How To Say Nothing in 500 Words

How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

By: Paul Roberts

In this story “How to Say nothing In 500 Words.” Paul Roberts gives instructions with different examples to help college students learn how to write a good essay. In this story he talks about how an essay by a college student is boring. He gives different examples on how a writer should avoid creating a boring essay. One example Roberts use is don’t just fill the papers with just words, or other rewordings use important information to reach your goal word count. When you do this, it turns a boring topic into an interesting and fun essay for the audience. The author also talks about colorless words that they are words we use in everyday conversations, colorless words use are nothing and how student also use every day slang adjectives. (Roberts 326-327) He also added in their colorful words which means finding the right word in the right place, writers often struggle with this, he gives many examples of colored words. Roberts use this example, “instead of using “Her heart beat.” We may write “Her heart pounded, throbbed, fluttered or danced.”(Roberts Page 325)

I agree with the author on how we write essays, I must say everything he wrote in this story is true for me. I often have a hard time trying to figure out what words fit where to make complete sense of the sentences or paragraphs. I also just fill my paper with words and paraphrasing instead of using the actual important information that will keep my readers attention. I also use colorless words that I use in everyday conversations and I also use every day slang adjectives. I believe if I follow his advice on how to say nothing in 500 words I will be a better writer than I am right now. This story should be read by all Composition 101 students it will help them think about their choice of words when actually writing a 500 word essay.

Citation

Roberts, Paul. "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words." Trans. Array The Longman Reader. Judith Nadell, John Langan and . 9th Edition. New York, NY: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2009 - 2010. 515-517. Print.