Style in Writing

Style in Writing

CAT poses questions that contain no grammatical errors but ask you to pick an option that is correct, concise and clear. Such sentences may contain many types of errors: redundancies, wordiness, voice, narration, faulty style, omission, ellipsis, slang, colloquialism, diction, word misuse and so on.

Tips in clarity, brevity and precision

One tip you must follow: where you can replace a phrase of several words with one word, DO so. We tend to believe that many common, wordy phrases are more sophisticated or intelligent. You have a good opportunity to correct that misconception. Keep it simple and you can't go wrong.

Instead of	Use
owing to the fact that	since
in spite of the fact that	although
in connection with	about
with respect to	about
as a result of	because
for the reason that	because
due to the fact that	since
in the month of May	in May
at the present time	now
at this point in time	now
be in a position to	be able to
in the event that	if
make a decision	decide
in order to	to
by means of	by
in view of the fact that	since
during the time that	while/when
held a meeting	met
expert in the field of	expert in
means to imply	implies
because of the fact that	because
have need of	need
give encouragement to	encourage
for the purpose of	for
make an adjustment in/to	adjust
seems/appears to be	seems/appears
give consideration to	consider
consider to be	think/believe
is of the opinion	thinks/believes
along the lines of	like
in the amount of	for
make inquiry regarding	inquire/ask
on the occasion of	when
in the case/event that	if

Avoid redundancies

Redundancy is a particular form of wordiness. It means repeating the idea you want to convey (as opposed to just puffing it up with extra words).

Redundant	Concise
attractive in appearance	attractive
green in colour	green
tall in height	tall
charming in character	charming
suspicious in nature	suspicious
in an eager manner	eagerly
endorse on the back	endorse
end result	result
final outcome	outcome
advance notice	notice
general consensus	consensus
advance warning	warning
young juvenile	juvenile
refer back	refer
return back	return
revert back	revert
reflect back	reflect
cooperate together	cooperate
descending down	descending
ascending up	ascending
consensus of opinion	consensus
fundamental principles	principles
root cause	cause
repeat again	repeat

Avoid double comparisons

You must avoid usages like more smarter, more nicer, more funnier, most handsomest and most tallest.

Misused abbreviations and acronyms

We misuse abbreviations and acronyms when we don't know what the initials stand for or when we don't stop to think what we're saying or writing.

Why do you think the following expressions are wrong?

HIV virus, NATO organisation, NAFTA agreement, SALT talks, CAT test, ATM machine

More cliches to avoid	Ø	miss the forest for the trees	Ø	sheets of rain
	Ø	take it with you	Ø	a pillow of earth
Ø      tired but happy	Ø	a giant step forward	Ø	a bolt from the blue
Ø      happy as a clam	Ø	leaps and bounds	Ø	broad daylight
Ø      young at heart	Ø	the bottom line	Ø	the calm before the storm
Ø      old as the hills	Ø	brute force	Ø	shelter from the storm
Ø      bored to tears	Ø	acid test	Ø	steaming jungle
Ø      sadder but wiser	Ø	a long row to hoe	Ø	teeming jungle
Ø      slippery as a goose	Ø	a hue and cry	Ø	blazing sun
Ø      free as a bird	Ø	the powers that be	Ø	blistering heat
Ø      high as a kite	Ø	a word to the wise	Ø	the frozen North
Ø      a diamond in the rough	Ø	a sea of faces	Ø	howling wind
Ø      a disaster waiting to happen	Ø	a cloud of suspicion	Ø	raging wind
Ø      thick as thieves	Ø	the tip of the iceberg	Ø	endless sea
Ø      all thumbs	Ø	a blessing in disguise	Ø	uncharted seas
Ø      all ears	Ø	a fresh start	Ø	cool as a cucumber
Ø      sleep like a log	Ø	the bitter end	Ø	apple-cheeked
Ø      nip it in the bud	Ø	black as night	Ø	bone of contention
Ø      fall through the cracks	Ø	green as grass	Ø	a hill of beans
Ø      come to a head	Ø	pale as a ghost	Ø	you can't make an omelette withou
Ø      draw a blank	Ø	white as a sheet		breaking eggs
Ø      make a killing	Ø	red as a rose	Ø	his goose is cooked
Ø      play hardball	Ø	soft as silk	Ø	two peas in a pod
Ø      beat a dead horse	Ø	hard as a diamond	Ø	sweet as sugar
Ø      chomp at the bit	Ø	sturdy as an oak	Ø	sweet as honey
Ø      bite the bullet	Ø	clear as a bell	Ø	sweet as pie
Ø      tip your hat to	Ø	quick as a bunny	Ø	sweeter than wine
Ø      harbour an illusion	Ø	cold as ice	Ø	Life is a bowl of cherries.
Ø      push the envelope	Ø	good as gold	Ø	It takes one to know one.
Ø      toe the line	Ø	a blanket of snow		A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Read and learn

The best way to learn to spot and correct such errors is to practise. Ready? Here we go.

Wordy: This rather serious breach of etiquette may possibly shake the very foundations of the corporate world. Concise: This serious breach of etiquette may shake the foundations of the corporate world.

Weak: Novak is a very good pianist. Strong: Novak is a virtuoso pianist.

Weak: I am of the opinion that air pollution is a more serious problem than the government has led us to believe. Forceful: Air pollution is a more serious problem than the government has led us to believe.

Passive: The estimate of this year's tax revenues was prepared by the General Accounting Office.    Active (desirable): The General Accounting Office prepared the estimate of this year's tax revenues.

Vague: Brown is highly educated.

Precise: Brown has a master's degree in business administration.

Weak: She is a great communicator. Forceful: She speaks persuasively.

Weak: Performance in a crisis is the acid test for a leader.

Forceful: Performance in a crisis is the best indicator of a leader's abilities.

Weak: The international banks are cognizant of the new law's significance. Forceful: The international banks are aware of the new law's significance.

Wrong: The new law would negatively impact each of the nations involved.

Correct: The new law would hurt each of the nations involved. (Impact is also used to mean affect or benefit.)

Inappropriate: He is really into gardening. Correct: He enjoys gardening.

Inappropriate: She plays a wicked game of tennis. Correct: She excels in tennis.

Inappropriate: Myra has got to go to Memphis for a week. Correct: Myra must go to Memphis for a week.

Inappropriate: Joan has been doing science for eight years now. (Meaning, she has been working in the field of science.) Correct: Joan has been a scientist for eight years now.

Redundant: The reason that we stopped for the night was because we were sleepy. Redundant: Because we were sleepy, we therefore stopped for the night. Better: We stopped for the night because we were sleepy.

Redundant: The underlying motive behind his seemingly generous offer was old-fashioned greed. Better: The motive behind his seemingly generous offer was old-fashioned greed.

Redundant: One of the fossils is twenty thousand years old in age. Better: One of the fossils is twenty thousand years old.

Redundant: The German Oktoberfest takes place each October of every year. Better: The German Oktoberfest takes place every October,

Redundant: At the same time that lightning struck, we simultaneously Iost our electric power. Better: At the same time that lightning struck, we lost our electric power.

Redundant: Both unemployment as well as interest rates can affect stock prices. Better: Both unemployment levels and interest rates can affect stock prices. Better: Unemployment levels as well as interest rates can affect stock prices.

Redundant: Not only does dinner smell good, but it also tastes good too. Better: Not only does dinner smell good, but it tastes good too.

Superfluous: The warmer the weather is, the more crowded the beach is. Concise: The warmer the weather, the more crowded the beach.

Superfluous: He looks exactly like Francis looks. Concise: He looks exactly like Francis.

Superfluous: That shirt is the ugliest shirt thatl have ever seen. Concise: That shirt is the ugliest I have ever seen.

Superfluous: The other children couldn't help from laughing at the girl with mismatched shoes. Concise: The other children couldn't help laughing at the girl with mismatched shoes.

Superfluous: One prominent futurist predicts a nuclear holocaust by the year of2020. Concise: One prominent futurist predicts a nuclear holocaust by the year 2020.

Superfluous: They made the discovery in around December of last year. Concise: They made the discovery around last December.

Superfluous: The waiter brought half ofa loaf of bread to the table. Concise: The waiter brought half a loaf of bread to the table.

Superfluous: My three goals in life are to be healthy, to be wealthy, and to be wise. Concise: My three goals in life are to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Wordy: Failure can some of the time serve as a prelude to success. Concise: Failure can sometimes serve as a prelude to success.

Wordy: As a result of his being a compulsive overeater, it is not likely that be will live past the age of fifty. Concise: Because he is a compulsive overeater, he is unlikely to live past the age of fifty.

Wordy: Before the mother eats, she feeds each and every one of her offspring. Concise: Before the mother eats, she feeds each of her offspring.

Wordy: There are fewer buffalo on the plains today than there ever were before. Concise: There are fewer buffalo on the plains today than ever before.

Wordy: Discipline is crucial to the attainment of one's objectives. Concise: Discipline is crucial to attaining one's objectives.

Wordy: Her husband was waiting for her on the platform at the time of the train's arrival. Concise: Her husband was waiting for her on the platform when the train arrived.

Awkward: Calcification is when (or is where) calcium deposits form around a bone. Concise: Calcification occurs when calcium deposits form around a bone.

Awkward: There are eight cats in the house, of which only two have been fed. Concise: Of the eight cats in the house, only two have been fed.

Awkward: The wind poses a serious threat to the old tree, and so doesthe snow. Concise: The wind and snow both pose a serious threat to the old tree.

Omission: The newscaster announced the voting results were incorrect. (What did the newscaster announce: the results or the fact that the results were incorrect?)

Clearer: The newscaster announced thatthe voting results were incorrect.

Passive (awkward): The book was read by the student. Active (better): The student read the book.

Passive (awkward): Repetitive tasks are performed tirelessly by computers. Active (better): Computers perform repetitive tasks tirelessly.

Mixed (awkward): Although the house was built by Gary, Kevin built the garage.

Passive (less awkward): Although the house was built by Gary, the garage was built by Kevin.

Active (best): Although Gary built the house, Kevin built the garage.

Active (less effective): Yesterday a car hit me. Passive (more effective): Yesterday I was hit by a car.

Active (less effective): Only the sun itself surpasses the Tetons sunrise in beauty.

Passive (more effective): Sunrise over the Tetons is surpassed in beauty only by the sun itself.

Unbalanced: Julie and Sandy were the first two volunteers for the fund-raising drive, and they are twins. Balanced: Julie and Sandy, who are twins, were the first two volunteers for the fund-raising drive.

Commingled (confusing): Julie and Sandy, who are twins, are volunteers. Separated (balanced): Julie and Sandy are twins, and they are volunteers.

Equal emphasis (confusing): Jose and Victor were identical twins, and they had completely different ambitions.

Emphasis on second clause (better): Although Jose and Victor were identical twins, they had completely different ambitions.

Split: The value of the dollar is not, relative to other currencies, rising universally. Better: The value of the dollar is not rising universally relative to other currencies.

Split: The government's goal this year is to provide for its poorest residents an economic safety net. Split: The government's goal is to provide an economic safety net this year for its poorest residents. Better: The government's goal this year is to provide an economic safety net for its poorest residents.

Improper (split): The executive was compelled to, by greed and ambition, work more and more hours each day. Correct: The executive was compelled by greed and ambition, to work more and more hours each day.

Improper (split): Meteorologists have been known to inaccurately predict snowstorms. Correct: Meteorologists have been known to predict snowstorms inaccurately.

Awkward: Barbara's academic major is history, which is a very popular course of study among liberal arts students, who are also contributing to the popularity of political science as a major.

Better: Barbara's academic major is history, which along with political science, is a very popular course of study among liberal arts students.

Wordy: There are many children who believe in Santa Claus but there are few adults who do.

Concise: Many children believe in Santa Claus but few adults do. "There is/are" sentences are often needlessly wordy and therefore wrong.

Wordy: The country's procedures for the processing of visas are extremely inefficient. Concise: The country's procedures for processing visas are extremely inefficient.

Wordy: The shrine is at least 2,000 years old or older.

Concise: The shrine is at least 2,000 years old. The redundant phrase "or older"is already implied by "at least':

Wordy: Because I have studied the rules of the CAT grammar, therefore I will do well in English.

Concise: Because I have studied the rules of CAT grammar, I will do well in English. "Because" implies that the second part of the sentence is the conclusion, so "therefore" here is redundant and wrong.

Wordy: A Confederacy of Dunces has been bought and enjoyed by millions of readers since it was first published in 1974 Concise: Millions of readers have bought and enjoyed A Confederacy ofDuncessince it was first published in 1974.

Got a hang of it? Sharpen your skills by doing as many exercises as you can.