Style Archives - Writing Commons

Why Don’t Students Use Plain Language?

Joe Moxley — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:55:45 +0000

What Do Students Confuse “Complex Thinking/Complex Writing” with “Simple Thinking/Complex Writing”? As writing instructors and advisors in the Anglo-Saxon world, we often talk about our dislike for elaborate writing that uses long words and complex sentences at the expense of clarity. When writers have English as an additional language, their belief that serious writing must ... Read more

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Coherence – How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Joe Moxley — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:48:34 +0000

What is Coherence? Coherence in writing refers to the logical connections and consistency that hold a text together, making it understandable and meaningful to the reader. Writers create coherence in three ways: What is Logical Consistency? What is Conceptual Consistency? What is Linguistic Consistency? Synonyms Related Concepts: Flow; Given to New Contract; Grammar; Organization; Organizational ... Read more

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The Ultimate Blueprint: A Research-Driven Deep Dive into The 13 Steps of the Writing Process

Joe Moxley — Wed, 10 May 2023 11:36:15 +0000

Like water cascading to the sea, flow feels inevitable, natural, purposeful. Yet achieving flow is a state of mind that can be difficult to achieve. It requires full commitment to the believing game (as opposed to the doubting game). What are the Steps of the Writing Process? Since the 1960s, it has been popular to ... Read more

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Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Joe Moxley — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:07:15 +0000

What is Academic Writing? Academic writing refers to all of the texts produced by academic writers, including theoretical, empirical, or experience-based works. Examples: Different academic fields have distinct genres, writing styles and conventions because each academic field possesses its own set of rules and practices that govern how ideas are researched, structured, supported, and communicated. ... Read more

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Ableist Language – Disability Metaphors – Disability Studies

Joe Moxley — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 19:34:14 +0000

What is Ableist Language? Every time you write, whether it is an email, an argument for class, or a social media post, you shape the culture around disability, for better or for worse. Your language reflects your perspectives on disability. One way that our culture marginalizes and excludes those with disabilities is by defining “normal” ... Read more

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Wrong Word

Joe Moxley — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 13:39:23 +0000

What Does it Mean to Use the Wrong Word? English is a tricky language. Words can be easily confused for similar sounding words (homonyms). When in doubt, research the word you are using to make sure that it means what you think it means. Related Concepts: Audience; Diction; Editing; Rhetorical Analysis; Rhetorical Reasoning Examples Accede—verb—to agree or consent Ex. I ... Read more

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Abstract Language

Joe Moxley — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 11:29:01 +0000

What is Abstract Language? Abstract language is Related Concepts Concrete, Sensory Writing; Description; Code Switching; Figurative Language; Given to New Contract; Register; Vague Language; Writer-Based Prose Style Why Does Abstract Language Matter? Abstract language empowers writers, speakers, knowledge makers . . . to Abstract language is widely employed in peer-reviewed journals and publications. It is ... Read more

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Tough, Sweet, & Stuffy Prose Styles

Joe Moxley — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 10:29:45 +0000

What are Tough, Sweet & Stuffy Prose Styles? In 1966, Walker Gibson theorized “the way we write at any given moment can be seen as an adjustment or compromise among these three styles of identifying ourselves and defining our relation with others”: The Tough Talker “The Tough Talker, in these terms, is a man dramatized ... Read more

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Parts of a Sentence

Joe Moxley — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 12:24:59 +0000

Parts of a Sentence refers to the basic building blocks of Standard Written or Spoken English. Generally speaking, when subject matter experts use the term, Parts of a Sentence, they are referring to Subjects (S) Verbs (V) and, sometimes, 3. Objects (O), either Indirect Objects (IO) or Direct Objects (D0). Additionally, subject matter experts may ... Read more

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Common Sentence Errors and How to Avoid Them

Joe Moxley — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 11:49:08 +0000

What are Sentence Errors? Sentence errors are deviations from the norms of Standard Written English, including grammar and mechanical rules, that disrupt the clarity, coherence, and flow of discourse. These errors violate established discourse conventions, affecting the text’s brevity, unity, and simplicity. By failing to adhere to grammatical standards and mechanical precision, such mistakes make ... Read more

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