To give us a much better handle on English usage, I propose to do a full-dress review now that goes further back to the basics of English composition. We will begin with a discussion of the uses of
repeated action words and
sequence words, those simple grammar devices for giving greater cohesion and clarity to writing.
Repeated action reference words. These words become standard equipment very early among English-language learners: “so,” “that,” “these,” “those,” “such,” “too,” “does,” “do,” and “did,” “the same,” “likewise,” “either” and “neither,” and “not.” They represent or point back to ideas, elements, events, or situations presented or described earlier in a particular composition. We must always keep in mind, though, that these reference words shouldn’t be used by themselves alone; they should be judiciously combined with important words or phrases previously used in the sentence or paragraph.
SOME REFERENCE WORD DEVICES THAT PROVIDE STRONGER
COHESION AND PROMPT EMPHASIS TO A STATEMENT
Let’s now review how these repeated action reference words work:
“So.” A statement might look like this in its full-blown form: “Everybody is learning how to use the personal computer. You should also be learning how to use the personal computer yourself.” By using
“so” as a repeated action reference word, that repetitious statement can be made more concise and forceful: “Everybody is learning how to use the personal computer;
so should you.”
“That.” Take a look at this overwrought statement: “He has been in turns a farmer, bus driver, newspaperman, communication specialist, and entrepreneur. The shaping of his unique world view by having been all of these things is what he considers the story of his life.” See how the reference word
“that” makes short shrift of the repetitious statement and gives the sentence more drama: “The shaping of his unique world view by having been in turns a farmer, bus driver, newspaperman, communication specialist, and entrepreneur—
that he considers as the story of his life.”
“These” and “those.” These two reference words efficiently emphasize enumerative sequences: “Coffee, toast, orange marmalade, and fried eggs—
these are the only things I take for breakfast.” “A villa in Palermo, a castle in Austria, a resort house in Capri, a townhouse in Athens—
all those the marauding government official had to give up when he was convicted of plunder.”
“It.” This familiar, all-purpose pronoun can be used as a reference word for inanimate things or concepts previously mentioned in a composition: “He ran for public office thrice and lost each time;
it was the worst humiliation of his life.”
“Such.” This word is a highly emphatic recapitulating device: “She bought five books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, three by Isabel Allende, and one by Pablo Coelho all at once—
such was her fascination with Latin-American literature.”
“Too.” An excellent word for avoiding a repetition of similar attributes: “The woman’s vagabond lover was convicted of the grisly crime;
the woman, too, got convicted.”
“Does,” “do,” “did.” These repeated action reference words eliminate the need to restate previously mentioned actions: “The groom loves riding horses;
so does his bride.” “Not a few people want an intelligent president;
so do we.” “She left right after midnight;
so did I.”
“The same” and
“likewise.” These two work in practically the same way: “We ordered six cases of champagne yesterday;
we want double of the same today.” “Our team worked overtime on New Year’s Eve; their team did likewise.”
“Either” and “neither.” These words efficiently recapitulate the acceptance or rejection of two previously mentioned choices: “Between the astral blue or apple-red sedan, either will do.” “Hong Kong or Singapore at this time of year?
I want neither.”
“Not.” Negation of a statement can be done very efficiently by this repeated action reference word: “Most think that going to Baguio City at this time of year is great;
not me.”
Sequence words. As we all know,
“the former” and
“the latter” are the two most common reference words for concisely showing the order of two previously mentioned elements, situations, and events. Both words imply a certain relation between those elements, situations, or events: “Christmas Day and New Year’s Day came and went,
the former with a burst of piety and generosity, the latter with a bang and expectations of better things to come.” The reference word
“former,” of course, refers to “Christmas Day,” and the reference word
“latter,” to “New Year’s Day.”
We can see that repeated action reference words and sequence words not only tie up sentences and paragraphs neatly together, but also help emphasize the ideas being put forth in the composition. For beginning writers, this is as good a start as any towards concise, emphatic writing.
This essay, which first appeared in my weekly column “English Plain and Simple” in The Manila Times
, subsequently became Chapter 54 of my book Giving Your English the Winning Edge
, ©2009 by the Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.Read this essay and listen to its voice recording in The Manila Times
:Repeated action and sequence words for stronger cohesion and emphasisNext week:
Using broader meaning and summary words (October 24, 2024)
