CONCRETE AND SPECIFIC LANGUAGE A key characteristic of effective writing is employing concrete and specific language. It's important to understand what is meant by abstract and concrete language and also by general and specific language. Concrete language includes descriptions that create tangible images with details the reader can visualize. Abstract language is vague and obscure, and does not bring to mind specific visual images. Consider the statements on the screen. The first statement at the top is a bstract, butthe second becomes increasingly concrete and specific. (THIS WILL BE IN AN OPEN WORD FILE) ABSTRACT: To excel in college, you’ll have to work hard. CONCRETE: To excel in college, you’ll need to do go to ev ery class; do all your reading before you go; write several drafts of each paper; and review your notes for each class weekly. In descriptive narrative prose, like the Literacy Narrative, writers often use sensory details that are very low on the scale of abstraction. Note how shiftin g down the scales improves the vividness of the following passage: (THIS WILL BE IN AN OPEN WORD FILE) ABSTRACT: The awkward, badly dressed professor stood at the front of the room. CONCRETE: At the front of the room stood th e professor, a tall, gawky man with inch-thick glasses, a wispy beard, an old brown-striped jacket, burgundy and gray plaid pants, and a green tie with blue koalas. Question for class : what have we done here? What is the diff erence between the two sentences? Which is mor e effective? Why is that import ant? Notice how much more effective the statements become as the language becomes more specific and concrete. The statements at the top, which are more abstract, can be interpreted in many possible ways, and leave many questions answered. The statements at the bottom, which are more concrete, are less open to multiple interpretations.
