Before we start talking about the question of the famous clichés in text productions, let's see the following excerpt:
"In the world we live in, violence is increasing more and more. Nowadays, the good citizen can no longer walk the streets without being afraid. It is necessary that the rulers take measures to end this evil that is plaguing the country. Mayors, governors and the president need to be aware that the situation cannot remain as it is. Last but not least, it is also important that people do their part, avoiding certain behaviors that make them vulnerable to violence."
Are you an attentive reader? By reading the above paragraph, were you able to identify your main flaw? At first glance it doesn't seem to have any problems, it's well written, it obeys the main grammatical rules, besides being in accordance with the principles of coherence and cohesion. However, after a more careful reading, it is possible to observe that the fragment lacks content, proving that grammatical correction is not always enough to make a good text text.
This type of failure is very common, found to exhaustion in college entrance exams essays and much criticized by professors and proofreaders. The paragraph you read is filled with cliches, ready-made phrases and common sense, elements that should be avoided in a text, especially in the dissertation-argumentative texts. In this textual type, the candidate needs to defend a thesis with good arguments, and good arguments cannot be built on fragile foundations, do you agree? It is necessary to be original and avoid the temptation to resort to ready-made formulas, “linguistic crutches” that impoverish a text, emptying it of meaning.
To help you eliminate this language addiction, Brazil School brings writing tips important for those who want to achieve a proficient writing and free from commonplaces, elements that denounce a lack of cultural repertoire and transform the text into a jumble of uninteresting words. We hope you enjoy reading, taking advantage of the tips and... good studies!
How to avoid using clichés?
Clichés, common sense and ready-made phrases. To avoid these elements, learn how to identify them in the text:
1. What is common sense?
As a result of individual experiences, common sense is the way most people think. This empirical knowledge is usually based on naive observations of reality that are deprived of reflection and problematization and that circulate in society with status of absolute, incontrovertible truths. Statements such as "women can't drive", "men are no good", "Muslims are terrorists", "Jews are greedy", "all Brazilian likes carnival and football”, among other stereotypes, in addition to being prejudiced, denounce a certain linguistic laziness of those who reproduce them, after all, it is easier to resort to ready-made formulas than to risk thinking differently from the majority, no and even? Well, know that it is time to abolish common sense, not only from your texts, but also from your life.
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2. What are ready-made sentences?
In the paragraph that starts this article, you can find good examples of ready-made sentences. Can you identify them? Note which are: In the world we live in and last but not least. In addition to these, there are many others (it is worth remembering that the popular sayings also fit the concept of ready-made sentences): “hope is the last to die”, “haste is the enemy of perfection”, “close with a golden key”, “back to square one” etc. If you wrote a text and resorted to this resource so worn out, do the following exercise: rewrite it by eliminating the ready-made sentences. You will notice that they will not be necessary for the good development of ideas, as they are absolutely unnecessary linguistic excesses. In non-literary texts, always prefer conciseness and objectivity.
3. What are the so-called “expressions”?
Another widely used feature that should be avoided. Expressions are not always said the same way, but they represent very similar ideas. Let's go back to the opening paragraph to illustrate this flaw: “governors need to take action” and “mayors, governors and president need to be aware”. In a newsroom like Enem, for example, in which the candidate must present a proposal for intervention at the conclusion of the text, expressions like these are expressly prohibited, since, in addition to being empty in their meaning, they denounce the candidate's inability to present viable solutions for the problem. To avoid them, get to know other examples: “the environment needs to be preserved”, “violence increases more and more”, “if we all collaborate, we will live in a better world” etc.
To write a good text, you need to be original, and that doesn't mean you need to present theses and arguments. crazy things, but that you need to learn to reflect and discuss the proposed theme before starting to write. Good ideas don't come by chance! Remember that good writers are, necessarily, good readers, and nothing better than reading to broaden horizons and eliminate common sense.
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
