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Adjectives to Describe Writing: A Comprehensive Analysis
Author: Dr. Evelyn Reed, Professor of English Literature and Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Reed has authored several books on stylistic analysis and the history of rhetoric, including "The Evolution of Prose: A Linguistic and Rhetorical Approach" and "Crafting the Perfect Sentence: A Guide to Stylistic Precision." Her expertise in analyzing and evaluating written work makes her uniquely qualified to discuss the nuances of adjectives to describe writing.
Keywords: adjectives to describe writing, writing styles, stylistic analysis, descriptive language, literary criticism, rhetoric, effective writing, writing assessment, vocabulary for writing analysis.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, a leading academic publisher with a long-standing reputation for high-quality scholarship in the humanities. Their publications on linguistics, rhetoric, and literary criticism establish their authority on topics related to adjectives to describe writing.
Editor: Professor Arthur Miller, Head of the Department of English at Yale University, with decades of experience in editing academic journals and books focused on literary studies and writing pedagogy. His expertise ensures the rigor and accuracy of the analysis presented.
1. A Historical Context: The Evolution of Describing Writing
The act of describing writing has evolved alongside the development of writing itself. Early assessments focused primarily on functionality: was the writing legible? Did it convey the intended message? As literacy spread and writing styles diversified, so did the need for a more nuanced vocabulary to describe the quality and effect of written work. Classical rhetoric, with its emphasis on clarity, conciseness, and persuasive power, provided an early framework for evaluating writing. Terms like eloquent, persuasive, and clear gained prominence.
The Renaissance saw a flourishing of literary criticism, prompting a more sophisticated vocabulary for analyzing style. Terms like ornate, florid, elegant, and simple emerged to capture the diverse range of writing styles. The Romantic era brought a focus on emotional expression, leading to the use of adjectives to describe writing that emphasized feeling, such as passionate, evocative, and lyrical.
The 20th and 21st centuries witnessed a proliferation of theoretical approaches to writing, leading to a broader range of terminology. Post-structuralism and postmodernism, for example, introduced terms like deconstructive, ironic, and metafictional to describe writing that challenges traditional literary conventions. The rise of digital writing has also expanded the vocabulary, with terms like interactive, hypertextual, and multimodal becoming increasingly relevant. This historical overview reveals the dynamic nature of the language used to analyze and appreciate writing. The evolution of adjectives to describe writing reflects the ever-changing landscape of literary and rhetorical practice.
2. Current Relevance: Choosing the Right Adjectives
Today, the ability to use precise and insightful adjectives to describe writing is crucial for various purposes. For academics, such descriptions are essential for conducting rigorous literary criticism, providing feedback on student writing, and contributing to scholarly discourse on writing styles and techniques. In professional settings, using precise adjectives to describe writing is necessary for evaluating marketing materials, news articles, and other forms of professional communication. Even in everyday life, we rely on such descriptions to share our opinions and preferences about what we read.
The challenge lies in selecting the appropriate adjectives. A poorly chosen adjective can misrepresent the writing and undermine the credibility of the analysis. For instance, labeling a piece of writing as simply "good" or "bad" offers little insight. Instead, more precise terms are needed to convey the writer's skill, style, and intended effect. For example, instead of "good," one might describe writing as "engaging," "insightful," "well-structured," or "concise," depending on its specific qualities.
The effectiveness of adjectives to describe writing depends on contextual factors. What constitutes "complex" writing in one context might be considered "clear" in another. The audience's expectations and the purpose of the writing also play a significant role in determining the appropriate descriptive language. A piece of academic writing might be described as "scholarly" and "rigorous," while a piece of creative writing might be described as "imaginative" and "evocative."
3. Categorizing Adjectives for Writing Analysis
To facilitate a more systematic approach to describing writing, we can categorize adjectives to describe writing into several key areas:
Structure and Organization: coherent, disorganized, logical, well-structured, linear, non-linear, fragmented.
Style and Tone: formal, informal, conversational, academic, poetic, prosaic, lyrical, sarcastic, humorous, ironic, objective, subjective.
Clarity and Precision: clear, concise, precise, ambiguous, vague, obscure, unclear, explicit, implicit.
Vocabulary and Diction: sophisticated, simple, technical, colloquial, figurative, literal, rich, limited, repetitive.
Effect and Impact: engaging, persuasive, moving, thought-provoking, boring, uninspired, effective, ineffective.
This categorization is not exhaustive, but it provides a useful framework for analyzing and describing different aspects of writing. The most effective descriptions often combine adjectives from multiple categories to provide a holistic assessment.
4. Avoiding Pitfalls in Describing Writing
When using adjectives to describe writing, several pitfalls should be avoided:
Vagueness: Avoid generic terms like "good" or "bad." Strive for specificity.
Subjectivity: While some subjectivity is inherent in literary analysis, try to ground your descriptions in concrete examples from the text.
Bias: Be mindful of potential biases that might influence your judgments.
Overuse of Superlatives: Avoid excessive use of words like "amazing" or "brilliant." Let the evidence speak for itself.
By being aware of these potential pitfalls and employing a systematic approach, we can enhance the precision and credibility of our analyses.
Summary
This analysis explores the historical evolution and current relevance of adjectives to describe writing. It highlights the importance of using precise and insightful language to evaluate written work, offering a framework for categorizing descriptive terms and emphasizing the need to avoid common pitfalls. The article stresses the importance of contextual understanding and avoiding vague or subjective judgments in favor of concrete examples from the text. The effective use of adjectives to describe writing is crucial across various fields, from academic literary criticism to professional writing evaluations.
Conclusion
The ability to articulate the qualities of writing through precise and insightful language is a skill essential for effective literary criticism, writing pedagogy, and professional communication. By understanding the historical context of descriptive terminology and employing a systematic approach to analysis, we can enhance the precision and credibility of our assessments, fostering a deeper appreciation for the craft of writing. The ongoing evolution of writing styles and the emergence of new forms of communication will undoubtedly continue to shape the language we use to describe and analyze written work.
FAQs:
1. What are some adjectives to describe compelling writing? Compelling writing might be described as engaging, persuasive, thought-provoking, suspenseful, or captivating.
2. How can I improve my ability to use adjectives to describe writing? Practice analyzing texts and identifying specific stylistic choices. Consult dictionaries and style guides for more precise vocabulary.
3. Are there any resources available to help me learn more about adjectives for writing analysis? Yes, many style guides, dictionaries of literary terms, and books on rhetoric and stylistics provide extensive vocabularies for describing writing.
4. What is the difference between describing writing and evaluating it? Describing focuses on identifying stylistic features, while evaluating judges the effectiveness of those features in achieving the writing’s purpose.
5. How can I avoid sounding overly critical when describing writing? Focus on specific elements and use neutral language. Offer constructive feedback rather than solely negative judgments.
6. How important is context when choosing adjectives to describe writing? Context is crucial; the appropriate adjectives depend heavily on the genre, audience, and purpose of the writing.
7. Can you provide examples of how different adjectives can change the interpretation of a piece of writing? A piece could be "simple" (suggesting clarity) or "simplistic" (suggesting lack of depth), drastically altering its assessment.
8. How can I use adjectives effectively in writing feedback? Pair descriptive adjectives with specific examples from the text to support your claims and provide constructive criticism.
9. What are some common mistakes to avoid when using adjectives to describe writing? Avoid vague words like "good" or "bad," and be mindful of your tone to avoid sounding overly subjective or critical.
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| adjectives to describe writing: The Writer's Lexicon Kathy Steinemann, 2017-03-19 You just read your manuscript and discovered that your characters nod like marionettes in every chapter. When they’re not nodding, they roll their eyes. Time to slash the Pinocchio strings. Transform your protagonists into believable personalities that your readers will learn to love. Or hate. Get in the driver’s seat, relax, and enjoy your journey — with Kathy Steinemann’s book as your GPS. |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (2nd Edition) Becca Puglisi, Angela Ackerman, 2019-02-19 The bestselling Emotion Thesaurus, often hailed as “the gold standard for writers” and credited with transforming how writers craft emotion, has now been expanded to include 56 new entries! One of the biggest struggles for writers is how to convey emotion to readers in a unique and compelling way. When showing our characters’ feelings, we often use the first idea that comes to mind, and they end up smiling, nodding, and frowning too much. If you need inspiration for creating characters’ emotional responses that are personalized and evocative, this ultimate show-don’t-tell guide for emotion can help. It includes: • Body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for over 130 emotions that cover a range of intensity from mild to severe, providing innumerable options for individualizing a character’s reactions • A breakdown of the biggest emotion-related writing problems and how to overcome them • Advice on what should be done before drafting to make sure your characters’ emotions will be realistic and consistent • Instruction for how to show hidden feelings and emotional subtext through dialogue and nonverbal cues • And much more! The Emotion Thesaurus, in its easy-to-navigate list format, will inspire you to create stronger, fresher character expressions and engage readers from your first page to your last. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Making Sense of Grammar David Crystal, 2004 The author explains structure and then shows how it works in different language contexts - the literary, the non-literary, the spoken and the written. He explores a wide range of linguistic themes including sociolinguistics, language acquisition and register, and shows how our language can be interpreted. |
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| adjectives to describe writing: Counting Descent Clint Smith, 2020-01-06 From the author of How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America * Winner, 2017 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award * Finalist, 2017 NAACP Image Awards * One Book One New Orleans 2017 Book Selection * Published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, New Republic, Boston Review, The Guardian, The Rumpus, and The Academy of American Poets So many of these poems just blow me away. Incredibly beautiful and powerful. -- Michelle Alexander, Author of The New Jim Crow Counting Descent is a tightly-woven collection of poems whose pages act like an invitation. The invitation is intimate and generous and also a challenge; are you up to asking what is blackness? What is black joy? How is black life loved and lived? To whom do we look to for answers? This invitation is not to a narrow street, or a shallow lake, but to a vast exploration of life. And you’re invited. -- Elizabeth Acevedo, Author of Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths These poems shimmer with revelatory intensity, approaching us from all sides to immerse us in the America that America so often forgets. -- Gregory Pardlo Counting Descent is more than brilliant. More than lyrical. More than bluesy. More than courageous. It is terrifying in its ability to at once not hide and show readers why it wants to hide so badly. These poems mend, meld and imagine with weighted details, pauses, idiosyncrasies and word patterns I've never seen before. -- Kiese Laymon, Author of Long Division Clint Smith's debut poetry collection, Counting Descent, is a coming of age story that seeks to complicate our conception of lineage and tradition. Do you know what it means for your existence to be defined by someone else’s intentions? Smith explores the cognitive dissonance that results from belonging to a community that unapologetically celebrates black humanity while living in a world that often renders blackness a caricature of fear. His poems move fluidly across personal and political histories, all the while reflecting on the social construction of our lived experiences. Smith brings the reader on a powerful journey forcing us to reflect on all that we learn growing up, and all that we seek to unlearn moving forward. |
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| adjectives to describe writing: The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows John Koenig, 2021-11-16 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “It’s undeniably thrilling to find words for our strangest feelings…Koenig casts light into lonely corners of human experience…An enchanting book. “ —The Washington Post A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express—until now. Have you ever wondered about the lives of each person you pass on the street, realizing that everyone is the main character in their own story, each living a life as vivid and complex as your own? That feeling has a name: “sonder.” Or maybe you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll in and felt a primal hunger for disaster, hoping it would shake up your life. That’s called “lachesism.” Or you were looking through old photos and felt a pang of nostalgia for a time you’ve never actually experienced. That’s “anemoia.” If you’ve never heard of these terms before, that’s because they didn’t exist until John Koenig set out to fill the gaps in our language of emotion. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows “creates beautiful new words that we need but do not yet have,” says John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars. By turns poignant, relatable, and mind-bending, the definitions include whimsical etymologies drawn from languages around the world, interspersed with otherworldly collages and lyrical essays that explore forgotten corners of the human condition—from “astrophe,” the longing to explore beyond the planet Earth, to “zenosyne,” the sense that time keeps getting faster. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is for anyone who enjoys a shift in perspective, pondering the ineffable feelings that make up our lives. With a gorgeous package and beautiful illustrations throughout, this is the perfect gift for creatives, word nerds, and human beings everywhere. |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Describer's Dictionary David Grambs, 1995-08 A dictionary of the observable world features definition-first organization; passages from the writings of James, Updike, and others; and words concerning shapes, textures, colors, terrain, and more. |
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| adjectives to describe writing: The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation Lester Kaufman, Jane Straus, 2021-04-16 The bestselling workbook and grammar guide, revised and updated! Hailed as one of the best books around for teaching grammar, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation includes easy-to-understand rules, abundant examples, dozens of reproducible quizzes, and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar to middle and high schoolers, college students, ESL students, homeschoolers, and more. This concise, entertaining workbook makes learning English grammar and usage simple and fun. This updated 12th edition reflects the latest updates to English usage and grammar, and includes answers to all reproducible quizzes to facilitate self-assessment and learning. Clear and concise, with easy-to-follow explanations, offering just the facts on English grammar, punctuation, and usage Fully updated to reflect the latest rules, along with even more quizzes and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar Ideal for students from seventh grade through adulthood in the US and abroad For anyone who wants to understand the major rules and subtle guidelines of English grammar and usage, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation offers comprehensive, straightforward instruction. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Hairy, Scary, Ordinary Brian P. Cleary, 2017-08-01 Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and text highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! Adjectives are words like hairy, scary, cool, and ordinary. Simple, rhyming text and colorful cartoon cats help children expand their vocabularies and gain an appreciation for the rhythm of language in this lighthearted book of rhyming verse. Adjectives like frilly, silly, polka-dotted, fizzy, and spunky are printed in color, and all the words will tickle you pink! |
| adjectives to describe writing: Tools Students Need to Be Skillful Writers Phyllis Hostmeyer, 2012-10-23 Diagram no more—inspire all your student writers! Imagine leaving behind the drudgery of diagramming sentences. Imagine, instead, joyful writers who are capable of revising their work and writing effectively. By taking writing down to its basic building block—a solid sentence—and advancing from there, students will develop confidence, enjoy creating sentences, and ultimately empower each other as writers. Lessons for Grades 3-12 include: A variety of sentence patterns presented in a logical sequence An explanation of each pattern′s structure and conventions Reinforcement activities and sample sentences for each pattern Activities to develop the necessary instructional vocabulary As students become engaged in the process, they will work toward: Meeting the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts Understanding and using basic sentence structures Recognizing what makes a sentence effective Learning to put sentences together to write effective paragraphs This indispensable handbook serves as a blueprint for instruction and unit development by emphasizing the end goal: preparing students to be effective writers. Along the way, all students, including English language learners, will gain the fluency and automaticity needed for effective daily writing and for success on high-stakes tests. Hostmeyer provides the tools teachers need to make grammar instruction meaningful and engaging so students build the knowledge they need to craft not only sentences, but strong pieces of writing that meet the demands of the Common Core. —Carol Gallegos, Literacy Coach Hanford Elementary School District, Hanford, CA The author′s knowledge of how students learn, passion for finding ways to teach sentence patterns, and willingness to share those strategies with the world all combine to make this a book that every writing teacher can use. —Norma Barber, Language Arts Teacher Ukiah School District 80R, Ukiah, OR |
| adjectives to describe writing: How Language Works David Crystal, 2007-03-29 In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we’re from and even who we want to be. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference Gary Lutz, Diane Stevenson, 2011-04-12 The Definitive Source for Clear and Correct Writing Engaging but not flip, thorough but not overwhelming, Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference is the perfect addition to anyone's desk. This guide provides: • Comprehensive grammar instruction--readers won't need any other guide • Real-world examples and errors from well-known magazines and newspapers, making the advice even more relevant • A user-friendly package with a concealed wire binding, a colored tab system, and sidebars for easy reference Practical, thorough, and accessible, Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference speaks to a hole in the market: good grammar instruction that's reader-friendly, fun to read, easy-to-understand, and correct. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Clear and Simple as the Truth Francis-Noël Thomas, Mark Turner, 2017-03-14 Everyone talks about style, but no one explains it. The authors of this book do; and in doing so, they provoke the reader to consider style, not as an elegant accessory of effective prose, but as its very heart. At a time when writing skills have virtually disappeared, what can be done? If only people learned the principles of verbal correctness, the essential rules, wouldn't good prose simply fall into place? Thomas and Turner say no. Attending to rules of grammar, sense, and sentence structure will no more lead to effective prose than knowing the mechanics of a golf swing will lead to a hole-in-one. Furthermore, ten-step programs to better writing exacerbate the problem by failing to recognize, as Thomas and Turner point out, that there are many styles with different standards. In the first half of Clear and Simple, the authors introduce a range of styles--reflexive, practical, plain, contemplative, romantic, prophetic, and others--contrasting them to classic style. Its principles are simple: The writer adopts the pose that the motive is truth, the purpose is presentation, the reader is an intellectual equal, and the occasion is informal. Classic style is at home in everything from business memos to personal letters, from magazine articles to university writing. The second half of the book is a tour of examples--the exquisite and the execrable--showing what has worked and what hasn't. Classic prose is found everywhere: from Thomas Jefferson to Junichirō Tanizaki, from Mark Twain to the observations of an undergraduate. Here are many fine performances in classic style, each clear and simple as the truth. Originally published in 1994. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Seesaw Girl Linda Sue Park, 1999 Impatient with the constraints put on her as an aristocratic girl living in Korea during the seventeenth century, twelve-year-old Jade Blossom determines to see beyond her small world. |
| adjectives to describe writing: About Writing Robin Jeffrey, 2016 |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Shipping News Annie Proulx, 2008-01-01 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News is a vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary North American family. Quoyle, a third-rate newspaper hack, with a “head shaped like a crenshaw, no neck, reddish hair...features as bunched as kissed fingertips,” is wrenched violently out of his workaday life when his two-timing wife meets her just desserts. An aunt convinces Quoyle and his two emotionally disturbed daughters to return with her to the starkly beautiful coastal landscape of their ancestral home in Newfoundland. Here, on desolate Quoyle’s Point, in a house empty except for a few mementos of the family’s unsavory past, the battered members of three generations try to cobble up new lives. Newfoundland is a country of coast and cove where the mercury rarely rises above seventy degrees, the local culinary delicacy is cod cheeks, and it’s easier to travel by boat and snowmobile than on anything with wheels. In this harsh place of cruel storms, a collapsing fishery, and chronic unemployment, the aunt sets up as a yacht upholsterer in nearby Killick-Claw, and Quoyle finds a job reporting the shipping news for the local weekly, the Gammy Bird (a paper that specializes in sexual-abuse stories and grisly photos of car accidents). As the long winter closes its jaws of ice, each of the Quoyles confronts private demons, reels from catastrophe to minor triumph—in the company of the obsequious Mavis Bangs; Diddy Shovel the strongman; drowned Herald Prowse; cane-twirling Beety; Nutbeem, who steals foreign news from the radio; a demented cousin the aunt refuses to recognize; the much-zippered Alvin Yark; silent Wavey; and old Billy Pretty, with his bag of secrets. By the time of the spring storms Quoyle has learned how to gut cod, to escape from a pickle jar, and to tie a true lover’s knot. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Bright Lights, Big City Jay McInerney, 2014-02-13 You are at a nightclub talking to a girl with a shaved head. The club is either Heartbreak or the Lizard Lounge. All might become clear if you could just slip into the bathroom and do a little more Bolivian Marching Powder. Then again, it might not... So begins our nameless hero's trawl through the brightly lit streets of Manhattan, sampling all this wonderland has to offer yet suspecting that tomorrow's hangover may be caused by more than simple excess. Bright Lights, Big City is an acclaimed classic which marked Jay McInerney as one of the major writers of our time. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Checkmate Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1876 |
| adjectives to describe writing: Bluesman Andre Dubus III, 2001-02-13 With House of Sand and Fog, his National Book Award-nominated novel, Andre Dubus III demonstrated his mastery of the complexities of character and desire. In this earlier novel he captures a roiling time in American history and the coming-of-age of a boy who must decide between desire, ambition, and duty. In the summer of 1967, Leo Suther has one more year of high school to finish and a lot more to learn. He's in love with the beautiful Allie Donovan who introduces him to her father, Chick — a construction foreman and avowed Communist. Soon Leo finds himself in the midst of a consuming love affair and an intense testing of his political values. Chick's passionate views challenge Leo's perspective on the escalating Vietnam conflict and on just where he stands in relation to the new people in his life. Throughout his — and the nation's — unforgettable summer of love, Leo is learning the language of the blues, which seem to speak to the mourning he feels for his dead mother, his occasionally distant father, and the youth which is fast giving way to manhood. |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Writer's Body Lexicon Kathy Steinemann, 2020-06-17 Ordinary writers describe the body in order to evoke images in readers’ minds. Extraordinary writers leverage it to add elements such as tension, intrigue, and humor. The Writer’s Body Lexicon provides tools for both approaches. Kathy Steinemann provides a boggling number of word choices and phrases for body parts, organized under similar sections in most chapters: • Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations • Adjectives • Similes and Metaphors • Colors and Variegations • Scents • Shapes • Verbs and Phrasal Verbs • Nouns • Prompts • Clichés and Idioms Sprinkled throughout, you’ll also find hundreds of story ideas. They pop up in similes, metaphors, word lists, and other nooks and crannies. Readers don’t want every character to be a cardboard cutout with a perfect physique. They prefer real bodies with imperfections that drive character actions and reactions — bodies with believable skin, scents, and colors. For instance, a well-dressed CEO whose infrequent smile exposes poorly maintained teeth might be on the verge of bankruptcy. A gorgeous cougar with decaying teeth, who tells her young admirer she’s rich, could spook her prey. Someone trying to hide a cigarette habit from a spouse might be foiled by nicotine stains. Add depth to your writing. Rather than just describe the body, exploit it. Build on it. Mold it until it becomes an integral part of your narrative. “… a timeless resource: You’ll find advice, prompts, ideas, vocabulary, humor, and everything in between. But more importantly, it will make your characters stand out from the crowd.” — Nada Sobhi |
| adjectives to describe writing: Stalinist Values David L. Hoffmann, 2018-08-06 Soviet official culture underwent a dramatic shift in the mid-1930s, when Stalin and his fellow leaders began to promote conventional norms, patriarchal families, tsarist heroes, and Russian literary classics. For Leon Trotsky—and many later commentators—this apparent embrace of bourgeois values marked a betrayal of the October Revolution and a retreat from socialism. In the first book to address these developments fully, David L. Hoffmann argues that, far from reversing direction, the Stalinist leadership remained committed to remaking both individuals and society—and used selected elements of traditional culture to bolster the socialist order. Melding original archival research with new scholarship in the field, Hoffmann describes Soviet cultural and behavioral norms in such areas as leisure activities, social hygiene, family life, and sexuality. He demonstrates that the Soviet state's campaign to effect social improvement by intervening in the lives of its citizens was not unique but echoed the efforts of other European governments, both fascist and liberal, in the interwar period. Indeed, in Europe, America, and Stalin's Russia, governments sought to inculcate many of the same values—from order and efficiency to sobriety and literacy. For Hoffmann, what remains distinctive about the Soviet case is the collectivist orientation of official culture and the degree of coercion the state applied to pursue its goals. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Everyday People Jennifer Baker, 2018-08-28 “A delight and highly recommended.” —Booklist “Showcases the truth and fullness of people of color.” —Book Riot In the tradition of Best American Short Stories comes Everyday People: The Color of Life, a dazzling collection of contemporary short fiction. Everyday People is a thoughtfully curated anthology of short stories that presents new and renowned work by established and emerging writers of color. It illustrates the dynamics of character and culture that reflect familial strife, political conflict, and personal turmoil through an array of stories that reveal the depth of the human experience. Representing a wide range of styles, themes, and perspectives, these selected stories depict moments that linger—crossroads to be navigated, relationships, epiphanies, and times of doubt, loss, and discovery. A celebration of writing and expression, Everyday People brings to light the rich tapestry that binds us all. The contributors are an eclectic mix of award-winning and critically lauded writers, including Mia Alvar, Carleigh Baker, Nana Brew-Hammond, Glendaliz Camacho, Alexander Chee, Mitchell S. Jackson, Yiyun Li, Allison Mills, Courttia Newland, Denne Michele Norris, Jason Reynolds, Nelly Rosario, Hasanthika Sirisena, and Brandon Taylor. Some of the proceeds from the sale of Everyday People will benefit the Rhode Island Writers Colony, a nonprofit organization founded by the late Brook Stephenson that provides space for speculation, production, and experimentation by writers of color. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Three Rules for Writing a Novel William Noble, 2011-05-01 In this one volume are personal selections by the author from his three classics, Steal this Plot!; Make That Scene; and Shut up! He Explained. Selecting parts of three of his previous books to guide you though the art of writing a novel, William Noble starts by asking three questions: What's happening? Who am I? Where am I? and then uses the answers to create a solid foundation for developing a story. With this structure in place, he demonstrates how to move on to motivating the story, establishing a sense of place, and creating tension. Noble has added new material on developing characters and using point of view to help you get your story across. The 'what' section, dealing with plot motivators and 'story spicers' and comprising a third of the book, is worth the price alone. -From an Amazon.com review |
| adjectives to describe writing: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition Renni Browne, Dave King, 2010-06-15 Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories. In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited. |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Chicago Manual of Style University of Chicago. Press, 2003 Searchable electronic version of print product with fully hyperlinked cross-references. |
| adjectives to describe writing: The Power Within Levi Kuskie, 2017-12-10 A young world is on the brink of destruction by a powerful evil. To save itself, nature creates four Heroes of innate unrivaled might and skill in combat. The firstborn Hero is destined to track down and unite forces with the other three, but the enemy is one step ahead. Delve into the origins of the first Hero, Nëo, as he emerges from a dark past to learn to harness the power within. |
| adjectives to describe writing: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary Kate Woodford, Guy Jackson, 2003 The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary is the ideal dictionary for advanced EFL/ESL learners. Easy to use and with a great CD-ROM - the perfect learner's dictionary for exam success. First published as the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, this new edition has been completely updated and redesigned. - References to over 170,000 words, phrases and examples explained in clear and natural English - All the important new words that have come into the language (e.g. dirty bomb, lairy, 9/11, clickable) - Over 200 'Common Learner Error' notes, based on the Cambridge Learner Corpus from Cambridge ESOL exams Plus, on the CD-ROM: - SMART thesaurus - lets you find all the words with the same meaning - QUICKfind - automatically looks up words while you are working on-screen - SUPERwrite - tools for advanced writing, giving help with grammar and collocation - Hear and practise all the words. |
Adjective Examples: A Huge List of 1500+ Adjectives in English …
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjective examples! It's very important to learn the list of adjectives in English. And, in this lesson, you will learn a huge list of 1500+ adjective examples with the pictures. Learn …
List of Adjectives: The Ultimate List of Adjectives in English with …
Nov 3, 2020 · Adjectives List: Opposite Adjectives. Learn a list of common opposite adjectives in English. Slow – Fast; Thick – Thin
Positive Adjectives: 270 Nice Positive Adjectives from A-Z
Oct 24, 2023 · Positive Adjectives to Describe Someone’s Personality. Here are positive adjectives to describe a person with their meanings: Kind: having a friendly and caring nature …
Descriptive Words: A Huge List of Descriptive Adjectives, Verbs ...
Jan 23, 2025 · Descriptive Words! This page provides a large list of descriptive adjectives and verbs in English. They have been chosen especially for ESL learners. Descriptive Words …
515 Best Adjectives that Start with O - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with O to Describe Feelings and Emotions Optimistic – having a positive outlook on life and expecting good things to happen Overwhelmed – feeling …
Common Adjectives: List of 100 Useful Adjectives in English
Jul 17, 2019 · Common adjectives! In this lesson, you will learn a list of 100 commonly used adjectives in English to expand your vocabulary.
A Huge List of 1000+ Adjectives that Start with S - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with S! In this article, you will learn a list of common adjectives that start with S in English with useful example sentences to help you expand your vocabulary …
108 Adjectives that Start with Y - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with Y to Describe a Person Youthful – Having the characteristics of youthfulness, such as energy, vitality, and enthusiasm. Yielding – Being …
1000+ Adjectives that Start with T | Useful T Adjectives
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that start with t! In this lesson, you will learn a list of common adjectives starting with T in English with ESL picture and example sentences. Learn those words to help …
1600+ Adjectives that Start with U | A Huge List of U Adjectives
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with U! In this lesson, you will learn a list of common words that start with U in English with ESL picture and example sentences to help you enhance your …
Adjective Examples: A Huge List of 1500+ Adjectives in English …
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjective examples! It's very important to learn the list of adjectives in English. And, in this lesson, you will learn a huge list of 1500+ adjective examples with the pictures. Learn …
List of Adjectives: The Ultimate List of Adjectives in English with …
Nov 3, 2020 · Adjectives List: Opposite Adjectives. Learn a list of common opposite adjectives in English. Slow – Fast; Thick – Thin
Positive Adjectives: 270 Nice Positive Adjectives from A-Z
Oct 24, 2023 · Positive Adjectives to Describe Someone’s Personality. Here are positive adjectives to describe a person with their meanings: Kind: having a friendly and caring nature …
Descriptive Words: A Huge List of Descriptive Adjectives, Verbs ...
Jan 23, 2025 · Descriptive Words! This page provides a large list of descriptive adjectives and verbs in English. They have been chosen especially for ESL learners. Descriptive Words …
515 Best Adjectives that Start with O - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with O to Describe Feelings and Emotions Optimistic – having a positive outlook on life and expecting good things to happen Overwhelmed – feeling …
Common Adjectives: List of 100 Useful Adjectives in English
Jul 17, 2019 · Common adjectives! In this lesson, you will learn a list of 100 commonly used adjectives in English to expand your vocabulary.
A Huge List of 1000+ Adjectives that Start with S - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with S! In this article, you will learn a list of common adjectives that start with S in English with useful example sentences to help you expand your vocabulary …
108 Adjectives that Start with Y - ESL Forums
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with Y to Describe a Person Youthful – Having the characteristics of youthfulness, such as energy, vitality, and enthusiasm. Yielding – Being …
1000+ Adjectives that Start with T | Useful T Adjectives
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that start with t! In this lesson, you will learn a list of common adjectives starting with T in English with ESL picture and example sentences. Learn those words to help …
1600+ Adjectives that Start with U | A Huge List of U Adjectives
Jul 16, 2024 · Adjectives that Start with U! In this lesson, you will learn a list of common words that start with U in English with ESL picture and example sentences to help you enhance your …
