As a college student, it is likely that you have taken at least one composition class as part of your required curriculum. In those classes, you were most likely told to avoid the use of cliches in essays because they date quickly and often do not express original thoughts or ideas.
In addition to being repetitive and boring, using cliches can also undermine your credibility as a writer and make it difficult for readers to take your work seriously. While there are many phrases that we might like to think we made up on our own, we probably didn’t – chances are good that we’ve heard something similar somewhere before. Because phrases such as “rule of thumb” or “raining cats and dogs” (yes, this phrase actually does exist) have been around for so long and in such common usage, they may not come across as fresh or original to readers.
The purpose of an academic paper is to convey information or describe a body of knowledge from one person to another through the use of words. In doing this, it is important that you express your own thoughts and ideas, not simply repeat phrases created by others. By avoiding cliches in your writing, you will make yourself stand out from other students who are all struggling to give their professor something new to think about.
You should also avoid using clichés because they weaken the impact of your writing by watering down its strength and clarity. This can be especially frustrating if you’re working on a paper that’s part of a larger assignment, such as writing a dissertation. This means that you will be expected to produce several papers in addition to your final project, and each of those papers must meet certain standards in order for you to pass the class or obtain your degree. So every paper counts; there is no room for mistakes in any of them, including cliches!
Remember, when you use the words “no pain, no gain,” there is nothing about either “pain” or “gain” that makes this phrase stand out from other similar expressions. To make it original and interesting for readers, try something like: “No effort goes unrewarded.” By providing us with new information instead of just restating old ideas, you’re making an important contribution to your readers. This will help you to improve your chances of standing out from other students and completing all of your work successfully.
It’s important to remember that many academic papers are read by more than one person, so even if you think you’ve made up a new phrase or written something for the first time, there is always the chance that somebody else will have said it before. If this happens, then whoever reads your paper will immediately recognize that you didn’t come up with anything on your own – thereby undermining your credibility as a writer and possibly even providing an unfair advantage to others. The bottom line: use common phrases sparingly – if at all – in order to maintain a professional appearance.
If possible, try rewriting any cliches that you do use in order to make them more original. For example, instead of using the expression “the sky’s the limit,” try something like: “Your possibilities are endless.” In other words, by making small changes to phrases that we normally hear all the time, you can turn them into something new and interesting for your readers.
In conclusion, it is often best to avoid cliches when writing because they tend not to be very original. This means that they will not communicate new information or ideas. In addition, clichés weaken the impact of a paper because they tend to water down its strength and clarity. Finally, by avoiding cliches in your papers you will also help your professor(s) take you more seriously as an original thinker with something new to say.
By avoiding cliches when writing, you will make your papers more interesting and prepare them for greater success!