How to Write Great Essays

MODIFIERS QUALIFY AND QUANTIFY
Qualify means to modify or restrict. In this sentence, words that qualify are in italics:
I am applying for a civil engineering internship with the New York State Department
of Transportation.
Quantify means to express in numbers or measurement elements such as when, how
much, how many, how often, and what scope. In this sentence, words that quantify
are in italics:
For over three years, I have been a volunteer, delivering meals four times a week to
over twenty people.

P
O W E R F U L
,   P
R E C I S E
A
D J E C T I V E S A N D
A
D V E R B S
■
unconditionally accepted
■
forbidding alley
■
unflagging dedication
■
aimlessly walking

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HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS

CHAPTER 2 Clarity
14
■
grueling game
■
mournful cry
■
threadbare clothing
■
invaluable lesson
Another technique for precise writing is pinpointing. Why leave your reader guessing, when
you can tell him or her exactly what you mean? When you pinpoint, you replace vague words
and phrases with specific ones. Consider the following sentence:
The character of Scrooge in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is miserable.
What does the writer mean by “miserable”? This is a vague word that conveys little mean-
ing. A better sentence would use precise examples from the story to show what the writer
means. For instance:
The character of Scrooge in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is so miserly that he not
only refuses comfortable surroundings for himself, but he also forces his employees
to work long hours in a poorly heated room all winter.