Appendices 33
Repair words In spoken language we often use what we might call ‘repair’ words
to patch up sentences that are going wrong. We can get away with a lot in spoken
language, because we can hear the tone of voice and the pauses while the speaker is
struggling for the right way of saying what he or she means. But in the written word
it just results in a mess. Here is a list of the most common repair words: regard (as
in ‘as regards’ or ‘in regard to’); terms (as in ‘in terms of’); aspect; issue or situa-
tion; relation (as in ‘in relation to’); compared with or to (‘if we look at elephants
we find that they are large compared to lions’ rather than ‘elephants are larger than
lions’); address, embrace, and resolve (usually ‘issues’ get these); relative; former
and latter; basically.
I’m not suggesting that these are not legitimate words, but rather that authors
use them to fudge things when they can’t really work out what they are trying to
say. Take, for example, the sentence, ‘One issue that has to be resolved is the issue
of housing for low-income people’. The writer is trying to hint that there is some
problem with housing for this group, perhaps price, perhaps availability, perhaps
the whole political system that makes it nearly impossible for them to get decent
houses. Unfortunately, it says nothing clearly, and revision is required. For some
phrases such as in terms of or with regard to reconstruction may be quite simple:
reversing the sentence order, or changing from passive voice to active voice. But
for that word issue you will have to take the time to say what you really want to say.
Often you will need two or three sentences to do this. Using the word issue is just a
way of avoiding the labour of stating clearly what you want to say.
Misused words These are words that have a strict definition, which is then used in
a metaphorical sense related to their original meaning. Here are a few of my favou-
rites, but there are many others: parameter; focus; scenario; viable; empowerment;
situation;highlight; core; explore; stem; paradigm; mainstream; significant; key;
ramifications; aspect; facet; huge; immense.
There is nothing wrong with these words, but if you use them metaphorically, do
so in a way that is consistent with their original meaning. Take, for example, high-
light. The dictionary meaning (Webster) is ‘the lightest spot or area in a painting’.
The metaphorical meaning is ‘an event or detail of major significance’. Use it only
in this second sense. Another example is viable. The dictionary meaning is ‘capable
of living’. The metaphorical meaning is ‘capable of existence and development as
an independent unit’. Don’t stray beyond this second meaning. When in doubt, look
it up in the dictionary.
Appendices
Appendices or annexes, as we can tell from the derivation of the two words, are
things appended or tacked on to the main text of a report or thesis. They do not
participate in the main thread of argument, but have been included to support it in
some way. They might establish the context of an item in the main text, or give the
derivation of an equation. They are often used as a repository for raw data. They