Answers and Explanations

Avoiding Slang and Colloquialism Practice Set

  1. Gertrude has excelled as a salesperson for almost thirty years.

    The tone in the unrevised sentence is too informal. Do not try to make your writing sound like spoken language; the spoken and formal written registers are very different. Always spell out words in their entirety.

  2. Normal human beings cannot tolerate repeated humiliation.

    Avoid contractions wherever possible.