In the previous two columns we took up these three reference word strategies to enliven our writing and avoid needless repetition—(1)
the use of repeated action words, (2)
the use of sequence words, and (3)
the use of demonstrative reference words. This time we’ll take up these other two reference word strategies in the good writing repertoire—(4) t
he use of broader meaning words for particular words earlier used, and (5)
the use of summary words to clarify or emphasize the nature or context of various subjects already discussed.
Using broader meaning words. To keep readers glued to our writing, we need to avoid the overuse of the pronouns “he” “she,” and “one” in place of singular nouns designating people, of “it” in place of objects and ideas, and of “they,” “them,” and “these” in place of plural words. These pronouns are rhetorical dead-ends for their antecedent nouns, offering no new dimension, attribute, or insight about them. Our writing can greatly perk up when these pronouns are replaced with content-laden words that represent a broader set of their antecedent nouns.
Examine the following passage that’s chockfull of the pronoun “they”:
“
Eagles are large predatory birds that belong to the family
Accipitridae.
They are noted for their strength and keenness of vision.
They have solitary habits and are widely known to mate for life.
They have remarkable powers of flight.
They have wide wingspans that could reach up to 7½ feet, and beaks that grow nearly as long as their heads.
These have made eagles the fighting symbol of the ancient Romans as well as the symbol of royal power through the centuries.”
Now see how that humdrum passage gets more interesting when the pronoun “they” are replaced with broader meaning words:
“
Eagles are large birds that belong to the family Accipitridae.
These majestic birds of prey are noted for their strength and keenness of vision, yet they have surprisingly solitary habits and are widely known to mate for life. Fearsome in their beauty,
these stately flying machines have wingspans that reach up to 7½ feet and beaks that grow as long as their heads.
All of these attributes of power have made the eagle the fighting symbol of the ancient Romans as well as the symbol of royal power through the centuries.”
The subsequent use of broader meaning reference words for the subject “eagles” perks up the exposition
The example above shows how we can greatly improve the texture and tonality of our prose by replacing particular nouns with more general noun forms when they are later referred to, taking every opportunity to qualify those antecedent nouns with interesting information. The pattern is to go from the particular noun as the lowest subset to increasingly broader, more detailed noun forms.
See how the broader-meaning-words technique works for, say, the particular candidate “Mr. F.” in the passage below:
“
Mr. F. impressed me with his intelligence and apparent integrity.
The highly popular politician has cultivated the image of a highly principled individual, always taking the honorable even if unpopular position. But
as an overly ambitious candidate he has finally shown his true colors.
This shameless political turncoat no longer takes my fancy as someone deserving of anybody’s vote.”
Using summary words. Another way to clarify and emphasize the context or nature of various subjects previously taken up in an exposition is to use appropriate
summary words for them. See how the single-word concept noun “situation” quickly captures the essence of what has been taken up in the following passage:
“The village council finances were in disarray. Bills for streetlights and garbage collection had remained unpaid. The village streets were horribly potholed. Vacant lots were strewn with mounds of trash and overgrown with grass. This was the
situation when the new president took over the leadership of the village council.”
(Next week:
Using relative pronouns as reference strategy) April 14, 2022
This essay, 2083rd of the series, appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the Campus Press section of the April 7, 2022 Internet edition of The Manila Times
,© 2022 by the Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.Read this essay online in
The Manila Times:
When to use broader meaning and summary wordsVisit Jose Carillo’s English Forum, http://josecarilloforum.com. You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter and e-mail me at j8carillo@yahoo.com.
