Repetition
Repetition can be useful in poetry and speeches but baaaaad in essays. Try to avoid overusing key terms.
INCORRECT
In writing critical essays, we often talk about the power of an author’s imagery, word choice, symbolism - and so on.
In trying to write powerfully about this power, we can fall into the trap of using the word powerfully too often,
ultimately reducing the power of the point we were trying to make in the first place. A powerful opportunity to
increase the analytical and stylistic power of our essay has been lost.
Be careful when using synonym lists / thesaurus. The subtleties of sense / meaning must be observed. Perhaps the
only thing more tedious than repetition is malapropism.
Type ‘Friends Joey Thesaurus’ into YouTube for an illustration.
CORRECT
Powerful
Create
Connection
Image
Strong, evocative, emotive, vivid, glowing, vibrant, alive, stunning Clear, crystalline, intelligent,
bright, lucid, perspicacious, vibrant,
Poetic, romantic, lofty, passionate, tender
Depict, convey, delineate, illustrate, describe, outline, express
Relationship, bond, unity, bridge, link, tie
Picture, reflection, perspective, concept, description, outline, portrait, portrayal, illustration, symbol,
emblem, motif
Often useful for…
Small picture
(focussing on details)
Big picture
(looking at concepts as
a whole)
Usually POSITIVE
Usually NEGATIVE
arresting, captivating, engaging, fascinating,
exciting, moving, dramatic, intense,
remarkable, notable, sensational,
entertaining, lovely, beautiful, profound,
deep, innovative, original, creative, timely,
landmark, exceptional, unique, challenging,
meaningful, valuable, worthwhile,
appropriate, helpful, effective
dull, boring, tedious, dry, ascetic, uninviting,
flat, predictable, monotonous, unremarkable,
bad, nasty, plain, ugly, grotesque, repulsive,
revolting, off-putting, shallow, insignificant,
derivative, conventional, dated, untimely,
common, glitzy, shoddy, ineffective
balanced, harmonious, unified,
symmetrical, proportioned, imaginative,
effective, consistent, considered, logical,
simple, pure, elegant, lucid, clear, precise,
intricate, rich, detailed
unbalanced, discordant, irregular, uneven,
flawed, contradictory, disorganised, shapeless,
amorphous, distorted, ornate, extravagant,
arcane, unclean, woolly, plain, monolithic,
simplistic
FURTHER INFO:
It’s a good idea to vary the forms of your syntax. For example, try using adjectives instead of nouns to adjust the
flow of your sentences.
description > descriptive
emblem > emblematic