Grammar Topic: Needed Words
Group 3: Joseph Reece, Nicholas Schleif, Hao Xu.
Words needed are not always clear. When writing about a topic we tend get wordy and over-write or miss subtle differences that may confuse the reader. Here are a few examples:
Ex 1:
Original: Patrick O’Brian’s novels contain more accurate information about naval history than any other author.
Proper: Patrick O’Brian’s novels contain more accurate information about naval history than any other author's books.
In the original sentence the reader may confuse comparing Patrick's novels to other authors instead of other author's books.
Ex 2:
Original: The man whom we encountered at the airport turned out to be a long lost friend.
Proper: The man we encountered at the airport turned out to be a long lost friend.
The word whom is not crucial to understanding the sentence and therefore can be omitted.
Ex 3:
Original: Harriet likes golf more than Jake does.
Proper: Harriet likes golf more than Jake does.
Without the word 'does' Harriet could be saying she likes golf more than Jake likes the sport, or she could like golf more than Jake.
Summary:
If a word does not affect the meaning or interpretation of the sentence than it can usually be omitted. Sometimes an "extra" word or two may be necessary to distinguish what is being referred to or compared in the sentence.When choosing words make sure they are needed in your sentence, not just placeholders.
Reference: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/bedhandbook7enew/Player/Pages/Main.aspx
Words needed are not always clear. When writing about a topic we tend get wordy and over-write or miss subtle differences that may confuse the reader. Here are a few examples:
Ex 1:
Original: Patrick O’Brian’s novels contain more accurate information about naval history than any other author.
Proper: Patrick O’Brian’s novels contain more accurate information about naval history than any other author's books.
In the original sentence the reader may confuse comparing Patrick's novels to other authors instead of other author's books.
Ex 2:
Original: The man whom we encountered at the airport turned out to be a long lost friend.
Proper: The man we encountered at the airport turned out to be a long lost friend.
The word whom is not crucial to understanding the sentence and therefore can be omitted.
Ex 3:
Original: Harriet likes golf more than Jake does.
Proper: Harriet likes golf more than Jake does.
Without the word 'does' Harriet could be saying she likes golf more than Jake likes the sport, or she could like golf more than Jake.
Summary:
If a word does not affect the meaning or interpretation of the sentence than it can usually be omitted. Sometimes an "extra" word or two may be necessary to distinguish what is being referred to or compared in the sentence.When choosing words make sure they are needed in your sentence, not just placeholders.
Reference: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/bedhandbook7enew/Player/Pages/Main.aspx
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