The concept of precision--being precise--is all around us. Advertisements urge us to buy precision watches--not just any watch. Automobile manufacturers brag about the precision engines in their high-performance cars. And companies from engineering firms to landscaping companies include the word precise in their brand names, hoping to communicate that they bring a high level of attention to the details of their business.
The formal definition of precise is "exact or specific." But what does it mean to write with precision? Simply put, more precise writing creates a clearer picture. When you choose the exact words for conveying what you see as the story's writer, your readers will imagine the same vivid images that you do.
The surest way to make your writing more precise is to use precise nouns and verbs rather than vague or general ones. After all, nouns and verbs are the backbone of any story--they describe who did what. The more specific you can be with nouns and verbs, the clearer your message will become. For example, don't say house if you mean mansion, or take if you mean grab.
Let's look at a sentence that could be written with a great deal more precision: Ani ran down the street. If the author had used more precise synonyms for the nouns and verbs in the sentence, it would look more like one of these:
Ani jogged down the lane.
Ani tore down the alley.
Ani sprinted down the highway.
Ani bounded down the trail.
Ani spurted down the racetrack.
The sentence Ani jogged down the lane creates a much different image than Ani tore down the alley. Each of these more precise sentences is likely to engage readers and help them imagine the events of the story more clearly and accurately.
Your use of precise nouns and verbs can even affect the tone of your writing. If you're not careful in selecting words, you may convey a feeling about the story that is not what you intend. Read the sentences below, which are so general that they don't give you any information at all. Click each sentence to see how precise verbs and nouns can change the mood of each sentence from positive to negative.
| General Sentence | Positive Tone | Negative Tone |
| Sue walked home. | Sue skipped home | Sue trudged home. |
| I looked at Ali. | I gazed at Ali. | I glared at Ali. |
| Jon gave me a ride in his truck. | Jon transported me in his new Silverado. | Jon nearly killed me in his bucket of bolts. |
| The bride carried a large bouquet of flowers. | The bride bore a tasteful bouquet of pure-white lilies. | The bride lugged a motley bouquet of half-dead blossoms. |
