A Dictionary and Thesaurus: a Writer's Most Important Tools

A writer is sitting at his desk trying to work on an article that is due tomorrow. He knows what he wants to say, but he just can not seem to put it into words. He decides to pull out his trusty thesaurus to try to find the right words to convey his message. The writer finds some words that he thinks will fit perfectly into his article, but he is not sure, because they are outside his vocabulary. The writer consults his dictionary to make sure that the words he has found actually describe the meaning he is trying to convey. After consulting his most important tools, the writer completes his article, and is very happy with his finished product, and so is his editor.

A dictionary is a great tool for any writer’s arsenal that can expand your vocabulary, and help you find the words that you need when you are writing. You definitely want to pull out your dictionary when you think that a word will fit in your writing, but you are not quite sure about the word’s meaning. Also the dictionary can help you see different ways to use a word, or different meanings for the same word. You have to be careful sometimes, because many words have multiple meanings, and readers might be confused about the meaning of the word the writer was trying to use.

A thesaurus is another very important tool for every writer to have on hand when writing. A thesaurus gives synonyms for words, which means that it gives you a choice of multiple different words that have a very similar meaning to the word you looked up. This can be very helpful when you are trying to spice up your writing. Every writer can get stuck in a rut by using the same words in many of their pieces. A thesaurus will combat this by giving you a plethora of different words to use. Without using a thesaurus your writing will become very dull and redundant. With a dictionary and a thesaurus by your side, you should be able to accomplish any task.