Expletives
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: EXPLETIVES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
I have a trick I use when I’m editing that you may find helpful. I look for expletives in my prose.
And, no, I don’t mean swear words. In grammar, an “expletive” is a kind of place-holder—a phrase that fills a purpose in the sentence without adding to the meaning. You’ll usually find expletives in the first clause of a sentence. Look for sentences that begin with “there is,” “there are,” “it is” or “it was.”
Starting sentences with these constructions can result in wordiness or ambiguity, or leave you with flat-footed prose devoid of rhythm. Of course, you don’t need to banish every use of expletives. In fact, a well-positioned expletive can be effective.
Expletives can delay or de-emphasize a subject, provide variety in sentence patterns, or alter sentence rhythm. For instance, Charles Dickens began “A Tale of Two Cities” with two famous expletive sentences: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” In this case, the rhythm and repetition works. However, novice writers need to have control over their expletives (of every type, including the risqué variety).
Start by identifying the expletives in your writing. Then decide whether to combine sentences, add a more obvious subject, or delete the expletive to put the focus back on the real subject of the clause. Here’s an example of when to delete an expletive: "There are several different teaching styles that can be used in a classroom." A revision strategy would be to refocus on teaching styles, by deleting the expletive, “there are,” like this: "Several teaching styles can be used in a classroom."
Here’s another sentence with an expletive: "There is no pension plan for teachers' aides." Depending on the writer’s intent, the sentence could be revised in several ways. For example: "Teachers’ aides have no pension plan," or "The pension plan excludes teachers’ aides."
Now let’s try an example with the “it is” expletive where “it” doesn’t have a clear reference: "It is especially harmful when invasive species are allowed to encroach on desired vegetation." Cutting the expletive can improve clarity and directness: "Allowing invasive species to encroach on desired vegetation is especially harmful."
Identify expletives in your writing as a starting point to decide if your sentences might be better off without them. But sometimes expletives serve a purpose, as in the following sentence: "It’s time to go."
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: EXPLETIVES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
I have a trick I use when I’m editing that you may find helpful. I look for expletives in my prose.
And, no, I don’t mean swear words. In grammar, an “expletive” is a kind of place-holder—a phrase that fills a purpose in the sentence without adding to the meaning. You’ll usually find expletives in the first clause of a sentence. Look for sentences that begin with “there is,” “there are,” “it is” or “it was.”
Starting sentences with these constructions can result in wordiness or ambiguity, or leave you with flat-footed prose devoid of rhythm. Of course, you don’t need to banish every use of expletives. In fact, a well-positioned expletive can be effective.
Expletives can delay or de-emphasize a subject, provide variety in sentence patterns, or alter sentence rhythm. For instance, Charles Dickens began “A Tale of Two Cities” with two famous expletive sentences: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” In this case, the rhythm and repetition works. However, novice writers need to have control over their expletives (of every type, including the risqué variety).
Start by identifying the expletives in your writing. Then decide whether to combine sentences, add a more obvious subject, or delete the expletive to put the focus back on the real subject of the clause. Here’s an example of when to delete an expletive: "There are several different teaching styles that can be used in a classroom." A revision strategy would be to refocus on teaching styles, by deleting the expletive, “there are,” like this: "Several teaching styles can be used in a classroom."
Here’s another sentence with an expletive: "There is no pension plan for teachers' aides." Depending on the writer’s intent, the sentence could be revised in several ways. For example: "Teachers’ aides have no pension plan," or "The pension plan excludes teachers’ aides."
Now let’s try an example with the “it is” expletive where “it” doesn’t have a clear reference: "It is especially harmful when invasive species are allowed to encroach on desired vegetation." Cutting the expletive can improve clarity and directness: "Allowing invasive species to encroach on desired vegetation is especially harmful."
Identify expletives in your writing as a starting point to decide if your sentences might be better off without them. But sometimes expletives serve a purpose, as in the following sentence: "It’s time to go."
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]