[Instructors: This activity works well as a quick change-of-pace exercise with the entire class or in small groups to revise the jargon. We’ve included some suggested responses, but your students will likely come up with different solutions. Have fun!]

 

Good communicators know the best way to convey meaning is by using clear, concise language rather than corporate jargon and trendy phrases.

Replace the words and phrases below with more direct language that avoids clichés.

1. Deep dive
2. Outside the box
3. Pivot
4. Honestly
5. Reach out
6. Circle back
7. Low-hanging fruit
8. Rock star
9. Face time (as in Devote face time to an issue.)
10. Off the grid
11. Guru
12. Spidey-sense
13. At the end of the day

Replacing Jargon with Plain English-Exercise

Replacing Jargon with Plain English-KEY

Intended for classroom use only–posting or wide distribution with authors’ permission only (c) The Guffey Team, 2023

Job search experts say a summary of two to three sentences at the top of a résumé shows hiring managers the type of position a candidate wants and is qualified for. Such a summary is preferable to a generic Objective.

For new graduates, good summaries avoid boilerplate jargon such as excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills and instead demonstrate specific, unique attributes: I am a first-generation graduate with experience working in an HR department 30 hours a week while maintaining a 3.2 GPA. I seek a position in Human Relations that will require my fine-tuned organizational and interpersonal skills. Summaries essentially showcase why the candidate applicant would be a valued employee in clear, concise prose.

For this exercise, pick an entry-level job for which you are qualified (you do not need to actually apply for the position and it need not be in your geographic region). Then identify one or two unique attributes that would make you an excellent hire. Write a summary paragraph of no more than three sentences that would help make you stand out to hiring managers.

 

 

[Instructors: Download PDFs of the exercise and separate answer key at the end of the post.]

Using the incorrect word can be embarrassing, but in English, the abundance of homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings) can make proper usage tricky. See if you can identify the correct words in the sentences below. If the word is used correctly, mark it with a C.

 

1. Premier/premiere

a)  One of the premiere singers of our time, Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, will return to the Los Angeles Opera for a recital.
b)  I saw former Disney CEO Michael Eisner at the premier of Bizet’s Carmen.
c)  Most soccer fans watch the English Premiere League.
d)  A prime minister is called a premier.

2. Capital/capitol

a)  The capitol of Colorado is Denver.
b)  The signs pointing to the capital building in Denver are misspelled.
c)  Sometimes workers are referred to as human capitol.
d)  Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto and Capital.

3. Exacted/extracted

a)  He felt betrayed, but he extracted his revenge by testifying against them in federal trials.
b)  Scientists extracted data from their large population study.
c)  An authoritarian business leader may exact absolute loyalty.
d)  The board exacted a confession from the officer who committed fraud.

4. Diffuse/defuse

a)  What could have been said or done that would diffuse the mess?
b)  The heat from the new furnace defused throughout the room.
c)  During the Age of Enlightenment, the ideas of liberty and equality were diffused throughout the western world.
d)  The platoon diffused the landmine.

4. Pared/paired

a)  Our department was asked to pare expenses due to the looming recession.
b)  People had accidentally collected too many items that could be paired down.
c)  My new office is smaller than the old one, and I paired down my equipment so it would all fit.
d)  The instructor paired students with partners for small-group work.

5. Dredge/drudge

a)  Resist the temptation to drudge up old history.
b)  The small vessel drudged the bottom of the harbor.
c)  Road crews drudged in the heat all day.
d)  The journalists dredged deeper to reveal new wrongdoing by city officials.

6. Divert/avert

a)  The car accident was so devastating she had to divert her eyes.
b)  If we could predict earthquakes, we might be able to avert disaster.
c)  Traffic had to be averted due to the obstruction in the road.
d)  After much thought we diverted funds to other worthwhile projects.

7. Sow/sew  

a)  Falling short of a high-profile goal would sew doubt during a public-health emergency.
b) Bad actors sow conflict and division among stakeholders.
c)  Modern farming is possible because farmers can plan a time to sow and a time to reap field crops.
d) The tailor sewed a pocket onto the garment.

8. All together/altogether

a)  The poorly written report was all together unacceptable.
b)  The Beatles song “Altogether Now” was included on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack.
c)  At the end of the night, some gamblers may have spent thousands of dollars all together.
d)  It’s best to steer clear of conflict in meetings all together.

9. Faring/fairing  

a)  The maps will help determine how each state, county, or country is fairing.
b)  When the motorcycle tipped over, the faring fell off.
c)  The accounting student wanted to know how she had fared on the CPA exam.
d)  The captain wanted to sail in fair weather only.

9. Baited/bated

a)  During a TV debate, the moderators were baiting a politician with thinly veiled insults.
b)  The law student awaited the results of the bar exam with baited breath.
c)  The hikers foolishly bated the bear until the animal attacked.
d)  Real-estate agents sometimes bait potential buyers by fudging the location, for example, by saying “Beverly Hills-adjacent.”

10. Due/do

a)  Since new smartphones can easily cost over $1,000, it’s no wonder that wireless customers are making due with their old phones longer than ever.
b)  Can you make due with $20 and I’ll Venmo you the rest tomorrow?
c)  The tech workers who just got fired were due a full month’s salary.
d)  The composer finally received the recognition she was due.

11. Baited/bated

a)  During a TV debate, the moderators were baiting a politician with thinly veiled insults.
b)  The law student awaited the results of the bar exam with baited breath.
c)  The hikers foolishly bated the bear until the animal attacked.
d)  Real-estate agents sometimes bait potential buyers by fudging the location, for example, by saying “Beverly Hills-adjacent.”

12. Due/do

a)  Since new smartphones can easily cost over $1,000, it’s no wonder that wireless customers are making due with their old phones longer than ever.
b)  Can you make due with $20 and I’ll Venmo you the rest tomorrow?
c)  The tech workers who just got fired were due a full month’s salary.
d)  The composer finally received the recognition she was due.

Demon Pairs Exercise

Demon Pairs_Answer Key