Clarity, Part 1

The four sections I chose to read were Mixed Constructions, Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers, Emphasis, and Wordy Sentences.

Mixed Constructions taught me some important lessons. Overall I found that my writing tends to avoid the mistakes documented in this section. However, I found the subsection on avoiding is when, is where, and reason...is to be very helpful. I tend to stay away from these constructions, but I was not aware that they are frowned upon for formal writing.

In the section entitled "Misplaced and entangled Modifiers' I found the section on awkwardly placed modifiers to be quite helpful I am guilty of adding lengthy modifiers between a subject and its verb, which often causes my writing to sound strange. This section clearly outlinen this issue and now I am quite aware of the mistake I have been making.

Of all the sections I read, I found "Emphasis" to be the most useful. I often struggle when I try to communicate the ideas I believe are important. This section helped me understand a myriad of techniques that I can use to emphasize important ideas. I am particularly fond of using choppy sentences rather than choosing to subordinate or coordinate clauses, but I can work on combining ideas to let my work flow smoothly

In the past I have struggled with wordy sentences. Because of this, I have taken a lot of care to eliminate any phrases or clauses that are not concise. This section will definitely help me to continue reflecting on the effectiveness of my writing.