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How to Make Your Essay Better: 7 Tips for Stronger Essays

Krystal N. Craiker

Essay writing doesn’t have to be intimidating. With a few tips, you can improve your writing skills for any type of academic essay.

How to Write Better Essays

7 tips on how to make your essay better, how to become a better essay writer.

The best way to sum up how to write better essays is, “Make sure you’re answering the question.”

This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many students struggle with this.

From not understanding the prompt to poor research skills to off-topic body paragraphs, it’s easy for an essay to derail.

We’ve got seven tips for writing better essays that will help you avoid common mistakes and craft the best essays possible.

Here are our top tips for improving your essay writing skills.

Understand the Prompt or Research Question

The first step in your writing process is to fully understand the essay topic. If your professor gave you a prompt for your academic essay, spend some time analyzing it.

First, take note of whether you’re writing an expository or persuasive essay. The tone, structure, and word choice will differ between essay types.

Pay close attention to the wording of the prompt.

If your teacher wants you to “analyze” the effects of new technology in World War I, but you turn in a descriptive overview of the technology, you are not answering the question.

If they have given you a topic but no prompt, you’ll need to create a guiding question for your research.

Be specific in what you are trying to research, or you’ll end up overwhelmed with a topic that is too big in scope.

“Symbolism in modern literature” is too broad for a term paper, but “How does F. Scott Fitzgerald use symbolism in The Great Gatsby ?” is an achievable topic.

Take Excellent Notes

Once you understand exactly what your essay is about, you can begin the research phase. Create a strong note-taking system.

Write down any idea or quote you might want to use. Cite every note properly to save time on your citations and to avoid accidental plagiarism.

Once you have gathered your research, organize your notes into categories. This will help you plan the structure of your essay.

You’ll likely find that some of your research doesn’t fit into your essay once you start writing. That’s okay—it’s better to have too much information to support your argument than too little.

Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Possibly the most important step in essay writing is to craft a strong thesis statement. A thesis statement is a brief—usually single-sentence—explanation of what your essay is about.

The thesis statement guides the entire essay: every point you make should support your thesis.

A strong thesis is specific and long enough to address the major points of your essay.

In a persuasive or argumentative essay, your thesis should clearly establish the argument you are making.

Make an Outline

Once you have all your research, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. How do you turn the information into a cohesive essay?

Rather than writing an essay with no roadmap, an outline will keep you on track. An outline helps you organize your thoughts, plan your arguments, and sort your research.

A good outline saves you time, too! You can compile the relevant evidence in your notes before writing, so you don’t have to find that specific quote in the middle of essay writing.

An outline will also stop you from reading your finished essay and realizing you went completely off track.

With an outline, you can avoid finding paragraphs that don’t support your thesis right before you submit the essay.

Craft a Great Introduction

An academic essay needs a strong introductory paragraph.

The introduction is the first impression of your essay. It prepares the reader for what’s coming and gets them excited to read your paper.

A good introduction has three things:

• A hook (e.g. insightful statement, quote, interesting fact)
• Brief background information about the topic
• A thesis statement

Using this formula will help you write a strong introduction for your essay.

Have Original Ideas and Interpretations

The best academic writing advice a professor ever gave me was, “You’ve shown me what other people have said about the topic. I want to know what you think about the topic.”

Even a fact-heavy or data-heavy essay needs original ideas and interpretations. For every piece of information you cite, whether you quote or paraphrase it , offer original commentary.

Focus on insights, new interpretations, or even questions that you have. These are all ways to provide original ideas in your essay.

Proofread for Readability

A good essay is a proofread essay.

Readability, or how easy something is to read, has many factors. Spelling and grammar are important, but so is sentence structure, word choice , and other stylistic features.

Academic essays should be readable without being too simple. In general, aim for a readability score that is close to your grade level in school.

There are several ways to check readability scores, including using ProWritingAid’s Readability Report.

The quickest way to increase readability is to fix grammar and spelling mistakes . You can also raise the readability score by using more complex and compound-complex sentences.

ProWritingAid can offer suggestions on how to improve your essay and take it to the next level.

Our free essay checker will check for spelling and grammar errors, plus several other types of writing mistakes.

The essay checker will offer you suggestions on sentence length and passive voice.

It will help you trim the excess words that bog down your writing by analyzing your sticky sentences and overused words.

The essay checker is here to help you turn in an error-free essay.

Want to improve your essay writing skills?

Use prowritingaid.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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Copyblogger

51 Smart Tips for Brilliant Writing

Do you sound smarter when you use big words?

According to a study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology , the answer is no.

In fact, complex writing makes you sound small-minded. Just consider the title of the study: Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: problems with using long words needlessly.

Wouldn’t it be better to title this study something like The effect of using big words when you don’t need them?

To sound smart, you must stop trying to sound smart. Brilliant writing is simple writing, a relevant idea delivered clearly and directly.

Here are 11 ways you can start writing today and sound brilliant:

1. Have something to say

This makes writing easier and faster. When you have nothing to say, you are forced to write sentences that sound meaningful but deliver nothing.

Read widely. Take notes. Choose your subjects wisely. Then share the information with readers, in your own writing voice .

2. Be specific

Consider two sentences:

I grow lots of flowers in my back yard. I grow 34 varieties of flowers in my back yard, including pink coneflowers, purple asters, yellow daylilies, Shasta daisies, and climbing clematis.

Which is more interesting in a writing introduction ? Which helps you see my back yard?

3. Choose simple words

Write use instead of utilize , near instead of close proximity , help instead of facilitate , for instead of in the amount of , start instead of commence .

Use longer words only if your meaning is so specific no other words will do.

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4. Write short sentences

You should keep sentences short for the same reason you keep paragraphs short: they’re easier to read and understand.

Each sentence should have one simple thought. More than that creates complexity and invites confusion.

5. Use the active voice

In English, readers prefer the SVO sentence sequence: Subject, Verb, Object. This is the active voice.

For example:

Passive sentences bore people.

When you reverse the active sequence, you have the OVS or passive sequence: Object, Verb, Subject.

People are bored by passive sentences.

You can’t always use the active voice, but most writers should use it more often.

6. Keep paragraphs short

Look at any newspaper and notice the short paragraphs.

That’s done to make reading easier, because our brains take in information better when it’s broken into small chunks.

In academic writing, each paragraph develops one idea and often includes many sentences. But in casual, everyday writing, the style is less formal and paragraphs may be as short as a single sentence or even a single word.

7. Eliminate fluff words

Qualifying words, such as very , little , and rather , add nothing to your meaning and suck the life out of your sentences.

It is very important to basically avoid fluff words because they are rather empty and sometimes a little distracting.

Mark Twain suggested that you should “Substitute damn every time you’re inclined to write very ; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

8. Don’t ramble

Rambling is a big problem for many writers. Not as big as some other problems, such as affordable health insurance or the Middle East, which has been a problem for many decades because of disputes over territory. Speaking of which, the word “territory” has an interesting word origin from terra , meaning earth.

But the point is, don’t ramble.

9. Don’t be redundant or repeat yourself

Also, don’t keep writing the same thing over and over and over. In other words, say something once rather than several times. Because when you repeat yourself or keep writing the same thing, your readers go to sleep.

10. Don’t over write

This is a symptom of having too little to say or too much ego .

Put your reader first. Put yourself in the background. Focus on the message.

You can instantly and dramatically improve your blog writing skills and immediately explode your profits and skyrocket your online success by following the spectacular, simple, and practical tips found in this groundbreaking new free blog post.

11. Edit ruthlessly

Shorten, delete, and rewrite anything that does not add to the meaning. It’s okay to write in a casual style, but don’t inject extra words without good reason.

To make this easier, break your writing into three steps:

• Write the entire text.
• Set your text aside for a few hours or days.
• Return to your text fresh and edit.

None of us can ever be perfect writers, and no one expects us to be. However, we can all improve our style and sound smarter by following these tips and writing naturally.

40 quick writing tips to help you start today

Looking for more quick writing tips? These 40 pointers will help you organize and express your thoughts.

• Stop overthinking.
• Jot down one idea at a time.
• Write a little bit every day.
• Read something interesting if you’re feeling stuck.
• Make notes in your phone.
• Keep a pen and pad of paper with you when you’re away from your computer.
• Transfer your notes to your computer regularly.
• Pause conversations to capture interesting anecdotes.
• Add interesting anecdotes to conversations.
• Monitor how people react.
• Research fascinating topics.
• Brainstorm the best way to approach a topic.
• Look for fresh angles.
• Listen to a podcast related to your topic.
• Watch a video related to your topic.
• Discover the time of day when you’re most creative.
• Schedule time to write at your desk.
• Clean your desk.
• Know your audience.
• Practice choosing the right words.
• Outline your main points.
• Experiment with how you structure your writing.
• Draft many headlines.
• Craft intriguing subheadlines.
• Use effective bullet points.
• Study other authors.
• Create a messy draft.
• Take a break before you edit.
• Refine your messy draft.
• Edit with your ideal reader in mind.
• Choose simple language.
• Clarify any confusing phrases.
• Keep your explanations concise.
• Go into more detail only when it’s necessary.
• Entertain your reader.
• Share an unpopular opinion.
• Inspire new ideas.
• Transform written articles into other forms of content.
• Prompt your reader to take notes on your content.
• Motivate your reader to share your content.

Want the best of Copyblogger for writers delivered directly to your inbox?

If you’re looking to strengthen your writing skills in practical and effective ways, let us guide you to the best resources on Copyblogger.

Because when you get the exact right information, you can immediately begin to up your game as a content writer. And that’s what’s going to get you the results you want.

The written word drives the web. It always has, and it always will.

Even if you’re working with audio or video, the right words are still what make the difference.

• Words drive engagement.
• Words drive customer experience.
• Words drive sales, growth, and profit.

And if you want to master the art of using words to drive business results, you’ve come to the perfect place — Copyblogger has helped accelerate the careers of writers just like you since 2006.

Jump in (it’s all free) and let us take you straight to the good stuff:

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Reader Interactions

Reader comments (181).

April 7, 2010 at 8:15 am

I think one big word is good, people that use many risk alienating readers. I enjoy articles that have one big word that fits perfectly. It makes me feel the article was worthwhile (I learned something), no matter what.

April 7, 2010 at 8:17 am

At school, I loved maths/science and hated English. My writing was bad. I felt stupid because all the other kids used long words.

Then a few years ago, a good friend of mine, who is a confidence coach, simply told me I was much better understood by others because I used plain and simple words…. none of these pompous long words.

It took someone else to point out my simple writing strength.

September 4, 2010 at 1:29 pm

Friends usually praise me for using simple words in my writing. They said they wanted to learn how to do it. So, they asked me to teach them.

I told them that my writing vocabulary is very limited. I have no other choice but to use simple words. Those are the only words I know.

Jef Menguin

April 7, 2010 at 8:18 am

After all, everything is about simplicity.

Less is more!

April 7, 2010 at 8:19 am

Some writers seem to use ‘rambling’ for comic effect and it seems to work quite well for them – but perhaps it only works for those with an established audience who have come to expect it??

I confess that I fall foul of most of the tips above. 🙁

January 1, 2011 at 6:15 pm

Basically rambling only “works” when the intent is humor. It distracts us from an initial point, sometimes returning us there via a circuitous route, sometimes dropping us off at the head of a totally new pathway. Handled with care, it can leave the reader saying ‘hmph’ to himself as he grins at being cleverly tricked. Handled poorly, it can be accompanied by the sound of a book being slammed shut and tossed into the fire.

I ramble far too much. Not because I have nothing to say or am pretentious, but because I have ADD and that’s the way my brain works. I think that I get more ideas on paper faster than most people, but I think it likely that I spend more time editing in order to get decent copy, too.

August 4, 2011 at 3:13 am

I ramble a ton, and like Bill it’s not to be egotistical or for filler (typically), it’s just that is how I’ve always written. I actually do write with a personal style, but part of my personal style IS my rambling. However, perhaps that should be my next “elimination round” for re-writing since I get less than 50 VIEWS… not visits, not subscribers, but VIEWS a day. My HIGHEST has been 75 VIEWS in a day. No subscribers.

The more I read about other people’s blogs, the more envious I get.

But, I will also say that I’ve been too heavy handed on the “good grammar” aspect of using 4-6 sentence paragraphs, instead of limiting my paragraphs to a just a few sentences if that was all that was necessary.

There I go rambling again. =P

April 7, 2010 at 8:24 am

I hope this post goes viral today – these tips are what strong writers do every day. Saying more with less is the best kind of writing. I think that’s why enjoy blog writing because the whole point is to say as much as you can in the smallest space. What good are big words if they don’t add clarity?

April 7, 2010 at 8:25 am

Thanks for putting this list together. Now, I must apply it!

Information like this is priceless!

Chat with you later… Josh

August 4, 2011 at 3:14 am

I think you just succeeded in every single one of these tips.

April 7, 2010 at 8:30 am

Love Mark Twain’s quote.

By the way, could “brilliant” be considered a fluff word in some context? 🙂

Ana/ YourNetBiz

April 7, 2010 at 8:31 am

This is very useful advice. I find your posts almost always help me. Thank you!

April 7, 2010 at 8:34 am

Damn fine article… Mark Twain would be proud!

I think the title of that study is really clever, though. How often are the titles of studies funny, while also clearly illustrating the point of the study? Full points!

I know it’s widely accepted writing tips gospel, but I’m still unconvinced by the “passive voice must be avoided!” rule of writing. See, when I was taught English (as a foreign language), I was told, “in English, the passive voice is used very often so you will have to learn how to use it.” I did, like a good little student, only to be told later in life I should stop!

Did the last paragraph really bore you that much? (Did you even notice?) Is the active form really always better? Where did this anti-passive sentiment start?

I realise you may not have the answers, but I’ve long wondered, so if you do, fill me in!

September 4, 2010 at 1:34 pm

Passive voice has its own place. It is very useful when you are describing a process or when the doer of the action is not as important as the result.

April 7, 2010 at 8:35 am

I love the big words. Love them. But I tend not to write them so much as I would speak them, so it’s not a problem in my blogging.

Just two days ago I was reading Ray Bradbury’s Zen and the Art of Writing and a maxim jumped right out at me: “…when you write quickly, you write honestly.” I love that. It’s both true and useful. And to follow along with today’s point, when you write quickly, you can’t stuff your writing full of multi-syllabic nonsense someone else can’t easily decipher.

April 7, 2010 at 8:43 am

These are brilliant tips! Anyone of our clients writing copy for their site could benefit from this. Thanks!

April 7, 2010 at 8:45 am

Interesting. I’m translator, and when we speak about these online writing news and challenges of the unknown, it seems that both languages coincide. The same principles apply to my native language (Spanish). I’m ready to read the next 11 tips! Thank you!

April 7, 2010 at 8:47 am

Great advice. I find audio transcription a useful technique to avoid unnatural language, thus my writing comes across more conversational. A great iPhone app for this is Dragon Dictation.

April 7, 2010 at 8:52 am

Great tips! As a psychologist I know of the big words–and they do bore me! Even though I understand the words, I skim over much of them to get to the point. Which might be a the 12th tip here: Get to the point and be done with it!

April 7, 2010 at 8:57 am

If for nothing else, avoid the passive voice since politicians use it to get around tough questions. 🙂

Politicians know “it’s easy to leave the actor out of passive sentences… to avoid mentioning who is responsible for certain actions.”

April 7, 2010 at 9:02 am

I’m a civil servant. I know all about leaving the actor out of sentences, but does that mean the active voice is always better? Is the problem the voice, or the avoidance?

It’s perfectly possible to avoid identifying the actor when writing in the active voice. I did it just now.

Politicians also use soap. Should I stop?

April 7, 2010 at 9:10 am

There is only a small handful of people that have their clocks wound through big words.

The rest of our customers just want to hear us speak in everyday language. When I write copy I like to pretend that I am writing a letter to my grandmother. If she would get what I’m saying then I know it worked.

Great post. Very concise and packed with valuable tidbits.

-Joshua Black The Underdog Millionaire

April 7, 2010 at 9:16 am

It’s great how you made your point both in words and in this blog. Nice job!

April 7, 2010 at 9:18 am

@willie. I’m no active voice extremist, but active rules!

“politicians also use soap. Should I stop?”

Didn’t you mean, “The soap was used by the politicians. Should I be stopped by that?” 😉

April 7, 2010 at 9:23 am

Thank you, Dean. I’ve been reading your stuff for 15 years or more (a yellowed torn-out page from an old DM News confirms this), and you’re always right on. Too many writers, I think, begin with the goal of impressing their audiences. The real goal is communication.

April 7, 2010 at 9:27 am

I always keep in mind that I should write simple words and short sentences when I’m writing.

April 7, 2010 at 9:30 am

@willie, passive voice isn’t always a bad thing. But in general, I agree with Shane & Dean, active voice is clearer and it always identify who or what is doing the action of the sentence.

Too often, passive voice is used to keep from getting clear about what’s actually going on. The classic example being “mistakes were made.” Well ok, that’s helpful in one sense, but it would be good to know who made them.

The reason so many writing teachers recommend reworking passive to active is it’s a quick way to make your writing simpler and more direct. I like the way Dean framed it, rather than saying “it’s always wrong.”

April 7, 2010 at 9:44 am

Excellent and immediately useful tips. Novice blogger.

April 7, 2010 at 9:45 am

Nice post. I see a conflict between #2 and #4. In example #2, you take a sentence and make a paragraph out of it. In #4, you advise shorter sentences. I think the example in #2 would have worked better if you had found a way to use several short sentences to flesh out the description.

I’m a nit picker.

May 1, 2012 at 10:43 am

Benjie, I beg to disagree, there is no conflict. Adjectives and adverbs are two different things. He advises against using “unnecessary” words and keep it to the point, not do away with subject matter altogether.

April 7, 2010 at 9:56 am

Probably one of my biggest downfalls is being a little too stiff in my writing style. I appreciate your tips Dean. I think we all know many of these things. I’ll be very good at my writing for day, then start to get carried away and back into bad habits. Nice refresher.

April 7, 2010 at 10:01 am

“Sesquipedalian” means the use of especially big or long words. You should assiduously eschew obfuscatory prolixity and hyperverbosity.

April 7, 2010 at 10:08 am

Your post was very good, Dean. A nice, clean, spare writing style is something to be envied. I go in spurts. When I organize myself and clear my head, I do well. My thoughts flow and I lose myself in my writing. I glance at the clock and realize I’ve been writing and editing the same piece for 2 hours. I feel good about the end result.

Then, the next day, things may go all to heck in a handcart. I allow the tyranny of the urgent to take over and find myself racing to get things done. My work suffers, my desk gets more cluttered and I get so scattered I don’t do anything particularly well.

That’s when I pull back and decide to let my writing take a breather, while I catch up on other things. I don’t allow myself to turn out garbage. When I’m back to the right place in my head, I start writing again.

Thanks for the reminders and the little insights.

Steve Benedict

April 7, 2010 at 10:17 am

To take a page from Hemingway… good post! Time to drink.

April 7, 2010 at 10:19 am

You are singing my song. I read so much tangled writing every day that my eyes hurt.

April 7, 2010 at 10:24 am

@Bob, thanks for the reminder about a word I happen to love!

@James, laughing, thanks.

April 7, 2010 at 10:27 am

As a grammar lover, librarian, Mark Twain fan, and nit-picker, I love everything about the post.

I recently learned that there is now an opera based on Strunk’s The Elements of Style, for anyone who just can’t get through the book:)

April 7, 2010 at 10:36 am

ps. Active voice cuts down on word count, too. At 8 cents per word, that can add up with the proofer.

April 7, 2010 at 10:37 am

OK, well, I’m not trying to start the passive voice appreciation society here (although I do think it’s been unneccesarily hated on by some).

And, yes, the passive voice can be and is used to obfuscate. Sometimes, though, who is doing the obfuscating (for example) is either unimportant or really obvious (here it’s clearly the aforementioned soap-using politicians). (The bastards.)

I guess my main issue with “avoid the passive voice” as writing advice is that for many of us, determining whether a sentence is in active or passive voice is a non-trivial task. It is a non-trivial task to me, and I’m *good* at grammar.

Instead of spending time working out whether each of your sentences is active or passive, is it not more efficient to hunt for things that are unclear, or wordy, or that sound like a civil servant wrote it?

April 7, 2010 at 10:38 am

Great tips to keep in mind, especially number 4 – I am Queen of the never ending sentence.

April 7, 2010 at 10:45 am

I think these are all very useful tips – thanks for sharing. The advice on short sentences, paragraphs and not writing too much are something I think would make a lot of blogs a lot better and are sins I often fall foul of myself (I am a chronic over-writer).

Josh, is that opera real? I’m the kind of word geek who’d go and see it!

April 7, 2010 at 10:50 am

I’ll definitely apply these tips. Thanks for posting it! More power! (^_^)

April 7, 2010 at 10:56 am

@Willie, it only takes a few seconds to erase passive.

In your word processor, do a search for any form of “to be” (ex. “is, are, am, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, can be, should be, would be.”). If verbs follow these words, it’s probably passive voice.

To establish niche authority, we need to write with authority. And, yes, you’re making me laugh (Josh, too).

Passive voice is to be avoided because many extra syllables are added for it to be accomplished.

Avoid passive voice, which adds many extra syllables. (43% difference)

As for the big words and complex sentence issues– while thesauritis and inelegant subordination can lead to obsfucation, we have 800,000 words to choose from and complex ideas to convey. Simple sentences cannot express complex, subtle relationships. The world of ideas should not be limited to a 4th grade reading level.

April 7, 2010 at 11:09 am

Great article. I noticed I’m doing a couple of these things. I need to stop.

Another thing to add to Edit Ruthlessly: read your copy out loud. One of the quickest ways to catch all the points that come before 11.

April 7, 2010 at 11:34 am

Great blogging advice! Ban the fluff, for sure. Be concise. Be simple if/when possible. And *usually* brevity is helpful too, but rambling from time to time CAN be just what the meandering flâneur needs… 😉

April 7, 2010 at 11:40 am

This is right in line with the lessons from a business writing course I’m taking. What’s interesting is that I didn’t realize that I was adding fluff words, cliches, etc. until after I took the course. I now find myself auto-correcting my writing more.

Your tips are simple, but so valuable. I think more of us need these tips than we realize.

Thanks for sharing.

April 7, 2010 at 11:41 am

I do wish that Dean had a career in politics. It would be so good to hear less hot air and more truth from those who are supposed to govern us.

April 7, 2010 at 11:53 am

Love this as so many of us are guilty of these at one point or another. I am not a fan of the big words as it do not find them to be very conversational. I do not necessarily talk in big words so why would I write that way is sort of my model for writing. For me it is not necessarily about looking smarter or not, it is about how I talk and transferring that over to how I write.

These tips are ones to remember esp when we do start to ramble – resists the inviting temptation.

@SuzanneVara

April 7, 2010 at 12:08 pm

I’ve always been a believer in these suggestions. Always remembering to use them is another question…

April 7, 2010 at 12:13 pm

“Is passive voice must have to be avoided?” I think it shouldn’t, because it is the smartest way to keep long your article without adding some extra information.

April 7, 2010 at 12:18 pm

I disagree with #3. I think some well-placed “big words” beg the reader to grow instead of “talking down.” As mdb wrote in the first reply, it may ask them to learn something new. Maybe I write to stir people differently, as I’m sure personal style creates its own parameters. I feel it’s most important to string words together in your own voice.

Of course, I’ve yet to really go out and develop an audience. I may adapt my view when that time comes.

April 7, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Be succinct!

April 7, 2010 at 1:26 pm

I got a kick out of this: Mark Twain suggested that you should “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

It’s damn good! [Edited: It’s good; hmm it doesn’t sound as good as it seems. This is the case where you gotta keep the ‘damn’! Of course it’s not professional, but you don’t have to be.]

One side thought: Although many Copyblogger posts are driving home the same messages, repetition is crucial in making the messages stick. Everytime I read a new post, I get some new ideas to work on. This always happens even if I’d already seen the tips/advices tens of times.

April 7, 2010 at 2:15 pm

After further consideration, I think the picture you’re trying to paint is the guiding principle.

You can say something “takes hard work” or be more descriptive and refer to “inglorious and unglamorous toil.”

Again, it comes down to style. Just a second though to share.

April 7, 2010 at 2:43 pm

Great list of tips to keep us all focused. For those of us that had to write huge papers in high school and college, writing so that most people can understand and enjoy does not come naturally.

We’ve been taught that you have to use flowery language and write above people’s heads.

Do that online and you’ll have a bunch of bored readers. Keep things short, interesting and to the point.

April 7, 2010 at 2:48 pm

Love this! Your first point is great. Have something worthwhile to say. When you do have meaning behind your words, it’s easy to write simply and specifically. You know your point. You get it across. Job well done.

April 7, 2010 at 3:04 pm

My favorite: “Shorten, delete, and rewrite anything that does not add to the meaning. It’s okay to write in a casual style, but don’t inject extra words without good reason.”

April 7, 2010 at 3:21 pm

I’m guilty of many of these, especially #s 5 and 7. But a bigger issue for me is trying to balance writing for attorneys with good blogging. I can see how #3 makes sense for content in general, but most of my clients prefer “commence” and similar words in legal docs. I guess it means I must juggle 2 writing styles to blog well and satisfy my clients. Thanks for the tips, timely as always!

April 7, 2010 at 3:24 pm

Great list 🙂 I am very new in the field of writing and I feel your post directly pointed out to me the areas I need to work on.

Thank you for sharing those strategies 🙂

April 7, 2010 at 4:34 pm

I’ve been thinking about this post all day. Every time I sat down to write something, I double checked to be sure I wasn’t using any $100 words. It’s unlikely that I would, but as a graduate student I have added a few “academic” terms to my vocabulary. I would hate for them to slip in to everyday conversation! 🙂

April 7, 2010 at 4:35 pm

Great stuff. Short and sweet. Thank you.

April 7, 2010 at 4:38 pm

Great tips Dean. I’ll keep an eye on my “very, little and rather” etc. I think I’m guilty. I’ve never given much thought to the active vs passive voicing before either. Thanks for posting.

April 7, 2010 at 4:51 pm

It is sometimes hard not to use big words to describe something… It can be quicker and more precise to use technical jargon and fancy words but you do have to get your message across to your reader, who may not have the depth of your vocabulary. Personally, I don’t know many big words… I think wordy is better than verbose anyway, which is what I am becoming here…

April 7, 2010 at 5:23 pm

@Dean – Thanks for the article, and especially the damn fine Mark Twain quote. I love it.

@WillieHewes – My gripe with passive voice is that it usually hurts clarity. I agree that “determining whether a sentence is in active or passive voice is a non-trivial task”, so I let Microsoft Word help. I swear that its grammar checker draws immense pleasure from harassing me about passive voice. I gripe, but my rewrite is usually much clearer. Maybe your word processing software has a similar torture-the-writer option. Word doesn’t have an option to flag writing that sounds-like-a-civil-servant-wrote-it though. Maybe in the next version 🙂

April 7, 2010 at 5:33 pm

Fantastic tips. It’s essential to strike a balance between writing detailed, specific points and eliminating grandiose phrasing.

Amen, Dean. Excellent post.

April 7, 2010 at 5:47 pm

There’s nothing worse than trying to eke out a post when you have nothing to say! I’ve been guilty of it several times, but my new technique is to plan out (bullet point) all my drafts on a Monday, then they simmer away in my mind and I fill in the gaps later in the week. It’s saving me a lot of time actually.

April 7, 2010 at 6:40 pm

I think that everyone who writes should read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’, even if you’re not a fiction writer. He covers a lot of these tips, actually. I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, like cutting all your adverbs (a well-placed one can be handy), but since I read it I can see where I’m going wrong and fix it – and see how much better it is afterwards.

April 7, 2010 at 7:18 pm

Thanks Dean, your words have ignited a spark of responses hungry for simplified expression. Me too as I struggle to find ways to describe the way something looks.. as in a product that effects a great look expressed as ‘gorgeous..’ Any thoughts as to expression of tired words so people don’t switch off ?

April 7, 2010 at 7:37 pm

Its an awesome article. I have been struggling to write these simple words and explain correctly. Now, I have some idea and hopefully I will use on my website. I have been writing a website on Nepal with lots of helpful informations. If you guys could help me how to simplify my writing visiting my website that would be awesome.

April 7, 2010 at 7:46 pm

Holy crap! Love the tips, but I am not reading all these comments. lol. I would be here for hours, and I’m sure I would run across a few redundant things.

I love number 7. Eliminate the fluff. Cut it out. Chop it up. Anything that can help us keep it simple, make it more readable and get our message across is a good lesson to learn. Damn good!

April 7, 2010 at 7:57 pm

Love the Mark Twain quote!

Simplicity is key.

April 7, 2010 at 10:17 pm

Thanks for the great post! K.I.S.S. when you communicate.

April 8, 2010 at 3:02 am

These Tips are very unique and easy to learn …. I like it, Thanks for sharing!! 🙂

April 8, 2010 at 5:33 am

“Word doesn’t have an option to flag writing that sounds-like-a-civil-servant-wrote-it though. Maybe in the next version.”

They should totally build that. I might even use the programme if they did.

April 8, 2010 at 7:15 am

I will never be able to write ‘very’ again without thinking about Mark Twain.

April 8, 2010 at 8:17 am

One of the other advantages of the Write – Wait – Edit approach is that you will discover words that have been left out and should be there to complete a sentence.

The missing words are in your head when you write the article and when you review it right after writing. The missing words are no longer in your head when you come back later to review and edit the article.

April 8, 2010 at 8:30 am

Leaving the text and coming back later is a trick that I swear by. I also read text out loud to spot errors.

Mark Twain cracks me up.

April 8, 2010 at 9:22 am

Good writing tips here. I do have a tendency of getting a little long winded some times. How do you like Thesis? I’m considering purchasing.

April 8, 2010 at 9:36 am

Luv 1 – 8 and 10

I guess having something to write SHOULD be your first step..lol

April 8, 2010 at 10:47 am

Thanks for firmly reminding me about what I know but tend to ignore!

Especially timely as I write monthly blogs and website articles for clients, as well as myself. This will help me give them better value.

April 8, 2010 at 10:50 am

Excellent post Dean. The idea is to welcome readers and let them know that we are just as ordinary as any other person. This keeps the readers coming back as having simple English laid out enables more understanding, instantly encouraging him/her to ENGAGE with the writer; which is important.

April 8, 2010 at 2:04 pm

This is an interesting study. However, this seems to be stating the obvious. Overusing complex terminology and vague adjectives definitely alienates the average reader. Technical vernacular is appropriate for trade journals and other professional publication but vague adjectives always make the writer seem less credible. I am a journalism student at the University of Kansas and these are the types writing guideline that were drilled into our brains during the first research and writing class we were required to take. All these guidelines are basic AP and inverted pyramid news writing styles. Nevertheless, it is nice to see one scientific field provide legitimacy to the practices of another.

April 8, 2010 at 4:31 pm

I agree. Using complicated words only makes you sound like you’re trying to be smart as apposed to actually being smart. Got a chuckle out of “See?”

April 8, 2010 at 5:12 pm

Thanks for this article. I really need it today, and I have it bookmarked. Awesome tips.

April 8, 2010 at 8:42 pm

Agreed! I feel the most inspired and creative when I’m taking simple ideas and turning them into fresh, exciting, new insight. It’s the same with words. It’s how you use them together and develop the relationship between them. In a vaccum, words mean nothing. Delicately crafted, they’re powerful tools.

April 9, 2010 at 3:01 am

I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent and articulate person. But when I read academic articles and journals I typically find them full of words that seem designed to confuse. So a really useful application of these basic rules would be in academic papers. Encourage understanding rather than show how clever you are.

By the way, love the site.

April 9, 2010 at 3:27 pm

These are some very good tips. Especially #1 “Having Something To Say.” Because without this it’s a waste of time for you and your readers.

Kind regards,

April 11, 2010 at 11:08 am

Thank for the tips, there are many people like me who are not the best at writing but we still want to express ourselves.

To writers these are already embedded in them, but for those who aren’t, it is always great to see read them to start the process of having them naturally enforced in our writing.

April 11, 2010 at 7:24 pm

Simple, concise, brilliant.

April 12, 2010 at 8:15 am

I am going to print this and hang it by my computer to serve as a reminder.

An important trick I see some great writers use is rhythm. They use words like a paint brush and are able make something boring or difficult easier to read. I compare to a photograph of an ugly person wearing a nice shirt.

April 16, 2010 at 10:35 pm

Simply brilliant. A good reference would be “On Writing Well”, an excellent book which covers many of these topics in such simplicity that you wonder why you didn’t remember them from high school or grammar school …. (did they ever teach us that stuff?) Thank you!

April 17, 2010 at 9:06 pm

Reading this was so refreshing…Thanks for the great content. I’m going to print it and keep it handy it was so good!

April 19, 2010 at 11:11 am

July 29, 2010 at 2:36 pm

Well, I think it’s pretty clear from the subtitle of the study that the main title was a joke… And while a “conversational” style of copy is more effective in general, I think how far to go with that is dependent on the site that you are writing for. If I’m writing copy for a VoTech, I do not want to go overly verbose, but sounding like I’m a teenager texting my friends does not work either. And while I suppose it is ultimately true that you have to take into account smaller and smaller vocabularies, sometimes it is just easier and more efficient to use a “big word”.

April 23, 2011 at 3:10 pm

I try to use the simplest word that exactly fits the situation. Sometimes a ‘larger’, less familiar word is the correct match. “Dumbing down” is not the correct approach for everything.

If I were describing a General speaking to the Senate, at first I would have him use military gobbledygook to try to BS the Senators (a pre-emptive counter-strike against the counter-insurgents*, for instance). Then, when the bull stuff hit the PhD (Piled Higher & Deeper) levels, I’d have the Senators interrupt him for a definition in layman terms. The General might not even know the layman terms … so he/she would have to fumble in the simple-words backpack for something that might be useful.

Finally, the Senators might choose to express their frustration and say something to the effect of “General, let’s cut to the chase … when you aim the damned thing and pull the trigger, what in the hell is supposed to happen next?”

Is there a simpler term for “gobbledygook”? Definitely … but you’d have to string a bunch of those simpler terms together to express the same thought and that would NOT simplify either the writing or the reading.

There is concision in precision.

Use a large word when it suits the purpose better than a short word or a brief phrase. Use the larger word when it will be understood by your audience at least as readily as-a-bunch-of-small-words-piled-up-in-a-three-high-traffic-accident-just-before-the-full-stop.

Just my 2 cents worth.

*attacking the lawful government

July 31, 2010 at 9:31 am

Well I agree with this: Nobody can be perfect writers.

As time passes by we become aware of the mistakes what we do commonly and try to correct it to improvise ourselves.

August 17, 2010 at 12:51 am

The word fat is a perfectly good one, but when it is hijacked by neo-puritans, with the implication that slimness equates to virtue, we are on dangerous ground.

August 21, 2010 at 9:04 am

I endorse this completely. This stuff is what I teach my essay writing students. I wonder if all these are applicable to writing marketing copy.

August 31, 2010 at 2:59 am

Brilliant tips! These impart a lot of confidence into people like me, who would want to try a hand at writing a blog.

October 25, 2010 at 6:44 am

I love to write……simple. Earlier I used to feel I wasn’t good at writing for I couldn’t remember long words, however much I had tried. Really, I had given a lot to digest long dictionary word so that I could also write ‘good’. Somewhere inside I always hated looking into the dictionary while reading books. And that was probably the reason why I could never remember long words.

When I started with content writing job, I realized that: at least on the web, nobody is going to sit with a dictionary to understand my text. I only use longer synonyms of any simple word when the word itself has been already used. I, as a reader also, want to read and understand a sentence in an instant…. and want to build up a similar content for all readers……so now I love writing SIMPLE…..

April 23, 2011 at 3:43 pm

The way to read a sentence “in an instant” … ANY sentence … is to build up your vocabulary and grammar. The way to do that is to read material that is challenging: not material with all the life sucked out of it by the “keep it simple” police.

The way to limit your audience to those who can barely drool is to continually accommodate the least literate of them. As we have seen on the internet, that bar continually gets lower and lower. It’s a race to the bottom. All you have to do is find a line of fools, blow a whistle to get their attention, then walk away, dropping marshmallows behind you. In the end, your readers will not be able to understand you (in ANY language) and you will not be able to find simple enough words to actually communicate anything beyond “New!”, “Improved!”.

Don’t go there. Don’t lower your own command of the language and don’t talk down to your readers. Yes, you will gain the less literate … but it will come at the expense of the more literate (who generally have more disposable income).

Look at the ads for luxury automobiles. They generally have a few VERY well chosen words. They aren’t afraid of tossing in foreign terms or using unusual typefaces (which, I assure you, were as thoroughly tested as the words themselves).

You will not become a better writer by abandoning your craft and aiming for the bottom of the pile. You become a better writer by mastering your craft and aiming at any part of the pile you choose.

October 26, 2010 at 4:20 am

The tips above strike a chord. I love to read anything that neatly describes what I already believe, but failed to put into words myself.

October 27, 2010 at 12:10 am

All these rules basically work together – if you use one, often times, the rest will follow. For example, if you work on 4. “keeping it short,” you will also avoid 7-10, avoiding rambling, fluff, redundancy, and over writing. I agree that big words are not always best, but I’m not sure how I feel about steering clear of ‘longer’ words. Sometimes, I think “utilize” is an appropriate replacement for use. Use can sound bland whereas utilize, if you ask me, falls under step 2 of being specific – utilize paints a more descriptive image for the reader. Other than that, I think these 11 tips are simple and completely on target. It’s hard to disappoint when you follow guidelines as point-blank and directional as these. And better yet, they apply to all forms or writing: blogs, memos, letters, documents, anything.

October 28, 2010 at 12:03 pm

The ‘complex’ title that you described made me chuckle, and effectively got the point across. I have always struggled with keeping my writing concise and clear. Your post offers some great advice to students like me who are looking for ways to work on their writing. Thanks for these tips. I always try to remember to cut out ‘fat’ around my message – excess words that do not really add to the sentence. It’s painful at first, but I can notice the improvement after. Remembering these tips can really help writers stand out, as you have described. Thanks again!

October 28, 2010 at 2:14 pm

These tips go right along with our firm’s motto: “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Thanks for the reminder.

Maureen Dudley of Dudley & Nunez Communications

November 11, 2010 at 11:39 am

Amazing tips that will give readers a more entertaining copy to read.

November 11, 2010 at 12:10 pm

Good tips. Now if I could just get my clients to read this and follow your advice. Keep it simple and edit, edit, edit. Well written. Thanks for the post!

November 13, 2010 at 3:21 am

Even though I know a lot of this stuff intuitively, I feel it’s really helpful to see it listed so clearly. This is a great article.

November 29, 2010 at 10:39 am

The overwriting part is helpful. I really like this blog. Excuse me I d@#$mn like this blog.

December 10, 2010 at 10:05 pm

I was taught English as a second language. And now I’m excising my writing skills working as an copywriter. These tips are really helpful. 🙂

March 1, 2011 at 10:11 am

That’s a great list. A useful read for anybody who wishes to write well!

April 16, 2011 at 10:20 pm

Dean, I am agree with all of your views. As non-native speaker, we sometimes tend to use some complex, unusual and metaphoric words to make our writing (so-called) standard…But simplicity is the most powerful way in every step of our life… A must-read post… Thanks!

April 23, 2011 at 4:03 pm

I’ve added a couple counter-points to earlier comments. Now I’d like to suggest a #12. Shoot it down if you can.

Of those portions of the world who speak English, many of them speak it only as a second tongue, a language of necessity. It has to do with English speaking people having money and guns and a willingness to use one whenever the other fails to achieve the desired results. Those who read your material in their native language will bring a sense of gratitude and pride to the reading. This can result in sales that would have otherwise been missed.

So, here’s the proposed rule:

Even if you also post in English, do not neglect to post in your native tongue.

April 26, 2011 at 6:09 am

I’ve always found that less is often more. Simple words, short sentences will keep the readers coming back. These are great tips 🙂

April 26, 2011 at 10:40 am

Keep it short. It’s much harder to write a little than a lot. Editing may be harder than writing. Read my blog, The Pragmatic Marketer for insights and tips.

April 27, 2011 at 2:11 am

Excellent tips to be mindful of. Sometimes I tend to write sentences too long. I can see the gist of writing small sentences. Choice.

May 14, 2011 at 10:12 am

I find your advice useful. The article itself followed the rules you outlined. Good articles don’t need to take forever to read.

May 17, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Some fantastic tips in this article especially the passive voice , this is a mistake I always make in writing ,Thank you for sharing.

June 6, 2011 at 9:58 pm

Amazing article, and the Tips are just so juicy and easy to understand.

Thank You very much!

July 26, 2011 at 5:03 pm

Fun fact of the day: ‘utilize’ doesn’t even mean ‘use.’ It means to use in a novel way. If you put cereal in a bowl, you’re not utilizing it. If you put the bowl on your head to use as a guide for cutting hair, you’re probably also not utilizing it – lots of people have done that before. If you put the bowl on your head and then dangle a chain from your ear and pretend to be a lamp, while someone takes a picture, maybe then you’re utilizing the bowl.

So – 90% of the time, if you’re using the word ‘utilize,’ you probably shouldn’t be.

Also – notice the single quotes around the words? Double quotes are for quotations, not emphasis. And, yeah, bold would be better still. Oh, gee! Look at the time!

I feel better now. 🙂

August 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm

I think it all depends on context, though. IMHO, big words can make you seem smarter, if you slip them in amidst a bunch of smaller ones. It’s overkill that murders your prose. Not the use of big words.

Anyway, thanks for this great article. Brevity is not my strong point. I like long sentences. A lot. I have to resist the urge to use them quite often. I fail more often than not, however, and that’s why I must humbly thank you for this perfect article on the subject. Maybe this time the advice will go to heart.

Probably not.

Have a great day, and happy writing!

September 20, 2011 at 7:26 pm

Simplicity is complicated.

October 28, 2011 at 1:39 am

A great post………… important thing is to apply it!

December 5, 2011 at 5:54 am

Rightly said all well put together,Great post.

December 13, 2011 at 12:42 pm

This was overall a very informative article, but I must disagree with you over the title of that study you cited. I believe the authors were using a little tongue-in-cheek humor to further emphasize what they found in their study – I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on that.

December 15, 2011 at 4:53 pm

I should have read this before I started writing and blogging. Now i know exactly what to do and forget about high sounding words that always make me freak out before I even go half way of my articles. I thought and many people think too that using big words is the way to effective writing. Thank you for a very informative article that writers could use to improve their writing.

February 13, 2012 at 5:47 am

I have always used simple words in my copy. But at times you risk being labelled as someone with a limited vocabulary. Cannot help but use some big words to make the seemingly mundane copy better.

February 19, 2012 at 7:50 pm

My argument has always been that even if you can understand all those big words, do you want to wade through them? Especially if you’re working to understand the message itself or follow some instructions. Simple writing is easiest to read and distracts less from the message so it’s great to see these tips available for people wanting to improve their writing.

May 2, 2012 at 11:54 am

Okay, time for a difference of opinion. I don’t agree with this article one-hundred percent. While it’s true that there are good books that are straight to the point, what’s wrong with novels with big words and loads of description? I ask you all to truly think about this. You say we should all use smaller words, less complex words. Well then, why even have those big words in the dictionary if no one uses them? We might as well make our dictionaries simpler if our vocabularies are going to be so. But in the process, I feel, something terrible happens, our lives become a little less rich. So what if novel makes use of big words? Reading words I’m unfamiliar with has done no harm to me, but encouraged me to look through a dictionary to find their meanings. This in turn has enlivened my vocabulary and made my life all the more richer and fulfilling. We should have the intelligence to learn new words, the mental comprehension to do so.

Next issue I have with this article, the need to always write short sentences and never to ramble. Again, why? Some of the greatest literature is incredibly wordy. Let’s take a look at Moby Dick. It rambles on and on. Some people hate, I admit it. But I found the book to be thought-provoking in it’s wordiness. The same goes for Great Expectations. These books, though wordy, allow to really reflect inner-thoughts in a way I have found very meaningful. Books with loads of description, like Lord of the Rings, with tons of sentences, going into detail descriptions on the lands alone, allow me immerse myself in the fantasy land that Tolkien has created, something I find fantasy books with shorter descriptions have not allowed me to do so. There is a poetry to some of these long-winded novels, a beauty.

As I said before, straight to the point novels with little description and smaller words are not bad novels. They can be very good novels. But wanting every novel to be written like that smacks of something the fast food generation wants, something called instant gratification. They want results now, they want their food now. Sometimes I wonder if there is a correlation to the fast food generation to people wanting their novels always simple and straight to the point. To say that novels should only be written one way, which this article seems to be saying, is a disservice to literature and it’s many diverse writers. I ask you all to think it over.

May 2, 2012 at 12:45 pm

Fair enough, Jonathan, except the article isn’t about writing novels — it’s about writing content in service to a business.

This article's comments are closed.

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• Writing Worksheets and Other Writing Resources

Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style in Academic Writing

About the slc.

• Our Mission and Core Values

1. Use ACTIVE VOICE

Don't say:  "The stepmother's house was cleaned by Cinderella."  (Passive.)

Say instead:  "Cinderella cleaned the stepmother's house."  (Active voice.)

Passive voice construction ("was cleaned") is reserved for those occasions where the "do-er" of the action is unknown.

Example:  "Prince Charming saw the glass slipper that was left behind."

2. Mix it up in terms of PUNCTUATION

Here are a few commonly misused punctuation marks that a lot of people aren't sure about:

The  semi-colon (;)  separates two complete sentences that are complementary.

Example:  "She was always covered in cinders from cleaning the fireplace; they called her Cinderella."

The  colon (:)  is used...

a. preceding a list.

Example:  "Before her stepmother awoke, Cinderella had three chores to complete: feeding the chickens, cooking breakfast, and doing the wash." 


b. as a sort of "drum roll," preceding some big revelation.

Example:  "One thing fueled the wicked stepmother's hatred for Cinderella: jealousy."  


The  dash (--)  is made by typing two hyphens (-). No spaces go in between the dash and the text. It is used...

a. to bracket off some explanatory information.

Example:  "Even Cinderella's stepsisters-who were not nearly as lovely or virtuous as Cinderella--were allowed to go to the ball." 


b. in the "drum roll" sense of the colon.

Example:  "Prince Charming would find this mystery lady--even if he had to put the slipper on every other girl in the kingdom."  


3. Vary your SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Don't say:  "Cinderella saw her fairy godmother appear. She was dressed in blue. She held a wand. The wand had a star on it. She was covered in sparkles. Cinderella was amazed. She asked who the woman was. The woman said, 'I am your fairy godmother.' She said she would get Cinderella a dress and a coach. She said she would help Cinderella go to the ball."

Instead say: (there are multiple correct ways to rewrite this, but here's one)  "Amazed, Cinderella watched as her fairy godmother appeared. The woman dressed in blue was covered in sparkles and carried a star-shaped wand. Cinderella asked the woman who she was, to which the woman replied, 'I am your fairy godmother." The fairy godmother would get Cinderella a dress and a coach; she would help Cinderella get to the ball."

4. Closely related to this, avoid CHOPPINESS

Don't say:  "She scrubbed the floors. They were dirty. She used a mop. She sighed sadly. It was as if she were a servant ."

Instead say : (again, there are multiple ways to do this)  "She scrubbed the dirty floors using a mop, as if she were a servant. She sighed sadly."

5. Avoid REPETITION.

Don't say:  "The stepsisters were jealous and envious ."

Instead say :  "The stepsisters were jealous ."  (...or envious. Pick one.)

6. Be CONCISE

Don't say:  "The mystery lady was one who every eligible man at the ball admired."

Instead say :  "Every eligible man at the ball admired the mystery lady."

7. Use the VOCABULARY that you know.

Don't always feel you have to use big words. It is always better to be clear and use simple language rather than showing off flashy words you aren't sure about and potentially misusing them. This is not to say, however, that you should settle for very weak vocabulary choices (like "bad" or "big" or "mad").

8. But also work on expanding your VOCABULARY.

When reading, look up words you don't know. See how they're used. Start a list. Incorporate them into your writing as you feel comfortable and as they are appropriate.

9. Keep language FORMAL and avoid language of everyday speech.

Don't say:  "Cinderella was mellow and good. She never let her stepmother get to her ."

Say instead:  "Cinderella was mild-mannered and kind. She never let her stepmother affect her high spirits ."

So, essentially, when it comes to working on style, there are three things to remember:

Empower yourself with knowledge..

Learn to punctuate correctly, enhance your vocabulary, etc. Give yourself all the tools there are so that you are free to...

...Mix it up!

Avoid repetition of words and sentence structure. Variance promotes good "flow" and is more interesting for your reader.

"Write to EXPRESS, not to IMPRESS."

Above all, write actively, clearly, and concisely.

Amber Carini

Student Learning Center, University of California, Berkeley

©2002 UC Regents

  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Complex Sentence Generator is a free content rewriter that can potentially rephrase, reword, paraphrase and/or rewrite sentences, paragraphs, articles, content, words and/or phrases into a more complex, unorthodox or convoluted alternative while delivering the same meaning. The vocabulary of this sentence paraphraser contains an abundance of rarely used words/phrases and can paraphrase sentences in a variety of ways that are chosen randomly. Aside from this web based software being used as a paraphrasing tool or a text spinner, it can also be used as a vocabulary improvement tool. The artificial intelligence of this paraphrase generator is so sophisticated that it is capable of understanding context. Use the dictionary or thesaurus to learn definitions for words or discover more synonyms.

Aside from this web based software being used as a paraphrasing tool or a text spinner, it can also be used as a vocabulary improvement tool. The artificial intelligence of this paraphrase generator is so sophisticated that it is capable of understanding context. Use the dictionary or thesaurus to learn definitions for words or discover more synonyms.

Complex Sentence Generator is very easy to use. After typing or pasting content in the first text box, press the convert button to automatically paraphrase the content. This generator can also work as a random sentence generator. Click on the random sentence button to generate random complex sentences and have them paraphrased. This software works as a paraphrase converter for transforming simple and common english into more complex english. It can be useful as a free article spinner due to its' ability to rephrase a large body of text and potentially generate multiple unique versions with each conversion of the same content. With complex sentence generator you can reword content online and rewrite up to 10000 characters or less at a time/per conversion. This should be more than enough for spinning articles, essays or paraphrasing website content for blogs which usually consists of a large amount of content.

In order to rephrase a sentence, paragraph, essay or article effectively, content with good grammar and spelling is important when using this automatic paraphraser because it can only recognize, understand and rewrite correct grammar. For an article rewriter that is in the form of a bot, it does a good job of respecting english and using replacements that make sense. Content that is written in all caps or with the first letter of every word capitalized can still be rephrased by this software. Otherwise, as long as the grammar of the content is sensible and recognizable, complex sentence generator can make the task of paraphrasing easy. Rather than having to research synonyms for words or phrases and deduce which ones are the most suitable substitutes for any context a word or phrase may be used in, paraphrasing is done on auto pilot.

Aside from simply being used as a tool to spin text or paraphrase content, complex sentence generator can be instrumental towards accomplishing a number of additional tasks. Improving vocabulary, learning new ways to utilize english words and phrases and adding more uniqueness to the process of generating new content. You can also use paraphrase search to learn new words by searching for examples of words/phrases being used in a sentence and paraphrased in a sentence. Due to how rare and uncommon a lot of the words and phrases are in the database of this paraphrase generator, it can create and exhibit a unique style of writing and vocabulary. It also makes it easier to encounter and discover new words.

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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How to Make Your Writing Sound More Professional and Sophisticated

As a writer, your job is to communicate clearly and effectively with your audience. But as a writer, you also want to be seen as an authority figure and someone that your readers can trust to lead them through the topic of the piece you are writing. 

To gain that sense of authority, many writers want to sound more professional and sophisticated. There is a right way and a wrong way to try to sound more professional and sophisticated, and in this article, we’ll take a look at some of the strategies that work and those that don’t so you can sound as smart as you know you are.

So, let’s look at some strategies you can employ to sound more professional and sophisticated. These expert tips and guidelines can be easily used by most of California students who need help writing papers and essays in colleges and universities.

Improve Your Vocabulary in Writing

The first and best way to make your writing sound more sophisticated and professional is to improve your vocabulary. Learning new words will help you to develop stronger writing by giving you a broader range of options to express your exact meaning in any given situation. For example, “verdant” carries a slightly different meaning than “green,” and being able to deploy the right color word to express what the reader should feel at any given moment can make your writing richer and more involving. English has one of the most expansive vocabularies in the world, and that gives you more opportunity to find the right word for any situation. If you ever find yourself thinking, “I need someone to  write essay for me ,” consider expanding your vocabulary first to enhance your own writing skills.

Don’t Use Highfalutin Language in Writing

One major problem that a writer will face is the temptation to use elevated language in order to sound smart. However, using too many big words is just as bad—indeed, worse—than using simplistic language. Paradoxically, sounding professional and sophisticated often comes from using simple, natural language. For example, the Associated Press sets the standards for how journalists write. Journalism sounds professional and sophisticated, but it is written at an eighth grade reading level. 

Using language that your readers will understand is essential for developing a relationship of trust with your readers. If you use words that they don’t understand, they might think you are trying to talk over them and reject your message. Worse, utilizing excessive verbiage of incontrovertible complexity manifests the kind of reader fatigue you probably felt reading the first half of this sentence. It’s hard to read long strings of big words, and that makes you sound not sophisticated but pompous. A great writer knows how to use the smallest word that conveys the full meaning. That doesn’t mean you never use big words, only that you use them when it is essential for meaning.

Mark Twain once commented, “Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” He was trying to say the same thing—avoid big words just for the sake of using them. Natural language sounds best and actually sounds more sophisticated than elevated language.

This is one of the big problems that academic writers face. Academic writing is notorious for being difficult to read in the name of sophistication. Indeed, professors often joke that they know an academic article must be good because they don’t understand it. Professors can see their reputations sink if they write papers that are too easy to read. This creates a perverse incentive to write in a way that only those who are in the exact same field can understand, creating knowledge silos that prevent interdisciplinary knowledge transfer and hoarding knowledge among a few experts in any given subject.

Effective Ways of Better Academic Writing

The unique challenges of creating effective academic writing are often a problem for students who are just learning the art of academic writing. Many students have difficulty transitioning to the academic style of writing. Because of this, it can often be beneficial for students to see how a professional writer would approach their essay topic. When students make use of pro essay writing services like SmartWritingService.com , they can get help to develop their academic writing skills. Custom academic papers will help students to see how to write about a topic in a sophisticated and professional way without crossing over into elevated language that can damage the quality of a paper.

Use the Active Voice in Writing

Another tip for sounding more professional and sophisticated is to use the active voice in your essay writing. The active voice makes the action sound more direct and keeps your writing engaging. In academic writing, there is a tendency to use the passive voice in order to try to sound objective and avoid referring to oneself. However, the passive voice is tiring for readers because it hides the action of the sentence and saps the sentence of its agency and its energy. Therefore, using the active voice is the better choice—and as a bonus, it also sounds better and more professional. Compare, for example, the difference between “The ball was hit by the boy” to “The boy hit the ball,” and you can see the difference.

Eliminate Unnecessary Words in Your Papers

More words don’t make for better sentences. To sound more sophisticated, say more with fewer words. Cut out unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. If your sentence’s meaning doesn’t change when you remove a word, then the word wasn’t necessary to begin with. Simple, direct sentences are more powerful and convey your meaning more forcefully. 

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50 Sophisticated Words to Trick Schools into Thinking You’re Classy

Find your degree

Many students are intimidated by the essays that must be written to complete college or scholarship applications. The truth is, you don’t have to use big words or fancy words you don’t understand to write a compelling essay — a few well-placed, sophisticated words will do. College essays should be extremely polished and fluff-free.

It’s time to get creative and make every word count, so be sure to use sophisticated words rather than slang or Internet acronyms (LMAO). Forget everything Urban Dictionary taught you and add a touch of class to your vocabulary with more sophisticated words in your writing and speech.

When you are ready to choose a school, we recommend you use our ranking of the top 100 best online colleges as your starting point.

• Advantageous (adjective) beneficial; creating a favorable situation to give an advantage. My volunteer work puts me in an advantageous position over other applicants.
• Alacrity (noun) pep in your step; lively, cheerful, and eager behavior. She lit up the dull room with her alacrity; her energy was palpable. She was thrilled to have been chosen to help.
• Amiable (adjective) friendly and good-natured. He was amiable and well-liked in the community prior to the discovery in his basement.
• Aptitude (noun) talent or ability She discovered her aptitude for real-life math at a young age while shopping with her mother.
• Assiduity (noun) dedication, diligence, and great focus. I studied with assiduity for the exam and feel confident and fully prepared.
• Candor (noun) open; honest; sincere. The senator’s candor during his speech won many voters over.
• Cumulative (adjective) accumulative, all added together. Exercising for one day may not yield results, but the health benefits are cumulative over time.
• Debase (verb) to corrupt or contaminate. I don’t allow mainstream media to debase my common sense.
• Deferential (adjective) yielding out of respect. The commissioner became accustomed to deferential treatment.
• Diligent (adjective) attention to detail; careful and hard-working. My diligent work on the project was critical to its success.
• Eloquent (adjective) fluent; having a way with words; perfectly said. Her eloquent speech moved the audience to tears.
• Elucidate (verb) to explain very clearly. She was eager to elucidate the problem to the mechanic so that it could be fixed.
• Emboldened (adjective) being made bold. We were emboldened by our success and ready to take it to the next level.
• Ephemeral (adjective) fleeting or short-lived. Summer romance is often ephemeral, as is the season itself.
• Equitable (adjective) a fair division between all parties. My equitable share of the profit was 45%.
• Extol (verb) to give high praise. He gave a speech to extol the benefits of online college .
• Gratuitous (adjective) unnecessary; uncalled-for. Both parties hurled gratuitous insults at each other and nothing was accomplished.
• Gregarious (adjective) outgoing; extroverted. The gregarious host made us feel welcome and comfortable in her home.
• Hypocrisy (noun) the insincerity of pretending to believe something you do not believe. My mother’s hypocrisy was exposed when I caught her cursing and smoking after speeding home from a late night out.
• Incisive (adjective) the ability to identify or draw sharp distinctions. Her incisive remarks were hurtful, mostly because they were pointedly accurate.
• Industrious (adjective) hard-working and persevering. In order to stand out from others, you must be smart, polite and industrious at your job.
• Innate (adjective) born with it. He has the innate ability to make people smile and uses it to his advantage.
• Insular (adjective) isolated; an island unto itself. Small-town life has many advantages, but can also be insular in many ways.
• Intrepid (adjective) Bold or brave. The intrepid explorer has seen things the rest of us can only imagine.
• Latent (adjective) there, but not there; having the potential to be realized, but hidden. Since the virus is latent there are no obvious signs of infection.
• Lithe (adjective) supple, bending easily. The dancers were lithe, yet also very strong.
• Maxim (noun) a widely known saying that is accepted as truth. Gandhi’s maxim “Be the change you wish to see in the world” is one to live by.
• Meticulous (adjective) precise attention to every detail. She is always meticulous about her research, leaving no stone unturned.
• Modicum (noun) a small token amount. We enjoyed only a modicum of success so far, but are optimistic about the next project.
• Myriad (noun) a large amount; countless. With online college , there are a myriad of career possibilities.
• Nuance (noun) a very subtle difference. The nuance of her voice added new dimensions to the song she covered.
• Obsequious (adjective) subservient; brown-nosing. His obsequious behavior failed to flatter his boss and quickly became annoying to everyone.
• Panacea (noun) a cure-all. Mom’s homemade chicken soup is the ultimate panacea.
• Pellucid (adjective) clearly understandable. The assembly instructions were surprisingly pellucid, which made the desk easy to put together.
• Penchant (noun) a strong preference or liking. He has a penchant for antique automobiles and frequently attends car shows.
• Perusal (noun) studying with the intent to memorize. A perusal of the material the night before made me feel confident about taking the test.
• Plethora (noun) an abundance or extreme excess. With the plethora of choices, making a decision about which car to buy came down to consumer reviews.
• Pragmatic (adjective) realistic and practical. Her pragmatic approach offered no frills but worked perfectly.
• Predilection (noun) a preference or bias. Her predilection for the color blue was evident in her wardrobe choices.
• Repudiate (verb) to reject or refuse to recognize as valid. He began to repudiate my excuse without even letting me finish.
• Salient (adjective) something that stands out and is obvious. There may be some advantages to buying in early, but they are not immediately salient.
• Staid (adjective) dignified and with decorum. I have lived a particularly staid life, so as not to embarrass myself.
• Studious (adjective) character trait involving diligent study. She was always quite studious; it was not uncommon to find her books lying about.
• Substantiate (verb) to give facts to support a claim. He said he was robbed, but there is nothing to substantiate his claim.
• Superfluous (adjective) in excess; more than is needed. Don’t waste your precious breath with superfluous flattery; it will get you nowhere.
• Surfeit (noun) the quality of overabundance. Considering the surfeit of food in America it is amazing that we still have some of our population go hungry.
• Sycophant (noun) someone who sucks up to others for personal gain. She often wondered if Bruce really liked her or if he was simply being a sycophant because of her wealthy parents.
• Taciturn (adjective) reserved or aloof. I tried to talk to my mother about what happened, but she remained taciturn.
• Venerable (adjective) honorable; highly regarded. I was nervous about performing on opening night because of all the venerable guests in attendance.
• Zenith (noun) the highest point. Looking back, Bradley realized that winning the tournament was the zenith of his high school career.

Visit Vocabulary.com for more sophisticated words to expand your vocabulary — and always keep it classy.

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I'm working on my college application essays and I want to make sure my vocabulary is on point. Can anyone suggest some sophisticated words to use in essays that could make them stand out while staying authentic?

Incorporating sophisticated vocabulary can definitely enhance your essays, but remember to prioritize clarity and authenticity. Your writing should still reflect your own voice and experiences. That being said, here are some words you might consider using:

1. Ephemeral: short-lived; temporary

2. Serendipity: the phenomenon of finding valuable things not sought for

3. Ineffable: too great or extreme to be expressed in words

4. Disenfranchised: Deprived of the right to vote or other privileges

5. Alacrity: cheerful willingness; eagerness

6. Venerable: accorded a great deal of respect due to age, wisdom, or character

7. Insidious: proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

8. Paradox: a statement or situation that seems contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth

9. Dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are opposed or entirely different

10. Ubiquitous: present, appearing, or found everywhere

When using these words or any others, make sure you thoroughly understand their meaning and proper usage. Overusing sophisticated words or using them inappropriately can detract from your essay, making it feel forced or pretentious. Additionally, different words may be more or less effective depending on the context of your essay. Prioritize how well they fit into your personal narrative and the overall message you want to convey.

And remember, there are thousands of words you can use to make your essays more sophisticated and communicate your ideas more effectively. The more you read—especially reputable publications like the New York Times or classic novels—the more you will expand your vocabulary.

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