Using broader meaning and summary words

A MAJOR virtue of good writing is the way it moves smoothly from one sentence to the next, using appropriate reference words to guide readers along the way and keep them from getting lost and summarizing major points every now and then to make the readers better understand what's being said. We have already taken up three strategies for achieving this: the use of reference words to avoid overuse of the same words and the use of repeated action and sequence words. This time, we will add two more to our arsenal of good writing strategies: the use of broader meaning words or phrases for particular words used earlier in the composition and the use of summary words to clarify or emphasize the nature or context of various subjects that have just been discussed.

Using broader meaning words. This is an excellent technique for avoiding the overuse of the pronouns "he," "she," and "one" in place of singular words designating people, the overuse of "it" in place of singular words designating objects and ideas, and the overuse of "they," "them," and "these" in place of plural words. As we all know, these pronouns are handy substitutes for their antecedent nouns, but they are rhetorical dead-ends, offering no new dimension, attribute, or insight about their antecedent nouns. It is, therefore, not surprising that the overuse of these pronouns invariably makes prose tedious and boring.

English Plain and Simple (2226th of a series)