Dear 82Z,
Have you always wanted to be a walking thesaurus whose range of vocabulary, ease of self-expression and apt word choice are admired by all? Would you like to be envied by less eloquent types who hang on your words and dream of being as articulate and expressive as you are? Do you secretly hope to be referred to (if you aren’t already) as “That Wordsmith in Year 8”, “Old Silver-Tongue” or “That Golden-Voiced God/Goddess”?
The method to which I hope to introduce you today may facilitate your long-awaited rise to such dreamy heights.
Here it is:
Step 1: Whenever you wish to express an idea, try to think of at least three synonyms and one antonym before you begin. For instance, when describing a person’s skills in self-expression, you might make a list like this:
silver-tongued ♦ articulate ♦ unintelligible ♦ lucid ♦ eloquent ♦ tongue-tied
As you can see above, I have employed some of these words in my introductory hyperbole.
Step 2: Once you have made your list (with the help of a kindly thesaurus, if you require some support), the aim is to use some of the words in a purposeful and convincing way within the same paragraph. You will not be repeating yourself, but rather explaining and developing an idea in a way that allows your reader to gain a clear and comprehensive insight into your point of view. In this way, you will be able to go beyond a simple one-sentence answer; indeed, your writing will take on a new dimension. This will work for you in all humanities subjects.
Today I want you to try out this idea by describing one of the topics below. For the first one, I have provided three sets of sample adjectives and nouns to show exactly what I mean. They need not all be used, but each word or phrase will allow you to describe another facet of the concept and enrich your description.
One last point: You may wonder why I suggest identifying an antonym or two as well as some synonyms. The reason is that sometimes you need to describe what something is NOT in order to reveal its attributes more precisely. For instance, the feudal system was not egalitarian, it was not founded on modern concepts of social justice and it did not allow all members of society to develop and demonstrate their talents. These remarks permit your reader to gain a deeper understanding of this social order, although by no means a complete one.
Kind regards,
Ms Green
- (Adjectives: pushy ♦ bossy ♦ dictatorial ♦ easy-going ♦ strict ♦ lenient)
- (Nouns: martinet ♦ pushover ♦ slave-driver ♦ disciplinarian)
PS The famous line by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who described our lives as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”, is an indication of the poetic, descriptive and rhetorical power of synonyms.
(a) the concept of feudalism and its practice in Medieval Europe or Japan
- Adjectives: hierarchical | egalitarian | class-based | hereditary
- More Adjectives: rigid | fixed | strict | flexible | socially mobile
- Nouns: social order | pecking order | class system | class mobility
(b) the life of peasants in the Middle Ages
(c) the nature of medieval warfare
(d) William I’s treatment of the conquered English people
