LESSON TWO

LANGUAGE: THE IMPORTANCE OF

WORD CHOICE IN WRITING
PREPARED BY: JADE ARJAY A. JACOB, LPT
Activity 101: Choose the correct word to complete
the sentence.
1. Her dress perfectly (complements/compliments) the shade of
her eyes.
2. Gamete had (borne/born) the Elven sword Telomere hither and
yon across the kingdom of Fallopia.
3. Aides said the leaders conferred by telephone
to (ensure/assure/insure) that their speeches, while different in
tone, would not be incompatible.
4. But Iran routinely (censors/censures) the Internet using
sophisticated filtering technology
5. “I’d like to see him a little more (discrete/discreet) at times,” she
said. “I would hope he would learn a little more diplomacy.” 
 As a writer, how important is a word/s to you?

 In the writer’s toolbox, word are probably the most

important tool. It is not just a matter of learning enough
words and expanding one’s vocabulary; the value lies in
knowing when to use them. Even if it seems like a word is
synonymous with another, each one actually produce a
different register or effect, just as home is not the same
as residence.
 How can we able to know when to use a word?

To know when to use a word, you must first look up

its actual dictionary meaning or denotation.Then,
it would be definitely helpful to also search for its
connotation or other concepts and feelings that
the word may invoke. This ensures that the word
you chose is the best fit and unintended meanings
are avoided
Choice or Words: The Importance of Word Choice in
Writing
All strong writers have something in common:
they understand the value of word choice in
writing. Strong word choice uses vocabulary
and language to maximum effect, creating clear
moods and images and making your stories
and poems more powerful and vivid.
 DICTION
After determing which word to use for your writing, the
following criteria must also be considered according to
the Creative Writer’s Handbook:
Accuracy
Precision
Concreteness
Appropriateness
 ACCURACY
When a word is accurate, it is free from error. It is “correct” in
the sense that its accepted meaning is the meaning that the
author intends. Saying that X is a small man is very different
from saying that X is a short man. Or it can be. Another
example of an inaccurate choice of words is one that is based
on misconceptions or misunderstandings of the language. For
most of us, English is not our first language. This may be the
reason we have a tendency to confuse certain words in the
English language with another. Homonyms are common
examples of this because they sound alike but are spelled
differently.
SOme of the commonly confused words according to the
Oxford Dictionary
accept vs except ensure vs insure
advice vs. advise loose vs lose
affect vs effect prescribe vs proscribe
born vs borne principal vs principle
censure vs censor
complement vs compliment
defuse vs diffuse
discreet vs discrete
 PRECISION
 One can be accurate with word choice, but not precise. You can refer
to a Facebook “friend” as real friend, but maybe you consider him or as
an acquaintance or a buddy. You can be more specific and say he is a
classmate or schoolmate of your actual best friend. Whatever it is,
“friend” would be too generic, and in some cases, the more precise the
term is, the better.
 The meanings of words have greater and lesser ranges. It may be
correct to use a certain word, and therefore accurate. But is it precise
enough? Is it providing all the information needed?  Precision is also
matter of context. It targets the connotation of a word, as well as its
denotation. A lawyer at court might use the word “Spouse” rather than
“Husband” or “Wife”, if only to limit the emphasis on the legal context
 CONCRETENESS
 In creative writing, concrete diction is usually preferred over a
general or abstract word choice. By evoking images and
appealing to the senses, concrete words allow the reader to be
immersed in that imaginary world and even experience what the
characters are going through.
  Unless abstraction is needed, concrete diction is the way to go.
Concrete diction evokes images, bits of sensory experience. The
writer can tell you that Tom is angry, or he can tell you that Tom is
fuming. You know what angry means, it satisfies the meaning. But
“fuming” is concrete. It creates a vivid picture that is more
efficient, more memorable in your mind. A writer has to create a
sensory experience for his readers through his words.
 APPROPRIATENESS
 a writer’s choice of words is also anchored on the first two questions one asks
before setting out to write: What is my purpose and who is my audience? Depending
on the answers to these two, diction will be considered appropriate if both are kept
in mind.
 if you are asked to write a report on the effects of Facebook consumption on your
generation, it would be wise to maintain an objective and formal stance, and word
choice will definitely set the tone for the paper. However, if you were to write a
romantic story where the heroine is obsessed over someone she met online, then
the overall diction would be more conversational and young.
 a writer who knows the audience will know exactly what diction to use in order to
satisfy their demands. Because you are writing for a readership that you have
chosen yourself, you already know what language risks offending your readers, and
therefore what language is inappropriate to use. In the same manner, depending on
your subject, setting and genre, you will choose your diction in terms of
appropriateness.
THE END.......THANK
YOU!!!!!!!!