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Everyday Writing Workshop - Just Use It!

12/1/2013

 
Welcome to the writing workshop, a weekly series of tips to help everyday writers sharpen their messaging. For our first feature, we're going to take aim at a personal pet peeve: Just use it!

There is a common societal misconception that the more syllables the word has, the more articulate it seems. This leads to the rampant misuse of words like UTILIZE in blog posts and publications everywhere. I'm looking at YOU, technical manuals! Utilize is not a fancier version of use, it has its own very specific meaning. 

You are UTILIZING something when it is being used for something other than its intended purpose. When you USE a large kitchen knife to dice vegetables, you're using it. When you UTILIZE the back of that same knife to whack a jar to loosen the lid, you're utilizing it. 

Now go forth and USE the word UTILIZE correctly!

Check back next Sunday for another tip to tighten up your writing. 
Beth link
12/1/2013 12:55:01 am

I think I'm gonna (you could dedicate an entire month of Sundays to the inappropriateness of THAT word!) like it here. ;O)

PROD Communications link
12/3/2013 09:27:10 pm

Thanks Beth! I think it will be cathartic!


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    Julia Warrender is a member of the Canadian Association of Marketing Professionals (CAMP) and a Hubspot Inbound Marketing certified professional.

    ​She is also the owner of PROD Communications. 

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