{"id":1059,"date":"2015-03-05T21:59:37","date_gmt":"2015-03-05T21:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/technicalwriting1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1059"},"modified":"2023-03-27T22:44:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T22:44:28","slug":"use-concrete-sensory-language-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/chapter\/use-concrete-sensory-language-2\/","title":{"raw":"Use Concrete, Sensory Language","rendered":"Use Concrete, Sensory Language"},"content":{"raw":"<h4>Why should abstract terms be replaced with concrete, sensory terms?<\/h4>\r\nThe goal of a writer is to communicate ideas clearly. Since language that refers to intangible or immeasurable qualities can obscure meaning, abstract terms should be replaced with concrete terms. Language that connects with tangible and sensory (taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound) is easier for readers to understand and relate to.\r\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/297\/2015\/03\/20165547\/beware-sign.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1876\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/297\/2015\/03\/20165547\/beware-sign-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Beware Sign Generalized\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a>How can a sentence be revised to include more concrete language?<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Replace abstract terms with words that have clear, direct, and precise meaning.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Abstract:<\/strong> The case sought to establish <em>equality\u00a0<\/em>for people of all sexual orientations.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Equality<\/em> can mean a variety of things to different people: What does <em>equality<\/em> mean in this instance?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Concrete:<\/strong> The case sought to legalize gay marriage.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use language that appeals to the senses.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Abstract:<\/strong> The waiting room was <em>unpleasant<\/em>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What makes this setting <em>unpleasant<\/em>? Replace this term with specific descriptive language.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Concrete:<\/strong> The waiting room was cold, antiseptic-smelling, and crowded with sick people who were coughing, groaning, or crying.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"<h4>Why should abstract terms be replaced with concrete, sensory terms?<\/h4>\n<p>The goal of a writer is to communicate ideas clearly. Since language that refers to intangible or immeasurable qualities can obscure meaning, abstract terms should be replaced with concrete terms. Language that connects with tangible and sensory (taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound) is easier for readers to understand and relate to.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/297\/2015\/03\/20165547\/beware-sign.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1876\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/297\/2015\/03\/20165547\/beware-sign-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Beware Sign Generalized\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a>How can a sentence be revised to include more concrete language?<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Replace abstract terms with words that have clear, direct, and precise meaning.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Abstract:<\/strong> The case sought to establish <em>equality\u00a0<\/em>for people of all sexual orientations.\n<ul>\n<li><em>Equality<\/em> can mean a variety of things to different people: What does <em>equality<\/em> mean in this instance?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concrete:<\/strong> The case sought to legalize gay marriage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Use language that appeals to the senses.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Abstract:<\/strong> The waiting room was <em>unpleasant<\/em>.\n<ul>\n<li>What makes this setting <em>unpleasant<\/em>? Replace this term with specific descriptive language.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concrete:<\/strong> The waiting room was cold, antiseptic-smelling, and crowded with sick people who were coughing, groaning, or crying.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1059\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Use Concrete, Sensory Language. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Writing Commons. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/writingcommons.org\/open-text\/collaboration\/143-common-comments\/word-choice-\/538-use-concrete-sensory-language\">http:\/\/writingcommons.org\/open-text\/collaboration\/143-common-comments\/word-choice-\/538-use-concrete-sensory-language<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives <\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of Beware Sign. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Lulu Hoeller. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8AuXmC\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8AuXmC<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":277,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Use Concrete, Sensory Language\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Writing Commons\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/writingcommons.org\/open-text\/collaboration\/143-common-comments\/word-choice-\/538-use-concrete-sensory-language\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-nd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of Beware Sign\",\"author\":\"Lulu Hoeller\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8AuXmC\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1059","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1332,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/277"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2053,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1059\/revisions\/2053"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1332"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1059\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1059"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1059"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}