Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Happy Thesaurus Day!


Want to avoid repetition in your writing?  Repetition of the same words can be repetitively  annoying!  Use the thesaurus to find synonyms (words that mean the same thing) such as duplication or reiteration.

Nice descriptions are fine, but some words – like “nice” – are overused.  When you write, consider what it is that you want to communicate and choose words that evoke your message.  When you say that something/someone is "nice", do you mean that they are pleasant or appealing or beautiful or friendly or honourable…?

Finally, a thesaurus can also be a good way to find antonyms (or opposites).  For instance, if you know you want to describe something as being the opposite of “jealous”, you can use the thesaurus to find antonyms such as trusting, contented, kindly, well-disposed…   

You can find a thesaurus in the library (in the shelves nearest the library desk at REF 423) or online, e.g.   http://www.synonyms.net.  

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