Concise Writing and Compare/Contrast Analysis Flashcards

Flashcards defining key writing concepts, common editing issues, and specific terms from the lecture reading on concise writing and compare/contrast analysis.

Concise Writing

A style of writing focused on saying what needs to be said as clearly and efficiently as possible without wordy filler.

Empty Phrases

Groups of words added to sentences that fill up space or try to sound academic without adding meaningful content, such as 'in order to' or 'due to the fact that'.

Redundant

The act of saying the same thing more than once or repeating ideas using different words in a single sentence or phrase.

Weak Verbs

Overused verb forms (such as forms of be, is, was, were, has, have, does, did, goes, went, gets, got) that tell rather than paint a vivid picture.

Strong Verbs

Specific, vivid action words (such as drags, stares, carries, creates, demands, transforms) that help show details rather than just tell them.

Filler Words

Unnecessary words thrown into sentences to fill space or add weak emphasis, such as 'very', 'really', 'actually', 'basically', 'kind of', 'sort of', 'literally', and 'just'.

Long Windups

Long, unnecessary introductory phrases at the beginning of sentences that delay getting to the main point.

Clunky Clauses

Phrases or clauses that can be shortened down to a shorter phrase or a single word to make writing flow better.

Announcing

The redundant practice of explicitly stating writing intentions in an essay using phrases like 'in this essay' or 'today I will'.

Hideo Nomo

A Japanese pitcher for the Dodgers who had an extremely long pitching windup, used as an analogy for long introductory sentence windups.

Comparison

The aspect of writing that deals with examining and identifying similarities between two or more subjects.

Contrasting

The aspect of writing that deals with examining and identifying differences between two or more subjects.

Married at First Sight

A Lifetime reality television show where a group of relationship experts match up candidates to be married upon their first meeting.

2013 Pew Center poll

A survey cited in the text stating that 88% of Americans feel love is their number one priority when marrying.

Huda al Marashi

A first-generation Iraqi American who wrote a memoir about her own arranged marriage to fight public misconceptions.

Vada Beal

An individual mentioned in Ariana King's essay who hopes that the link of dating sites between arranged and non-arranged marriages will diminish the stigma against arranged marriage in the United States over time.