SPECIFIC

Words that are specific are also usually concrete, and a well written discourse will generally have a greater number of specific and concrete words than general and abstract words. This is good for the readers because it is harder for them to grab hold of abstractions than concrete examples of the abstractions. For instance, whereas "transportation" names a general class of things; "yellow school bus" names an object you can see, hear, and smell. Specific and concrete language anchors the discourse in reality, providing ballast for the abstractions that would ordinarily escape our grasp.

Any general or abstract term implies a virtually unlimited number of specific and conctete examples. For instance, take the word "courage." How many examples of courage can you imagine or could you cull from biographies or newpapers? This is an important point because one technique in brain storming is to break open the abstract words in your list to see what they contain. Think of it as breaking apart a penata to see what is inside.

Specific language will occur most often where the writer is giving evidence to support an idea stated in the topic sentence of a paragraph. Evidence consisits of facts, statistics, the words of authorities, examples, and personal experience. All of these (with the possible exception of the words of authorities) will involve specific and concrete language.

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