Style

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

"Van correct naar mooi"

Super short style guide

- Avoid contractions (I'm, can't, won't, etc.)

- Avoid repetition (of words, but also meaning).

- Use formal expressions and avoid informal language / slang

- Avoid (over)using 'very' and 'really'. Think of alternative adjectives. 

Some remarks on 'very'

“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.”  - Mark Twain

“‘Very’ is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen.” - Florence King

“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavour, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your writing.”  - John Keating in Dead Poets Society

Very accurate —> exact

Very afraid —> terrified

Very aggressive —> forceful

Very amazed —> astonished

Very angry —> furious

Very aware —> conscious

Very bad —> awful

Very basic —> fundamental

Very beautiful —> gorgeous

Very big —> massive

etc.

Scan for the full list (will be shared on Teams)

Style battle

In your group you will think of and write down an alternative to the sentence shown. Adjust the sentence in such a way that it becomes appropriate for the formal writing assignment. The errors are all style-related (i.e. no spelling mistakes unless your teacher actually messed up).

After each sentence we'll have a vote for the best alternative. You cannot vote for your own alternative.

Rules: 

- one phone per group

- discuss with each other!

- No off-topic contributions. If you want to joke: ensure it suits the assignment.

One person in each group joins the LessonUp.

I will finish school this summer and then I will go to Turkey for some weeks. I will not be studying there but I will be working or I will be chilling.

Your hostel seems like a very nice place to hang out. Also, I really love the city and look forward to checking it out.

[A restaurant application]
I think I'm a great candidate because I'm very motivated and really eager to work at your place.

[Campsite application]
I hope I gave you enough info about myself and why I want to work at your place. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Right now I am really busy with my final exams but after this I have lots of free time and I can work at your campsite.

I've some questions about the job. Is it a cleaning job? Is it a job for which I will be outside a lot? Is it a kitchen job?

At the moment I am still in school so I can't start right away. But I really wanna start as soon as I'm done with school.