Medical Dialogue Review Grammar & Writing Tips!
1. Use concrete instead of vague language.
Vague: The weather was of an extreme nature on the West Coast. This sentence raises frustrating questions: When did this extreme weather occur? What does “of an extreme nature” mean? Where on the West Coast did this take place?
Concrete: California had unusually cold weather last week.
2. Use active voice whenever possible. Active voice means the subject is performingthe verb. Passive voice means the subject receives the action.
Active: Barry hit the ball.
Passive: The ball was hit.
Passive is needed when subject is unknown. For example: “My watch was stolen.”
3. Avoid overusing there is, there are, it is, it was, etc.
Example: There is a case of meningitis that was reported in the newspaper.
Revision: A case of meningitis was reported in the newspaper.
Even better: The newspaper reported a case of meningitis. (Active voice)
4. Word order.
Word order can make or ruin a sentence. If you start a sentence with an incomplete phrase or clause, such as ‘While crossing the street’ or ‘Forgotten by history,’ it must be followed closely by the person or thing it describes. Furthermore, that person or thing is always the main subject of the sentence.
Dangler: Forgotten by history, his autograph was worthless.
The problem: his autograph shouldn’t come right after history, because he was forgotten, not his autograph.
Correct: He was forgotten by history, and his autograph was worthless.
Writing Tips
The first sentence of your introduction should draw in your reader! Impress your reader with a powerful statement. Keep your article organized to ensure you keep his/her interest. Try to make an outline that supports your argument before writing or after you finish your first draft to assess how effective you expressed your ideas.
When in doubt, make a reverse outline of the paragraphs in your article to ensure every paragraph is needed to allow a logical progression of your argument. · Make sure you quote people accurately and fairly. MLA Style is acceptable for Works Cited; please do not include Footnotes.
Try to get multiple viewpoints in your articles. Striving for balance will help more people relate to your writing and want to read more about the friction between different opinions.
Share your opinions! Articles are more interesting when a writer takes a stance with an expository style.
Keep your reader in mind: Ask yourself “Would my reader find this interesting?” When in doubt, ask a friend for their opinion.
Conflict is always more interesting than just listing facts
Avoid repeating words; use transition words like “Moreover,” “Furthermore, “However.” Powerful verbs include, “Analyzes,” “Assumes,” “concludes,” “confirms,” “deduces,” “explores,” etc.
Sources:
GrammarBook.com “Effective Writing”
SALT “Powerful Verbs for Weaving Ideas in Essays”