1.7 Parts of Speech - Part One
Use Concrete & Specific Nouns
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You want specific, concrete nouns to help your reader see what you are describing. Beware of vague nouns and overusing pronouns.
Example: Kaloni threw some stuff into her backpack. (Stuff is a vague noun.)
Try instead…
Kaloni threw a sword, her dragon-hunting manual, and a parachute into her backpack. (This tells the reader more and makes you interested in finding out what she is going to do next.)
Example: She saw it beside him. She took it from him. She walked away with it. (There are too many pronouns. This is pretty ho-hum.)
Try instead…
Minh saw the piece of chocolate cake sitting beside her sleeping father. The five-year-old girl couldn’t resist and snatched up the plate. Her mouth was full of frosting as she walked away with the delicious dessert.
(Check out all the specific nouns. This tells a much more interesting story.)
Complete the task in your Learning Guide titled, 1.7 Keep an Eye on Pronoun Use!