Summary of How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

Jason Lowbridge

Professor Jerome M. McKeever

English 1010

17 October 2012

Word Count 559

 

In 1956, Professor Paul McHenry Roberts wrote an essay entitled How to Say Nothing in 500 Words. Professor Roberts states that although the subjects or topics may change through the years, “the principles of good writing should remain constant” (Roberts). He lays out a number of important recommendations and suggestions to assist a writer in successfully developing an essay.

Professor Roberts suggests that a writer avoid writing what everybody expects them to write about. Take the road less traveled and choose a path that the reader would not expect. Additionally, he recommends that the writer chooses the unpopular side of the argument. He believes that by doing this, the piece may actually be easier to write.

Further, Professor Roberts proposes that the writer not just lay out the facts, but give examples. Facts, or the obvious, may be dull and boring to the reader, giving examples may enlighten the reader and make the point stronger. Also boring to the reader are abstractions. Professor Roberts warns the writer to avoid abstraction. Like dull and boring facts, generalities will also do nothing more than bore the reader. After the writer states a fact, he should follow it up with example and really illustrate the facts. Illustration will strengthen the writers facts.

Professor Roberts wants the writer to remove the extra words that are in the paper. He refers to this as padding a paper. By this he means that a writer is usually trying to put in as much as he can to reach that 500 word limit assigned to him by his professor. In attempting to reach the word limit, the writer is adding extra words without adding any extra content. Professor Roberts suggests that to meet the 500 words, without padding sentences, just add that extra content. State the facts and then prove them. He believes that by doing this, the writer will more than meet the word limit.

Professor Roberts suggests that the writer just say it like it is. Avoid phrases like “In my opinion” or ‘the way I see it.” Call it like it is. In addition, Professor Roberts wants writers to avoid what he calls “pat expressions” as often as possible (Roberts). He claims that there is no way to avoid them all together, but the writer should really limit their use. Pat expressions are phrases like “all things being equal.”  

Concluding his suggestions and recommendations, Professor Roberts explains the difference and the importance of using colored, colorful and colorless words. By using colored words he suggests that the writer be careful to use the right words in the right place. By putting them in the right place, colorful words can create a picture or tell a story. They are meant to bring about emotion. Similarly, colorful words can also provoke an emotion response. Colorful words are those words that can have either a bad or good meaning. Finally, Professor Roberts talks of colorless words, which he believes are words that give a writer the hardest time. Colorless words are stagnate words that offer very little to a description. They are basically meaningless words and lack any potency in a paper.

Works Cited

Roberts, Paul McHenry. How to Say Nothing in 500 Words. 1956. Print.