Chapter Summary
The fundamental element of the message is the word; choosing words begins the process. The ability to choose precise words to express your thoughts is essential in both written and oral communication. Your communications will be clear and effective if you choose simple, concise, appropriate, correct, positive, and specific words.

In Chapter 2, you will begin examining the writing process and looking at specific techniques that will help you choose the appropriate words for your writing.

The Chapter 2 online resources will reinforce and enhance your study. You can begin your explorations by choosing one of the Chapter 2 links.

Online Exercise Links

Dictionary and Thesaurus Web sites

OneLook Dictionaries
http://www.onelook.com/

Dictionary.com
http://www.dictionary.com/

yourDictionary.com
http://www.yourdictionary.com/

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus
http://www.m-w.com/

Wordsmyth
http://www.wordsmyth.net/

Webopedia
http://www.webopaedia.com

Voycabulary
http://www.voycabulary.com/

Roget's Thesaurus
http://www.thesaurus.com

Additional Learning Links

Homophones
ftp://svr-ftp.eng.cam.ac.uk/pub/comp.speech/dictionaries/homophones-1.01.txt

A lengthy list of homophones is made available by anonymous FTP from the comp.speech archive site at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.

Merriam-Webster OnLine
http://www.m-w.com/

Search Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary or WWWebster Thesaurus for help with using words properly and effectively.

One Look Dictionaries
http://www.onelook.com/

This is a one-stop site for searching generalized or specialized online dictionaries.

Pack Every Word with POWER
http://www.careerlab.com/art_powr.htm

CareerLab, a consulting firm that provides career management and job-search advice for senior executives and top professionals, offers this advice for choosing "power words" for business letters.

The Power of Words
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~taflinge/words.html

The denotative and connotative meaning of words are explored in this article by Richard F. Taflinger.

Roget's Internet Thesaurus
http://www.thesaurus.com

Search Roget's Thesaurus to choose the word or expression that best fits your meaning.

Writing for Government, Business, and Industry
http://condor.stcloud.msus.edu/~scogdill/339/339html.html

Sharon Cogdill teaches a Writing for Government, Business, and Industry course in the English Department of St. Cloud University, Minnesota. Political correctness in writing, word choice, and developing ideas are some of the lessons available on her Web site.

eFlashcards
Review chapter terms and definitions with eFlashcards.

Crossword Puzzle
Sharpen your knowledge of chapter terms and concepts with an interactive crossword.

Practice Test
Test your understanding of the chapter material with a self-scoring Practice Test.

The interactive activities above require the Macromedia Shockwave plug-in for your browser. If you do not have this feature, you can download it now.

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