The Power of the Right Word---my reflection on learning English

The Power of the Right Word---my reflection on learning English

Using the right word in your daily conversation, formal speech in public gathering such as a conference, and especially in writing, will clearly convey your idea and intention to others. The right word you choose will determine the extent of the power in your opinion, suggestion, idea and proposal. The right word you used will also determine your personal popularity and how others feel,  understand and treat the intention you intend to deliver. The right word can create the emotion and promote people to act accordingly.

How to select the right word or How do I know which is the right word?
Of course, you need to know or acknoledge the word first of all. There is no short-cut on this and the only way is to build up the list of your vocabulary. The basic practice would be going through your dictionary daily following a schedule. Remember the word following: following is following and never find an excuse for not following. There are many different types of dictionary available to you, but you are suggested use a dictionary pressed with the most authority like Oxford. If you find or believe this is the most boring and tedious way, an alternative way would be to memorize a now word every day. But a critical rule to this way is to find all the synonymes and antonyms, compare and understand them.

Think and choose carefully for a word
Word is not just a pronounceed sound. It posseses the power to trigger people's facination and connotation. For example: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. From roaring lion, walk, seeking and devour, is there a vivid image in your mind? Some words themself tregger reader or listener to facinate, such as the words scandal, taboo, vice. Words like flaccid, morbid, constipated,  or cryogenic aretightly focused on connotation and carry greater emotional voltage. Think about the difference between weak and flaccid, unsuitable and mobidly inapropiate, know and confess.

Place the right word with a right sentence pattern
I am honestly relutant and hesitate and wondering why I put an outline for this part!  There are tremendous circumstances where changing of  one commonly word to a more accurate one alters the power of a sentence. Think about the suggetive power of I think >>>> and I believe>>>>>. In Windows 98 operation systeme there is a warning: This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. The illegal coupling with the passive voice construction will be shut down conjures the image of the Microsofte controlling your computer or an FBI agent at your door to seized your computer.  It is suggested to change the illegal to incompatible and take be out of will be shut down might have prevented some ambulance runs especially for the elderly first-time computer user.

Change the word and expression to create emotion
There is a story about a blind beggar with a board sign saying "Blindness, please help" on the street. Few passerbys give him the money. A young lady gave him a coin, glanced at the sign, then changed the sign to "It is a beautiful day and I can't see it", and afterward the money pours. Same to the story for "homeless, please help" and "What if you were hungry". When you speak or write, it is critical to change the words and express it in a emotional way by asking youself is the word or sentence emotional, positive, inclusive, sepcific and plain? It is not necessary to keep all these in one sentence, but if you could have two or three, you will see the lightning power of the word. Let me end with the saying of Mark Twain: The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

In conclusion, word contains power. It can either create or destroy, build a friendship or gtow the enermy, make peace or go on a war, be loved or be brokenheart, and on and on. Best wishes to the friends in this forum helping each other to master the power of word. 

所有跟帖： 

• Nice writing! -非文学青年- ♀ (63 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 15:31:44

• good point. thanks -rockcurrent- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 17:37:33

• 文版高手, 学习啦! -rockcurrent- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 17:53:38

• Researve a seat! still at work, will read it later! -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 15:54:56

• Like your writing and message conveyed. Thank you! -同学小薇- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 16:55:30

• 很高兴小薇同学喜欢 -rockcurrent- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 19:13:36

• Nice writing! -EnLearner- ♀ (691 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 20:19:28

• 回复：Nice writing! -EnLearner- ♀ (243 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 20:43:05

• Correct! Thanks for the correction -rockcurrent- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 20:49:33

• Rock，I am wondering who you are. New Majia. Very nice writing! -beautifulwind- ♀ (31 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 21:29:14

• haha, I thought about that too! -非文学青年- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 21:30:58

• 握爪握爪！ -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 21:32:00

• 哈哈，拭目以待，rock为啥是“冲”呢？ -非文学青年- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 21:37:44

• rock current。浪冲得很酷啊！！！ -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/26/2011 postreply 21:44:38

• LOL, can you guess an ID? let's amuse our friends. If you get it -rockcurrent- ♀ (48 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 08:38:54

• 哈哈，你真不是冲浪？不能耍赖哈。那我猜你是。。。 -beautifulwind- ♀ (157 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 08:51:32

• 哈哈，rock高手，你咋不敢出来了涅？？？ -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 08:35:36

• Here I am! Thanks for your support! -rockcurrent- ♀ (400 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 08:58:53

• Haha， thank you for dreaming out so many nice -beautifulwind- ♀ (246 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 09:08:41

• Rock，赶紧别让俺猜谜了。告答案吧。上班去，先下了。 -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 09:18:08

• I am not in favor of the word "dream", its connotation is irresp -rockcurrent- ♀ (46 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 11:53:33

• To be more accurate, are you a new "person" to MYSJ? -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 14:26:29

• Guessed you wanted to know if rockcurrent is a newcomer to this -EnLearner- ♀ (156 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 19:40:45

• Actually, I am pretty sure Rock is chonglang. -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 21:09:00

• I knew. I just tried to show you the word "newcomer". -EnLearner- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 21:13:38

• 哈哈，谢愚公，学习了！ -beautifulwind- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/27/2011 postreply 21:37:22

• Well, now I know you are a real optimist and -rockcurrent- ♀ (38 bytes) () 10/28/2011 postreply 13:11:46

• Welll-written. You rock. -斯葭- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/28/2011 postreply 11:42:03