Today’s Topic: Eliminate Informal Word Use (colloquialism)
Sentence: The research describes skills and information needed to improve participants’ REAL LIVES.
Edited Sentence: The research describes skills and information needed to improve participants’ LIVES.
Explanation: Sometimes, informal or conversational language enters academic writing. While including such language is permissible when drafting a document, colloquial language should be removed when revising your work.
In the sample sentence above, the phrase “real lives” is not only redundant, but it is also conversational. People’s lives are real, so the adjective real is not needed. Additionally, “real lives” is a term often expressed when speaking. To eliminate the redundancy and conversational jargon, the word “real” is deleted.
When revising scholarly documents, ensure to delete any use of informal, conversational language use.
Until next week, Happy Writing!!! Dr. V Writing Coach-Editor-Speaker Author of I'm Not a Writer...I am Just in Graduate School
(order your copy at https://www.amazon.com/Not-Writer-Just-Graduate-School/dp/1533392919)
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