CRITERION 5: PRECISION (typical feedback: wording, word choice, wrong word, vague, unclear, confusing, awkward)
To download my handout on Precision in pdf, click here.
The scholarly writer’s job is to express ideas in words, so that as many academic readers as possible can understand those ideas as fully as possible – that is, as similarly as possible to the way that the writer understands them. Since a scholarly writer can’t just simplify the ideas (the whole point of academic writing is to communicate complex ideas), precise wording, straightforward style, and focused argumentation are the best ways to reduce the misalignment. Ideally, the academic writer should never have to say “what I meant by that was...” because their written essay is such a fully clear, exacting expression of their ideas that it requires no further explanation. Aim for that perfect alignment: choose every word with care. Even in the best writing, there is almost always a significant misalignment between what the writer means and what the reader receives; the scholarly writer’s job is to reduce that misalignment as much as possible.
MEANING IS IMMEDIATE. PREVENT YOUR READER FROM PAUSING OR DOUBLING BACK. Aim for wording that your reader will be able to understand completely on the first read through. Every imprecision in wording, even the slightest, will weaken your argument proportionally. If your reader has to double back over a word or sentence in order to figure out what you meant to say, you weaken your argument. Even if your reader only has to restart the sentence once, or pause mid-sentence, to understand what you mean — a sign of awkward wording — any brief interruption in the act of reading will compromise rhetorical momentum and logical direction. Missteps in tone (and proofreading) will produce similar interruptions.
RESIST AMBIGUITY IN YOUR WRITING — EVEN AS YOU RELISH IN OTHERS’. Every word in the English language, as all literary scholars know, carries unstable ranges of denotations and connotations. A skilled writer manages those ranges, and the reader’s perception of them, strategically. In poetic and creative writing, the interplay among those meanings can produce rich ambiguities.
Literary scholarship, whose purpose is to interpret and analyze such ambiguities,
must be especially careful to be as unambiguous as possible in its expression.
It is by linking multiple words together strategically (i.e. into a well-crafted sentence) that a writer can narrow the ranges of meaning likely to be perceived in each word; in the context of the sentence that contains them, each word’s primary intended meaning must be immediately clear. [Sparingly, a skilled academic writer may introduce intentional ambiguity (including punning), but only in order to provoke complex thought – not to showboat – and never in a way that compromises immediate clarity.] As you edit, word by word, imagine a reader who is willfully trying to misunderstand you: which words are most susceptible to misinterpetation? Replace those words (or rework the sentences that contain them).
HONE YOUR PRECISION OVER TIME by reading professional-grade literary criticism. Its ideas are usually so complex that the writer inevitably fails to use truly unambiguous wording. Your own process of doubling back will help you understand how to avoid this phenomenon in your work. Try a text detox: a habit of reading too much simplistic prose (e.g. clickbait) will likely weaken your skill over time. While reading good criticism, look up unfamiliar words in the OED (not in any old online dictionary!): develop an awareness of words’ etymology, varied usages in different contexts, and pairings with prepositions.
EVERY WORD COUNTS. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT SYNONYM. Every word denotes and connotes something significantly different from every other word. Never choose words for variety, nor for decoration. Choose the best, most direct word to communicate the idea; let the idea be the eye-catcher. Test out alternate word choices. If any word in your essay seems like it could be switched out easily for a synonym, then it is likely that you’re not using your words with precision. Do not alter wording to avoid repetition. If wording feels repetitive, then it is likely that the ideas underlying them need to be adjusted – switching out the word, but not the idea, will ruin precision.
USE TEST READERS. Have someone read your written work aloud to you before turning it in. If the reader stumbles at all, or has to restart a sentence, it is likely that you’ve either had grammar issues or used awkward or imprecise wording. It also may help to read your written work aloud to someone else before turning it in. It is important to have another person actually physically present for this exercise.