Info. This also means knowing how to use the right words is a superpower. 5 Uncommon Figures of Speech to Spice Up Your Writing (Part 1) Are you familiar with anaphora, antithesis, chiasmus, metonymy, and synecdoche? We wrote for the video game industry. (The comedian wasn’t very funny, she was hilarious.) Although plot is important, it’s not just what you’re saying…it’s how you’re saying it. Our saying could be reworked to: "In the interest of time, avoid crossing bridges until you come to them. Do you ever wonder why a grammatically correct sentence you’ve written just lies there like a dead fish? Rather than telling the reader that Alex felt anxious, paint a word picture. Pin 132. ESL Writing Activities for Beginners Acrostic poem Being interested in your topic is one of the best ways to make your writing sizzle. Motivate Your Character. Building vocabulary development are critical to your students ability to use, act on, and expand their language knowledge base. Help the reader see Alex and recognize the feelings Alex is experiencing. Do they pick up a lack of originality? And when it comes to writing, we tend to record our thoughts using the same syntax. One such syntactical tool is the adverb, which tells us when, where, how, or to what extent. About a year ago, I got interested in cooking. I tried my best to write like him. The lesson introduces using a thesaurus to help students find better word choices. Once you’ve uncovered something fascinating, write about it in a way that says “Look at this cool new stuff I learned!” Explore what captures your interest, and your content will be less like a box of mac and cheese and more like a nourishing gourmet meal. Poem Script Pro is one of the most stylish calligraphic font styles ever created. You certainly don’t have to search for a gimmick for every article you write, but do try to change things up on the regular. Next, identify the part of speech for each word. When I was a young, green fiction writer, I idolized Stephen King. My family ate it. If you believe that variety is the spice of life, you will understand how variety can breathe life into your prose. . Dr. Marlene Caroselli is an author, keynoter, and corporate trainer whose clients include Lockheed Martin, Allied Signal, Department of the Interior, and Navy SEALS. Part of the fun in using similes and metaphors is in trying to come up with something unique, something original, something that makes your readers sit up and take notice. Even if you’re faced with a topic you find dull, odds are good you’ll be able to find some intriguing facts you didn’t know before you started researching. The chart hangs in our room as a constant reminder of ways to make our writing better, and sometimes I even use it to give kids a more specific direction for revision ("spice up your writing at least 3 ways before you publish.") (Who knew?) I didn’t become a rich and famous Stephen King clone, but I did learn a thing or two about style. I have enjoyed the challenges given me.â. The new saying, starting with a dependent clause, could be: "If you cross your bridges before you come to them, you will be sorry. In some types of writing, like poetry , repetition is used as a strategic stylistic device. If there’s one thing I have to thank Mr. King for (in truth, there are many things) it’s the fact that I can write solid, authentic dialog. See what I mean about variety? Dr Caroselli pitched us this post last month and, coincidentally, the team at ProWritingAid is currently working on a new Sentence Structure Variety Report that will analyze the percentage of your sentences that begin with a subject, adverb, infinitive phrase, subordinate conjunction, coordinating conjunction, transitional phrase or where you have inverted your subject and verb. (Who am I kidding? We will hopefully begin rolling it out next month! “Said.” Our aphorism would become: "It is critical that we not cross bridges until we come to them. Every adverb you use should have to justify its existence. If most of your sentences begin with the same part of speech, you donât have variety. Technically, no. Is a lack of variety harming your advancement? Eliminate phrases like you may want to, it’s possible that, and they can try, and weasel words like probably and sometimes. I could’ve made this article into another dull treatise on how to write better. Having variety in your sentence structure will make that search ever more interesting. 200+ Copywriting Buzzwords to Spice Up Your Writing. Do they mock the simplicity of an utterance such as, âThis is an island, surrounded by water. ", Grammar-meisters know such clauses begin with subordinating conjunctionsâwords such as when, if, while, although. Spice up your writing using our rewording synonym generator. 50 Power Words to Spice up Your Writing! Periodically, use this kind of expletive to begin your thoughts. Learn everything you need to know about grammar. I have demonstrated competence with emerging technology. Ocean waterâ? Find Your Unique Voice. Throw in some well-chosen herbs and spices, and I can elevate the taste of my food to a whole new level. I encourage you to infuse your writing with detailed imagery, passionate feeling, poetic depth and evocative sensual description. Conciseness is one of the easiest ways to achieve a brilliant flow. Instead, we are referring to the linguistic sentence-opener that uses phrases such as "It is" or "There are." The whole group, known as the prepositional phrase, provides more information about the basic noun or verb. Text and design by The Education Center, LLC Name Detailed stories make wonderful Classbooks. Yes, use colorful, expressive language. Take a paragraph youâve writtenâone of eight or so sentences. Hey! Maybe your article on ways to learn a new language is better suited for a listicle. When it comes time to polish your manuscript, look for places to spice up your adjectives. If your content reads like a textbook, consider whether adding an anecdote or story, or just revealing some of your own thoughts, would give your post flavor. Spice Up Your Writing - Other Words to Use Instead You can increase the depth and breadth of your student's vocabulary in writing. And vary the tone: maybe add some questions? 249 Strong Verbs That’ll Spice Up Your Writing. The original saying with a gerund might run: "Crossing your bridges before you come to them can mean wasted time and energy. 2K Shares. Variety, as we all know, is the spice of life. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. If you use a lot of “to be” verbs (be, am, is, are, … I have a personal policy not to post any review to which I’d give fewer than four stars on Amazon or Goodreads. Far too often, the verbiage looked like this: "I have worked for the Department of Defense for 12 years. I offered an anecdote about a sesquipedalian (it means one who uses long words) games journalist. FREE (3) froggy77 verbs help sheet. Depending on the context of the learning environment, you can spice the activity up by encouraging uncouth language if/when you feel it is appropriate. I’ll be presenting it soon at MAnaFestival on the Big Island of Hawai’i on January 25, 2020. Keep your text lean, use flavorful language, and express yourself confidently. Next, identify the part of speech for each word. Then, start adapting that style to make it your own. There’s nothing worse than bland-as-oatmeal writing that doesn’t evoke passion, laughter, anger, love… some kind of emotion from your reader. Letâs take the famous saying, "Don't cross your bridges until you come to them" as our exemplar. thank you, you are the best, © 2020 - Orpheus Technology, prowritingaid.com. There are Faux pas’ in the world of writing, just like there is in the world of fashion (I.E. Spend a few minutes every day intentionally writing sentences using unfamiliar punctuation marks. ), download a free copy on Google Docs. Whatever you think of a white paper title, the ultimate test is up to your target audience. You can also review your writing and see if alternative punctuation improves your writing, which leads to our last talking point. If youâre interested in improving your writing style, here are alternatives to the basic noun-verb-noun format. Then, write down the first word in each sentence. Is there anything compelling about reading every sentence that starts the same way? ), When I taught business writing to Department of Defense employees, they would often ask me to look over their SF171sâthe form needed to apply for a new job or a promotion. Here are some writing suggestions I use when teaching Spice Up Your Writing at workshops globally. Poem Script Pro. Look around your environment to find items that would make good comparisons, and then spend some time crafting the best figures of speech you can. I learned that stovetop burners aren’t meant to be set to high heat unless you’re trying to boil something. She writes extensively about education, business, self-improvement, and careers and has adjuncted at UCLA and National University. There’s an easy way to find out if your sentences have variety. I befriended, I, I, I.â is there anything compelling about reading every with. Can also review your writing have variety utterance such as `` it ''! 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