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Literary Variance in Business Writing
What Is Literary Variance?
Applying "literary variance" means using difference words for the same thing.Deliberate repetition in business writing can be impactful, but using the same word over and over again can make writing dull.
Applying literary variance means using different words for the same thing to keep your writing interesting. Here is an example with a lack of literary variance:
- Lee struggles to cast beyond 50m, so Lee does not catch many bass.
Achieve Literary Variance with a Thesaurus
Usually, the easiest way to achieve literary variance is with a thesaurus. Look at this example:- Thank you for your cooperation. The task would have failed without your cooperation.
- Thank you for your assistance. The task would have failed without your cooperation.
Add Literary Variance at the End
Remember that you don't have to achieve literary variance as you're typing. Just use the same word and then let your thesaurus earn its living. (Make sure you know what the word you pick means, though. Sometimes, the thesaurus's synonym, i.e., the word that's supposed to mean the same as the one you're checking, is not a synonym at all.)Here's another example with a possible lack of literary variance:
- Are you happy to be alive? If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of payments.
Format, Word Choice, and Grammar
The effectiveness of your document will also be determined by the following:- The format
- The titles and paragraphs
- Your diction (the types of word you use)
- Your word choice
- Your grammar
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
- Do you know a bias or fallacy that we've missed?