How to not write bad - Ben Yagoda 2013

Wrong word
How to not write wrong

The spell-check errors and the eggcorns get the headlines and the laughs, but a more common and insidious problem is word choices that are off, sometimes by just a hair, sometimes by a Howard Stern wig and a full beard. Too often, reading student papers is like listening to a routine by Norm Crosby, the malapropeptic comedian who referred to having a good “rappaport” with a like-minded friend. Here are some real-life examples, with what I guess to be the right word in parenthesis:

On the Mason-Dixon Line: An Anthology of Contemporary Delaware Writers exemplifies (consists of—but even better would be is) a collection of essays, poems, and short stories by Delaware’s own authors.

Of the many things the students aspired (expected) to see, a terrorist attack was not one of them.

…the drop in candidates can be accredited (attributed) to…

Stories about the hurricane invade (dominate) the entire first section of the newspaper.

No one can blame (accuse) John Henrickson of being an apathetic college student.

The vast proportion (majority) of students is enrolled in the College of Arts and Science.

She said it was her father’s participation in the army which possessed (inspired, motivated) her to join the College Republicans.

Then there’s this one, which seems to encapsulate all the problems students are having:

The land, which is currently occupied with (by) older, run-down homes, will be rejuvenated (I’m not sure what the right word is—I just know that rejuvenated isn’t it) to fit the positive stigma (image) that the city manager (is trying) to uphold.

How to fix or avoid the problem? Again, it’s a toughie. There’s not much more you can do than undertake a close scrutiny of your writing, dictionary in hand. Be very wary of the online thesaurus. If you are having problems with word choice, you also might do well to find a smart, well-read friend and agree to read each other’s work.

One common wrong-word subcategory happens when writers have a decent idea in mind and start it off well, but aren’t rigorous about matching up their subjects and verbs. Consider:

[Investigations at that time did not uncover the source of the outbreak, and the number of infections soon ceased.]

Well, infections may have ceased, but numbers don’t cease. The fix is simple:

Investigations at that time did not uncover the source of the outbreak, and infections soon ceased.

Similarly, in

[In the past two years the national unemployment rate has doubled and is at a high that falls second to only one other peak in history, occurring in the 1980s.]

the word fall doesn’t really belong and got the writer in trouble. Various adjustments could be made to spruce the sentence up, but at the very least you can say:

In the past two years, the national unemployment rate has doubled; it’s now at a high that is second to only one other peak in history, occurring in the 1980s.