create a literary piece. Many novice writers have this misconception that using fancy words makes them sound smart and even though they don't know a lot about the topic they are writing on, they attempt to bluff the reader by using fancy words. In an attempt to sound impressive, novice writers use highfaluting words because they believe that readers would find their command of the English language awe-inspiring and think that their writing is a literary masterpiece.
However, readers notice when novice writers use highfaluting words when simple words would do and it does not make them think highly of the writer. On the contrary, the novice writer's attempt to sound impressive makes the reader think that he is trying too hard. The use of highfaluting words just confuses the reader instead of intensifying his reading experience. Using fancy words when simple words are enough is one example of vague writing. Vague writing occurs in the following ways: when the writer does not really know what he is talking about, when the writer imitates other writer's styles just because they are popular and when he conceals his true opinion from the reader. Novice writers use vague writing to make what they are saying seem like a masterpiece.
With the intention of sounding impressive, novice writers use pretentious language because they believe that this makes them sound knowledgeable on the topic they are writing about. Many think that they sound smarter when they use big words. The truth of the matter is that smart writers who really u...
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...adily believe them and might even be persuaded to change their opinions on the topic.
A good writer can convey his thoughts using simple words. He avoids using pretentious language but he can make the reader feel what he feels and he can fire up the reader's imagination. However, this is seldom the case for novice writers. In trying to make their writing seem like a work of art, some novice writers fall into the trap of vague writing because they are concealing their true opinion on the subject from their readers or they simply know nothing about the subject. This can be remedied by researching more about the topic and by stating clearly what one's true opinion on the subject is. As a result, readers would be able to understand where the novice writer got his opinions and therefore make their own judgments as to whether they agree or disagree with his sentiments.
In this article written by David Bartholomae, the author discusses problems basic writers make and about how they must use the discourse (communication style) of the academic community they are writing to, to be an effective writer. Bartholomae believes that “Inventing the University," is being able to assemble and mimic the universities language(5). Which means, if a student wants to be an efficient writer, he or she must be able to speak the language of his or her audience. Bartholomae writes that a common mistake of basic writers is that they don’t use an authoritative voice, and tend to switch into a more passive voice. This could be due to the fact that students have difficulty establishing their mindset or attitude for an audience
While preparing for one of his college lectures, Dennis Baron, a professor and linguistics at the University of Illinois, began playing with the idea of how writing has changed the world we lived in and materials and tools we use in everyday life. This lecture slowly transitioned into “Should Everybody Write?” An article that has made many wonder if technology has made writing too easy for anyone to use or strengthens a writer's ability to learn and communicate their ideas. Baron uses rhetorical strategies in his article to portray to his audience his positive tone, the contrast and comparison of context and his logical purpose.
Frahm holds a similar point of view encouraging clear, straightforward writing not one with a “Confusing introduction. Lack of content. Bad transitions. (and) Excessive grammatical errors.” (Frahm 271).
...e does not discuss what she is writing, while she is writing it. She is afraid that if she speaks of it, it will wear out her idea. She says, “If you want to be a writer, I have two pieces of advice. One is to be a reader. I think that's one of the most important parts of learning to write. The other piece of advice is: Just do it! Don't think about it, don't agonize, sit down and write”.
“Although both articles are exploring writing and the change that needs to or that does happen, Peter Elbow’s idea of growth in writing is a more naïve and simplistic approach to writing, where as Somers and Saltz’s article, while still very general, takes a more realistic point of view at the writing experience for students and new writers”.
In this day and age, writing is being portrayed through various mediums, such as film and television. Some of those portrayals depict writing as both good and bad depending on the situation that is present. Authors such as, by E. Shelley Reid, Kevin Roozen, and Anne Lamott all write about important writing concepts that are being depicted in films, like Freedom Writers. The film Freedom Writers shows a positive and accurate portrayal of writing in the sense that the writers should have a connection to what they are writing about, writing is a form of communication, and that writing does not have to be perfect the first time.
In William Zinnser’s essay “Simplicity” he states that “clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.” He believes that people speak more complexly then they have to and that the key to good writing and speaking is simplicity. In his argument he goes on to say that often writers are not careful enough. They know what they are trying to say but do not know how to put it down on paper. They assume that the reader will understand what they are thinking even though their writing is not obvious to others. He does make several suggestions for improvement. Very easily one could make their writing easier to understand by simple corrections.
It would be foolish to claim that I have never overanalysed and disregarded conveying ideas and theories properly, in the interest of impressing my reader. Nevertheless, this aspiration indicates there is more to academic writing than simply passing information.
Although the greater picture is that reading is fundamental, the two authors have a few different messages that they seek to communicate to their audiences. “The Joy of Reading and Writing” depicts how reading serves as a mechanism to escape the preconceived notions that constrain several groups of people from establishing themselves and achieving success in their lifetimes. “Reading to Write,” on the other hand, offers a valuable advice to aspiring writers. The author suggests that one has to read, read, and read before he or she can become a writer. Moreover, he holds an interesting opinion concerning mediocre writing. He says, “Every book you pick has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones” (p.221). Although these two essays differ in their contents and messages, the authors use the same rhetorical mode to write their essays. Both are process analyses, meaning that they develop their main argument and provide justification for it step by step. By employing this technique, the two authors create essays that are thoughtful, well supported, and easy to understand. In addition, Alexie and King both add a little personal touch to their writings as they include personal anecdotes. This has the effect of providing support for their arguments. Although the two essays have fairly different messages, the authors make use of anecdotes and structure their writing in a somewhat similar
Any craftsman knows that you need the right tools to complete a project successfully. Similarly, people need the right language and usage to communicate in a positive way. How people write is often a problem because they don’t have the right tools, but a bigger problem occurs when a writer “is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything at all” (592). If a writer carries this mentality, why try to communicate in the first place? People need...
Along with her definition of writing, Strong made a point of how writing is also a process of thinking and leads to thought. In particular, I liked Strong’s idea about writing even when you do not know what to write about. Strong wrote in her essay that the process of writing can lead to thought and, therefore, lead you to a topic to write about.
Normally in a play the role of a supporting character is to either influence or as the name suggests support the main character. In the play, ‘A Doll House’, Mrs. Kristine Linde is one of these characters, who serves the most purposeful role in terms of plot development in the play as well as helps to transform the character growth. Mrs. Linde is introduced to the audience as an old friend of Nora’s, the protagonist. She is used to highlight Nora’s childish and egotistical characteristics contrasting that of Mrs. Linde’s practical and gallant nature. She shows Nora possibilities of self-reliability and highlighting the woman’s role in society during the early nineteenth century. Ibsen uses Mrs. Linde to influence the plot by impacting Nora’s decisions and highlighting aspects of Nora and Krogstad’s characteristics.
Teachers are like the gardeners to the students’ seed of learning. It is important for them to be able to use the best methods of teaching for the students to achieve what is best for them. With the problems about the students’ vague writing, they should be able to change or modify their teaching style and adjust for their students. It is time to change the students’ perspective and not rely on school books alone. The best solution could be the use of free writing exercises to help organize thoughts and unleash their natural voice to write clearly. The next time they encounter writings in the future, students will also enjoy reading them because they understood them and they know what they wrote.
are in danger of being exposed to vagueness of approach such as unnecessary repetition aimless and pointless writing. It is not always possible to fulfill all the conditions below, nut the more they are fulfilled, the better the students write successfully (Bright. 1970. P. 141-144)