Questions & Answers: The Essay - Clearness in Writing

Discuss the use of transitions in writing and provide some examples.
Transitions are bridges between what has been read and what is about to be read. Transitions smooth the reader's path between sentences and inform readers of connections to new ideas in the essay. When you think about the appropriate phrase for a transition, you need to consider the previous and upcoming sentences or paragraphs. Thus, transitional phrases should be used with care. Tone should be considered when you want to use a transitional phrase. For example, in summary would be preferable to the informal in short.

Consider these transitions:
 

Restatement: He wanted to walk the trails at the park, namely Yosemite National Park.
Contrast: This could be the best option. On the other hand, this option may lead to more damage.

Discuss some strategies used for making paragraphs coherent.
A smooth flow of sentences and paragraphs without gaps, shifts, or bumps leads to paragraph coherence.

Ties between old and new information can be smoothed by several methods:

1. Linking ideas clearly, from the topic sentence to the body of the paragraph, is essential for a smooth transition. The topic sentence states the main point, and this should be followed by specific details, examples, and illustrations that support the topic sentence. The support may be direct or indirect. In indirect support, the illustrations and examples may support a sentence that in turn supports the topic directly.

2. The repetition of key words adds coherence to a paragraph. To avoid dull language, variations of the key words may be used.

3. Parallel structures are often used within sentences to emphasize the similarity of ideas and connect sentences giving similar information.

4. Maintaining a consistent verb tense throughout the paragraph helps. Shifting tenses affects the smooth flow of words and can disrupt the coherence of the paragraph.

Discuss the need to avoid jargon in writing and provide some examples.
Jargon is a specialized vocabulary that is used among members of a trade or profession. Since jargon is understood by a small audience, you should not use such vocabulary in your essay. Jargon includes exaggerated language that tries to impress rather than inform. Sentences filled with jargon are not precise and difficult to understand.

Examples:
“He is going to toenail these frames for us.” (Toenail is construction jargon for nailing at an angle.)
“They brought in a kip of material today.” (Kip refers to 1000 pounds in architecture and engineering.)

Discuss the need to avoid clichés in writing and provide some examples.
Clichés are phrases that have been overused to the point that the phrase has no importance or has lost the original meaning. The phrases have no originality and add very little to your writing. Therefore, you should try to avoid the use of clichés. The best revision for clichés is to delete them. If this does not seem possible, then a cliché can be changed so that it is not predictable and empty of meaning.

Examples:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Every cloud has a silver lining.

Discuss the need to avoid slang in writing and provide some examples.
Slang is an informal and sometimes private language that is understood by some individuals. Slang has some usefulness, but the language can have a small audience. Again, you should avoid this in your writing. While the grader of your exam may be aware of the word, he or she may not understand the use of the word as you do.

Examples:
“Yes, the event was a blast!” (In this sentence, blast means that the event was a great experience.)
“That attempt was an epic fail.” (By epic fail, the speaker means that his or her attempt was not a success.)