Synonyms

Use synonyms to make your writing vivid and precise. Note how a defining phrase makes this vague sentence more specific:

The firefighter used a pulaski to dig a trench around the barn.
The firefighter used a pulaski, a double-headed axe, to dig a trench around the barn.

Use correct pronoun reference to clarify your meaning and eliminate repetition. Note how a pronoun makes this repetitive sentence more concise:

Mary hoped that Mary’s friend Bob would be able to finish Bob’s report in time to attend the party at Mary and Bob’s school.
Mary hoped that her friend Bob would be able to finish his report in time to attend the party at their school.

Which sentence is specific and concise? For a first course, my mother decided to serve a bisque, something my mother loved to cook. Ben asked his sister to help Ben paint the pergola, a wooden arbor that Ben had built.