Padding
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: PADDING
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
My topic today is padding. Writing teachers are all too familiar with this practice. Students use padding to reach an assigned word count or meet the required minimum time for a speech. A common trick is adding adverbs like “very” or “really” and piling on adjectives, like “true facts” or “excruciatingly elegant women.” Students also use passive voice since it requires more words than active voice. So instead of “We decided on pricing,” a student might write, “The decision was made to settle on a particular price point.” (That’s 7 extra words right there!)
Repetition is another time-honored way to pad. Often students repeat the idea they’ve just stated but phrase it in a slightly different way. After declaring that “The decision was made to settle on a particular price point,” the “padder” will add, “It was unanimously agreed upon that selecting a price point was imperative at this point in time.”
Padding, you see, is bloat. It doesn’t capture the attention of your audience or make your writing memorable. Instead, it makes your writing a chore to read. There are better ways to meet your reader’s expectations.
One of the most powerful is to add examples. Examples help your audience envision or understand what you mean. For simple concepts, use short examples. Extended examples, even stories, can clarify more complex ideas.
You can also add heft by defining terms. You should define any terms with multiple or specialized meanings that are likely to be unfamiliar to your audience, like “price point.” You can also define terms you’re using in a unique way—for example, if you’re describing a new approach to selling.
You can also make comparisons. For example, I might compare the price of designer shoes to the price of athletic shoes.
Sometimes an effective use of quotations can add weight (as well as words) to your text. Find a quote that makes your point eloquently or that shows an expert supports your argument. Don’t overdo quoting, however, or your audience may think you’re giving away your own authority.
Another way to add credibility (and length) to your argument is to use supporting evidence. If you want to explain why prices should be higher, for instance, you might refer to the sales of another company selling a similar product in a similar market.
Padding for the sake of adding words never works. But providing examples, stories, analogies, quotations or facts to reinforce your point or make it more memorable? Well, that’s just good writing.
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: PADDING
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
My topic today is padding. Writing teachers are all too familiar with this practice. Students use padding to reach an assigned word count or meet the required minimum time for a speech. A common trick is adding adverbs like “very” or “really” and piling on adjectives, like “true facts” or “excruciatingly elegant women.” Students also use passive voice since it requires more words than active voice. So instead of “We decided on pricing,” a student might write, “The decision was made to settle on a particular price point.” (That’s 7 extra words right there!)
Repetition is another time-honored way to pad. Often students repeat the idea they’ve just stated but phrase it in a slightly different way. After declaring that “The decision was made to settle on a particular price point,” the “padder” will add, “It was unanimously agreed upon that selecting a price point was imperative at this point in time.”
Padding, you see, is bloat. It doesn’t capture the attention of your audience or make your writing memorable. Instead, it makes your writing a chore to read. There are better ways to meet your reader’s expectations.
One of the most powerful is to add examples. Examples help your audience envision or understand what you mean. For simple concepts, use short examples. Extended examples, even stories, can clarify more complex ideas.
You can also add heft by defining terms. You should define any terms with multiple or specialized meanings that are likely to be unfamiliar to your audience, like “price point.” You can also define terms you’re using in a unique way—for example, if you’re describing a new approach to selling.
You can also make comparisons. For example, I might compare the price of designer shoes to the price of athletic shoes.
Sometimes an effective use of quotations can add weight (as well as words) to your text. Find a quote that makes your point eloquently or that shows an expert supports your argument. Don’t overdo quoting, however, or your audience may think you’re giving away your own authority.
Another way to add credibility (and length) to your argument is to use supporting evidence. If you want to explain why prices should be higher, for instance, you might refer to the sales of another company selling a similar product in a similar market.
Padding for the sake of adding words never works. But providing examples, stories, analogies, quotations or facts to reinforce your point or make it more memorable? Well, that’s just good writing.
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]