Writing+advice+and+principles

=** Approaching Writing **=

==Here is an important short article that reinforces what we discussed in class when we showed that movie clip about writing. It reinforces the principle that when writing your first draft, you should not think, just write. Thinking would include worrying about whether the draft is good, which will only creating obstacles to writing and leave you with little or no material and a great deal of anxiety. This article was given out by `Iolani's College Counseling Department at a college essay workshop they held in 2017. (It has a word in it that is inappropriate, but the ideas of the article have tremendous benefit for you if you are mature enough to overlook the word.) Here is the link:==

After you read this short article, read the next section on this page called "Important Writing Advice" and the article that goes with it to reinforce its concepts.
= = =** Important Writing Advice **=


 * The advice below is some of the most important advice you will ever receive about writing. Absorb it, understand it, and follow it.** :)

When you write an essay, whether it’s a personal essay or an analytical essay, **make sure you say something that you //sincerely believe or that you sincerely think is true// about the literature you’re discussing**. Write about things you really, truly see in the literature, not just something that you think sounds smart or you think sounds like something “the teacher wants” or that “sounds like a good answer.” **__Be real and say real things__**. And say them simply. If you eschew simplicity and try too self-consciously to sound intellectual, you end up with awkward sentences and confusion. **The keys are: lucidity, simplicity, and euphony.** The intellectuality of your writing will evolve naturally as you do that. **:)**

If you merely write things that you think sound smart or you think sound like something “the teacher wants” or that “sound like a good answer,” your writing sounds terrible. It ends up clumsy and usually ends up saying things about the literature that aren’t even true. You end up sounding as though you’re just trying to fit a formula, and the writing ends up being much worse than you are truly capable of producing. Would you want to read that writing? I doubt it. **__If you wouldn’t want to read the writing you create, you can bet something is flawed in it.__** :)

Writing like that sounds as though it comes from a mind that frantically asks itself the whole time, “What should I write? What should I say?” It comes from a mind that perhaps in the past has been battered by demands to fit itself into formulas. You need to get away from that. :) **Write from your own heart and your own mind.** No heart is better than yours and no mind is better than yours. Set it free to produce within the assignments given to you. :)

And when you’re given a personal essay, rejoice and make it personal. Don’t make it analytical. Someone finally wants to hear your feelings; don’t waste that precious chance. If it's an analytical essay, make sure you choose a topic you're excited about and take advantage of the chance as well.

Yes, we pay attention to details about writing in the Keables Guide, but those are secondary. **__What is primary is your voice, making sure that your voice emerges from the writing, a sincere, true, individual voice, the voice that is you__**.

Life is too short. Don't waste your writing opportunities. **__Be real. Say real things.__** :)

Here is the link to the follow-up article to reinforce these principles. It is called "We are teaching kids how to write all wrong -- and no, Mr. Miyagi's rote lessons won't help a bit":
= =
 * @https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/05/08/we-are-teaching-kids-how-to-write-all-wrong-and-no-mr-miyagis-rote-lessons-wont-help-a-bit/?utm_term=.464bcd32ff52**

= Common Sense Guide to Writing Analytical Essays =

Students usually have a hard time writing analytical essays. This type of writing seems much more difficult for them than personal essays and creative writing. This does not have to be the case for you. Very often, students themselves make the writing more difficult than it has to be, usually by trying too hard to sound impressively intellectual instead of just trying to make sense and be clear. **__Writing an essay is just plain common sense.__**

Essay writing is nothing more than thinking on paper. Don’t try to make it more than that. When you write essays, you want the reader to be able to understand what you say. Be clear and be simple. Once you get the hang of being clear and simple, then you can start to spice the writing up with a higher level of style and expression. But don’t try to jump to that higher level right away; that would be like building the roof of a house before building the walls. Another analogy to keep in mind is the age-old saying that “you have to walk before you can run.” Trying to run first means that you’ll just stumble a great deal, which is what many of you do in your analytical essays.


 * Try this approach:**


 * First:** Think of essay writing the way you’d think of an //intelligent// conversation you’re having with an //intelligent// friend. If you want to explain something to your friend, the first thing you’d do is introduce a little background leading to the main point you’re trying to make. Think of that little background as your essay introduction and think of that main point as your thesis. That’s just common sense. It’s not a big deal. Don’t make it a big deal. If a friend of yours were trying to explain something to you and didn’t tell you what his point was, you’d ask him, “What are you talking about? What’s your point?” Those would be natural common sense questions to ask him. The answers to those questions in an essay, just as in a conversation, would be your introduction and thesis. That’s all there is to it. Again, it's not a big deal.


 * Next:** If you stated a point or an opinion in a conversation with a friend, especially if it’s the main point you want to make or the primary opinion you want to present in that conversation, your friend might ask, “Where’d you get that idea from?” That’s a natural, common sense question to ask. Normally, you’d just give a natural, common sense answer in conversation. You’d tell your friend where you got that idea from. That’s all you’d need to do in an essay, too. All that amounts to is providing some concrete details, evidence, or examples that show where the idea or opinion came from or that make the idea or opinion easier to understand. Ideally, you would do this in a way that is convincing. “Convincing” means that the person you’re talking or writing to listens or reads and thinks, “Oh, I understand it now. And I’d agree with that, too.” All this adds up to what you may be used to calling the body of the essay. You take as long as you have time for to do this in conversation. In an essay, take as long as you need to within any length limits you’re given. Again, it's not big deal. It's just common sense.


 * Last:** In a conversation, after you finish clarifying your idea or opinion and explaining where it came from, you’d be nearing the end of that topic of conversation. An appropriate common-sense thing you might do next is just wrap up what you were talking about. You might restate it concisely in a slightly different way; that just makes sense. Common sense. You might also leave your listener with something interesting to think about that's related. That’s all you’d do in the last paragraph of your essay. Just wrap it all up (without wandering off on some other seemingly unrelated subject, which would only confuse the person you’re talking to and make you look strange). That’s what you are used to calling a conclusion. Pretty simple.

Now you have a common-sense approach to writing an analytical essay. Until you develop consistency in writing clear ones, **just keep it simple and use common sense**. Once you’ve done that, you’ve got the solid foundation you need, and then you can begin to refine your wording. But don’t jump to that stage yet, or you’ll end up extremely frustrated. Learn to think clearly on paper. Those who can’t write clearly, can’t think clearly for themselves; someone else will thus end up doing their thinking for them.*


 * Apologies to George Orwell (if the apology makes no sense to you, look up George Orwell).

= Language Advice Relevant to the Present Day =
 * _**

**//Impact//**
A twisted usage of a common word in the English language, //impact//, has crept into speech and writing a great deal in recent times, to the point of becoming an epidemic. I **strongly recommend** that you not use //impact// in the ugly manner referred to below. Below you will find an authoritative point of view on this usage. Please read, absorb, and think about what is presented here. This passage comes from the //The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition//. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

USAGE NOTE:


 * The use of //impact// as a verb meaning “to have an effect” often has a big impact on readers. **Eighty-four percent of the Usage Panel disapproves of the construction //to impact on,//** as in the phrase //social pathologies, common to the inner city, that impact heavily on such a community;//**fully 95 percent disapproves of the use of //impact// as a transitive verb** in the sentence //Companies have used disposable techniques that have a potential for impacting our health.// •It is unclear why this usage provokes such a strong response, but it cannot be because of novelty. //Impact// has been used as a verb since 1601, when it meant “to fix or pack in,” and its modern, figurative use dates from 1935. It may be that **its frequent appearance in the jargon-riddled remarks of //politicians//, //military officials//, and //financial analysts// continues to make people suspicious**. ||

NB: Italics and boldface are Mr. Greenhill’s.
 * The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. ||
 * _**


 * Unorthodox but Valuable Writing Advice **

The advice below is unorthodox, but it is important and it will make you a better writer, speaker, and thinker. Be aware of the value of doing unorthodox things. Here is what George Orwell, a much smarter man than I am, said about orthodoxy: We (you and I) //want// to think, to be //conscious//. Thus, we must be open to unorthodox approaches. If we did only the orthodox, we humans would make little or no progress in all areas of life. ☺
 * “Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”**

In your essays about literature, please do not ever write about “the reader.” J Based on what I have seen over the years in actual student writing, 99% of what students write when they write about “the reader” is rubbish, muck. Usually they write about “the reader” when they can’t think of anything to write. The 1% chance that you will produce worthwhile writing when you write about “the reader” is just not worth it because of all the garbage that is 99% likely to result instead. Especially don’t ever write something about the author doing something to “keep the reader interested” or to “grab the reader’s attention” or to “make the reader want to read on.” Based on what I have seen over the years in actual student writing, the result of writing about that is never anything meaningful, and you want your writing to be meaningful. ☺ Please do not ever write this. Based on what I have seen over the years in actual student writing, 99% of what students write when they write this is worthless, empty, and unnecessary. Again, this is the sort of thing students write when they can’t think of anything to write. You can find helpful related ideas on this in Part Five of the //Keables Guide// in LTone. Please go look at it! ☺ Please avoid this. Not only is it ugly, but students usually write this when they don't know what to say about a topic or prompt. It is especially pernicious to use it when you're writing about poems or fiction. It is frequently the case, and probably always the case with poetry, that the writer, as an artist first and foremost, is not mainly interested in delivering a message but instead expressing himself artistically in the medium he loves, words. Often there are messages or themes that //naturally// emerge--which we discuss when we look at themes, for example--but they are not the emphasis. Good poetry or short stories, for example, do not come into being because someone has something "important to say." "Getting a message across" is seldom the reason behind a particular choice of words by a writer of poetry or fiction. ☺ This is NOT a literary term. Never use this when you're writing about literature. Use the term //plot// because that's really what you mean. Once you move past ninth grade, you shouldn’t need to use the self-conscious “hook” that asks a question to an indefinite “you” that’s out there in your audience, e.g. “Have you ever. . . ?” It sounds forced and a bit childish. It sounds like writing according to a formula. No worthwhile writing ever followed a formula. In addition, too often the writer who uses this method makes no transition into the thoughts that immediately follow the “you” hook, which only compounds the error. Let’s hang this hook on another hook in a very, very remote frozen meat locker in the Arctic and abandon it there. :)
 * Words and Expressions to Avoid** ** :) **
 * __When You Write Essays On Literature:__**
 * **“the reader”**
 * **” __(insert author’s name) did a great/amazing/fantastic job of__ ”**
 * **"get his message across"**
 * **"story line"**
 * **directing a question at “you” in your introduction**

To improve your writing, and your speaking, for that matter, please avoid the words and expressions listed below. Some of them fall into the category of jargon, some do not. Some are just word fads (passing fads—step aside and let them pass :) ) that have crept into the language. Language authorities consider them poor usage; they are used frequently by many kinds of people, but don’t be fooled. :) Some are slang that is used so frequently that people who don’t know enough about standard English seem to assume they aren’t slang. Never use this in essays or class discussion. It is slang that comes from hip-hop. There are many acceptable alternatives that have been used for many, many years. Instead, you might say “back in the old days” or “many years ago” or “a long time ago” or “back when I was a child” or “back in the early days,” whichever fits the situation. :) Most people don’t realize that this is slang. It means “have no idea.” Use that instead because it says it better and says it in acceptable standard English. "Clueless" also is not acceptable. It is slang. If you mean "confused", "ignorant," "stupid," "mystified," "baffled," "puzzled," "bewildered," "has no idea," or something like that, just say it with one of those. If you need to change the structure of the sentence, do so, e.g. instead of saying, "He is clueless," you might have to say, "He has no experience with this," or "he knows nothing about it," whatever the case may be. Don't ever use this in discussion or writing. It is slang. If you mean twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, say that. If you mean that but want fewer words, say "all the time" or "around the clock" or something similar. Be careful every day around the clock about avoiding this one. ☺ This is slang. If you mean "accept" or "adopt" or "go along with" or "endorse" or "support" or something along those lines, say it. "Buy into" is not standard, accepted usage. Don't buy this one; spend your word money elsewhere. ☺
 * __Other Words and Expressions in Other Common Situations, i.e. Not Just in Writing about Literature__**
 * __Slang__**
 * **“back in the day”**
 * **“have a clue” or “have no clue” or "clueless"**
 * **"24/7"**
 * **"buy into"**

Use this only for its literal meaning, i.e. if you are talking about the end of a day of the week. It is a poor, faddish substitute for reliable expressions such as “all things considered,” “after careful consideration,” “after giving it serious thought,” “when everything is finished,” “when we’ve looked at every possibility,” or something of that sort. ☺ Do not use this to mean “making progress” or “looking ahead” or “looking at the future” or “continuing” or “from now on” or “in the future” or “in the days/weeks/months/years ahead," or an equivalent expression. It is a poor, faddish substitute for perfectly good, clear wording that has been around a long time. It often shows up in advertising and business, both of which are worlds that seem devoted to poisoning the English language; leave it in those worlds where it belongs. ☺ Use “window” for its literal meaning, unless you’re going to use it creatively in poetry. Do not use it to mean “gap” or “gap of time” or “period of time” or “chance.” “Window of opportunity” is even worse because of its intended redundancy; all it really means IS “opportunity”; thus, just say “opportunity” if that is what you mean. ☺ Very faddish, pseudo-terminology bordering on the pop psychology sort. Avoid it! Find other ways to express the idea. Instead of the very ugly "get out of" one's "comfort zone," try " take a chance," "try something new," "take a risk," "test" oneself, "challenge" oneself, "experiment," and so forth. You get the idea. There are many ways to say this without resorting to the silly faddish expression. The corruption of the language “moment in time” was made famous by a pop song, “One Moment in Time,” with which NBC-TV bombarded viewers in a corny attempt to add drama to the inherently dramatic 1988 Olympic Games. Naturally, none of us who care about language should look to pop song lyrics for linguistic enlightenment. J The problem with the expression “one moment in time” is that it is clearly redundant. A moment IS in time, it is a UNIT of time. Thus, there is no need for “one moment” together with “in time.” Almost the same can be said of the expression “point in time.” (This expression was almost unheard of before the Watergate Hearings. Witness after witness used this expression over and over in self-conscious, futile attempts to sound intellectual and/or to be evasive in answers so as to avoid being found guilty of something (or at least to postpone it). It is a classic example of the kind of poisoning of the language that government officials, politicians, and bureaucrats engage in all the time. They are the last people we should consider role models on how to use language.☺) There is some redundancy in “point in time” in that it is usually used in a context where it is quite clear that there is a reference to time. For example, one might say, “At that point, he became angry.” In this example, there is no need for the words “in time” because it is quite clear that a sequence of events and the passage of time are involved. Instead of using “point in time,” just say “point” or “moment” or “instant.” ☺ This word is jargon. Do not use it. It is a manufactured word, not a real one, something from pop psychology. There is no reason to use it when we have such wonderful words or phrases as “attitude,” “approach,” “outlook,” “way of thinking,” “philosophy,” “belief,” “thinking style,” "frame of mind," and more. ☺
 * __Other Words and Expressions (some have slang components; be alert to that as you read below)__**
 * **“at the end of the day”**
 * **“moving forward”/"going forward”**
 * **“window” or “window of time/opportunity”**
 * **"comfort zone"**
 * **“moment in time” and “point in time”**
 * **“mindset”**

Do not use this expression either in writing or discussion. It is not acceptable as standard English, no matter how often you may have heard or seen it. Instead, use words that accurately capture what people really mean when they use this awful expression: “object to” or “there is a problem with” or “I have doubts about that” or “I have questions about that.” For example, do not say, “I have a problem with that idea/person”; instead, say, “I object to that.” Or say, “There is a problem with that idea,” or “I see a problem in/with that,” or “I disagree with that idea,” or “I don’t like that person.” It might also mean “I am reluctant” or “I am hesitant.” In other words, there are many options that are much better and are considered acceptable usage. ☺ Do not use this word in place of the word “problems” or “trouble.” If a person has problems, do not say, “He has issues.” That is like pop psychology jargon, or what one might happily call “psychobabble.” It’s the sort of language a well-educated friend of mine calls “dogmeat English” (he is a very funny man). Just say, “He has problems,” or say, “He is troubled,” or even say, “He is experiencing trouble/turmoil.” ☺ Here’s a corollary relating this expression to the previous entry on this handout: for the same reasons you should not say or write “have a problem with,” do not say or write “have an issue with” or “have issues with.” ☺ This word was already gaining popularity when the movie //Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen// became a hit in 2004. Thanks to the movie, all hope of keeping this weak usage out of the language seemed to be temporarily lost; work with your friends to keep hope alive so that it is not permanently lose. People use it to mean “crisis/crises,” “social/emotional problems,” or “social/emotional trouble.” Do not use “drama” to mean these things. Use these other fine ways of saying what you want to say. Leave drama to the stage and screen and to written plays. Help this poor usage die the melodramatic death it deserves. ☺ Contrary to popular misconception, this expression means “to increase,” not “to step forward” or “to volunteer bravely” or “to take responsibility” (as in “to step up to the plate,” or as in to “fill a role” inadequately filled by others (i.e. “to succeed where others have failed”).) It is not acceptable as standard English, no matter how often you may have heard or seen it. You might say, “It is time to step up production” or “to step up our efforts.” That’s the right way to use “to step up.” Let’s step down hard on the incorrect uses of “step up” and grind it into the carpet, if not into oblivion. ☺ Just say, “My fault” or "I'm sorry." That’s what you mean, so that’s what you should say. This one is the classic example of “dogmeat English.” J Let’s just leave it at that. ☺ Never use this expression. This one also is “dogmeat English,” a poor substitute for perfectly good, clear wording that has been around a long time. This one should be put into a box that is then buried far, far away. It means to “be original,” “think unconventionally,” "try something unusual," “be creative,” or “be innovative.” Just say that, then. ☺ This is one of the ugliest, most misused expressions in our language. It is usually an attempt to sound sophisticated or intellectual when someone merely means "about" or "on" or "in" or "at" or "with regard to" or "as for" or "when it comes to" or some other simple and correct word or phrase. "In terms of" applies correctly only in very specific circumstances, and they are rare. For example, in math (geometry, perhaps, or coordinate geometry?), a concept might be defined //in terms of// points or //in terms of// lines. The expression is correct there because points or lines are the **//terms//** used to define the concepts. The concepts are defined **//in those terms//**. Do not **//ever//** say/write something horrible like "let me explain in terms of your project." What's wrong with saying, "Let me explain your project"? Can you believe someone would actually say, "He's very good in terms of rebounding" instead of "He's very good at rebounding," or "In terms of Jerry, he's going to be late," instead of "As for Jerry, he's going to be late" or "Jerry's going to be late"? The best course to pursue is never to use this expression at all until you come to a very deep, thoughtful understanding of its correct usage. We can list examples like the repulsive ones above //ad infinitum//, whereas what we should do instead is confine this horrible misuse of our language to the infinite recesses of deep space. Never use this by itself when it should be followed by "is concerned." If you hear it used that way, at the very least you should say, "Aargh"; at the very most, you should vomit. ☺ For example, if someone says, "As far as our headmaster, this idea is terrible," that is very, very wrong. Say, "As far as our headmaster is concerned, this idea is terrible" or (even better) "Our headmaster thinks this idea is terrible." (Sometimes when people use this they really mean "as for," which is has uses similar to those of "as far as . . . is concerned." For example, someone might say, "Your concert is at six o'clock, but as far as our concert, it's at eight" instead of "Your concert is at six o'clock, but as for our concert, it's at eight.") You will hear people make these mistakes frequently; do not be deceived and do not descend to those levels. Frequently misused to mean "ideas" or "opinions" or "views" or "contributions" or something similar. Do not use it that way. Use it only with regard to computers, which is where it belongs. Instead of saying, "Please give us your input on this matter," say, "Please give us your opinions/ideas/views on this matter." Do not say, "Thank you for your input"; say, "Thank you for your contributions or views (or whatever it is)." The best place to **//put//** input is into a paper shredder. This is ugly, faddish English that really is slang. If what you mean is "do the calculations" or "do the figuring" or "figure it out," then say that. Never say this. This is just plain wrong. The idiom in English is "based on." "Based off" sounds pretentious and illogical. By the same token, do not say "runs off" when you mean "runs on," as in "this car runs on gasoline," not "this car runs off gasoline." Avoid these as if they were language viruses, which they are. The way people use "stressed" is almost always wrong. Unless you're talking about a part of something built by engineers or construction workers that is handling a heavy load or a big force, don't use it. If you're tempted to use it (or "stressing"), what you really want is "worried" or "under stress" or "feeling stress." Use those instead. "Stressed out" is slang. Don't use it at all. Follow these instructions and you will feel less stress in your life as you try to express yourself well. ☺ Do not use "fight" when you mean "argument." A fight is a physical event; it means that people are striking each other. If what you mean is a verbal dispute or disagreement, use "argument." If you use fight instead, it sounds crass, and it's inaccurate. Fight against such poor usage. ☺ Don't use "attitude" to mean some kind of bad attitude (such as arrogant attitude, nasty attitude, cranky attitude, uncooperative attitude). Say what type of attitude it is. An attitude can be positive or negative. Thus, just saying attitude does not necessarily mean you are referring to a bad attitude. To say, "He has an attitude," is not acceptable usage in writing or discussion and it's unclear. Worse still is saying something like "he is giving me attitude"; this is slang. Develop an attitude of conscientious usage on this one. ☺ This is very often used incorrectly. "Comprise" means "include" or "is made up of." Never say or write "is comprised of" when you mean "consists of." You also could use "comprises." For example, saying, "The UN is comprised of 130 member nations," you should say, "The UN consists of 130 member nations," or "The UN includes 130 member nations," or "The UN comprises 130 member nations." Improved usage in this case comprises several options. ☺ All too often misused by students to mean "wealth." "Status" implies that a person is at a certain social level; it does not necessarily equal wealth and if status includes wealth, that is not //all// it includes. If someone seeks status, he is consciously concerned about his image, about what people think of him. Impressing others is important to him. A person seeking wealth is not necessarily concerned about those things, is not necessarily seeking "social status." Only use "social status" if it precisely applies to the circumstances. If only wealth applies, just use "wealth" instead. Use this word as a noun and only very sparingly as an adjective. When people use it as an adjective, they mean "important," "crucial," "critical," "vital," or something like that. For example, you could say, "His intelligence is the key to his success," but it is not acceptable as standard usage to say, "His intelligence is key," or "Height is key for a basketball player." One of the keys to good writing is to use key correctly. When you use key as an adjective, there are very few locks into which it correctly fits. ☺ Students almost always misuse this word. Where they learned the word and its misuse is a mystery. They use it when they should "display", "illustrate," or "demonstrate." If you have the urge to use this word, please resist long enough to e-mail your teacher for advice or to ask him for advice in person at school. There are situations where "portray" fits, but students usually use it correctly only by accident.☺ Just as with "portray," students almost always misuse this word. Where they learned the word and its misuse is also a mystery. Usually when they misuse it, the word they really need is "feature," "characteristic," "trait," "quality," "element," "ingredient," or something similar. One special misuse that is common is the use of //aspects// instead of //respects//: a student may write that "the two characters are similar in many aspects" when the student should write that "the two characters are similar in many //respects//." Let's respect the difference. ☺ Using "help but" plus a verb instead of using "help -ing" is considered an inferior way of wording such a thought, as in "he couldn't help but cry" instead of "he couldn't help crying." The latter is smoother and better in many ways. Once someone points out the best way to express such a thought, it should be easy always to go with that way. "Help _-ing" becomes very natural, to the point that you won't be able to help using it. ☺ Beware. This sounds dangerously like pop psychology wording. If you mean that someone is putting a bad experience behind him, don't say, "He needs to move on" or "He should have moved on" or something like that. For a long time there have been acceptable ways to convey the idea with resorting to pop psychology language. For instance, you could say, "He needs to get on with his life" or "He needs to put it behind him." Use "move on" only where it specifically fits in a more literal way, such as in a situation when, for example, you are discussing items on an agenda and you have finished one item, at which time it makes sense to move on to the next agenda item. At this point, please move on to the next section of this document. ☺ This is an especially objectionable expression. If your goal in life is to work for Hallmark Cards and write greeting card text, then by all means practice using this expression. If you'd prefer to sound like someone with a mind of his/her own and an interest in developing language skill, please avoid it. If what you mean is "support," "console," "advise," "comfort," "provide advice for," "sympathize," "be available for," "be around to help," or something like that, please just say that. Besides, if you use "be there for," one might ask, "Where the heck is 'there'? Be where?" And that's the least of the reasons not to use this stomach-turning expression. If we read your writing and this expression is not in "there" (i.e. in your writing), we will be relieved. ☺ Please do not use this word as a verb. This incorrect usage has become very common recently and is usually the result of efforts to impress listeners or readers with intellectuality when it actually sounds pseudo-intellectual. J Use the word "refer," which has been used for centuries and is the perfect fit. No need to reach for more than "refer." Using "reference" as a noun is fine and correct; it also sometimes functions as an adjective, as in "a reference book" or "the reference section of the library." Let's consign the incorrect use of "reference" to the section of the library where the paper shredder is.☺ This is a pretentious phrase that is also overused. If you mean "to balance things out" or "to make circumstances fair" or "to create an equal chance," say something like that instead and your words will be just fine. Unless your goal is to sound like a semi-literate ESPN anchor or a semi- literate politician, please avoid this phrase.☺ Greatly overused, this phrase has the flavor of jargon to it and there are fine, literate alternatives to it. Don't use it. It means "raise standards" or "raise expectations"; use those instead, unless, of course, you are a competitive high-jumper. If you are, then by all means raise the bar, which might lead to victory. Outside of track and field, using this phrase leads away from victory in communication or literacy. ☺ Badly misused (frequently) to mean “problem,” “trouble,” or “crisis,” as in the horrible sentence, “We have a situation here.” (Cue sound of vomiting here.) A situation is any set of circumstances, not just circumstances that mean trouble. Don’t ever use the word //situation// when you mean //problem// or //trouble// or //crisis//. If you do, your writing or speaking will //really// have a problem. ☺ Recently people have begun to misuse this to mean “feel” or “feel that,” as in “I feel like it is a profound story.” This is just plain wrong. Wrong. The problem has reached epidemic levels. If you want to sound like a redneck NASCAR driver, go ahead and continue to misuse this expression (“Ah feel like the car ran real good out there today”). Instead, you just need to say “I feel that” or “I feel,” as in “I feel that it is a profound story” or “I feel it is a profound story” (or use "I think" instead of //feel// in those expressions). Use “feel like” when you feel like a certain thing that is a noun, as in “I feel like an idiot,” which is what you should say after you use “feel like” incorrectly. ☺ This poor usage is spreading like a rancid infection. If you don’t want to sound like illiterate professional athletes (and coaches), besides just NASCAR drivers, and the increasingly illiterate pseudo-journalists who cover them and are actually beginning to mimic the athletes (it should be the other way around, shouldn’t it?), then continue to use this idiotic error. Should that occur, lovers of the English language will feel like jumping off the nearest bridge, and you probably don’t want that on your conscience. ☺
 * **“have a problem with”**
 * **“issues”**
 * **“drama”**
 * **“step up”**
 * **“my bad”**
 * **“think outside the box”**
 * **"in terms of"**
 * **"as far as"**
 * **"input"**
 * **"do the math"**
 * **"based off"**
 * **"stressed, stressed out, stressing"**
 * **"fight/argument"**
 * **"attitude"**
 * **"comprised of"**
 * **"social status"**
 * **"key"**
 * **"portray"**
 * **“aspect”**
 * **“help but”**
 * **“move on”**
 * **"be there for"**
 * **"reference"**
 * **"level the playing field"**
 * **"raise the bar"**
 * **"situation"**
 * **"feel like"**

Use of this word as a verb has become so rampant—not unlike the spread of the Black Plague in its time—that it deserves to be in a separate handout, and it is. :) Use of “impact” as a verb is not yet considered acceptable by a sufficient number of language authorities. Do not use it that way. Even worse is to transform it into the bastardized adjective “impactful”; there is no such word. :) //For more on this word, please consult the above entitled “//Language Advice Relevant to the Present Day//.”// ☺
 * __A Special Case__**
 * **“impact”**

Adopt high language standards and do your best to maintain them. ☺ Remember this definition of “culture”: the way we do things here. Remember that this means we have standards and strive to stick to them no matter what others are doing. If you have language questions, seek out authorities you think will be reliable sources of answers. ☺
 * __Overall Comments__** ☺