Overusing the word 'belonging'? (1 Viewer)

[mpkd]

Should we limit ourselves to using the word belonging in an essay, speech etc? For example, I've used the word belonging in a speech of 1000 words 9 times, is that too much?

 

[anomalousdecay]

No. If its anything more than 3% of your essay then yes its too much.

However, too fix this don't do this: "Therefore the two people belonged."

Do this: "Therefore, the two people chose to connect through a common identity/memory to each other and thus felt a sense of belonging."

 

[strawberrye]

You should ideally be using alternative words for belonging and not belonging in your essays/speech written in the area of study-belonging, the reason being by using alternative vocabulary-you are showing the marker you understand the versatility of belonging-in that it can be the expression of individuality, the cultivation of a sense of communal solidarity, it can involve cultural estrangement/diaspora, social seclusion/alienation and etc... try to replace the synonyms with the words 'belonging' or 'not belonging'- and you will see a big difference in the variety and complexity of your expression of your ideas. You should check with your teachers to see whether she will prefer the use of alternative words, but in the long run, for any future modules, try to avoid the overuse of a particular word associated with that module in any essay or assessment task you do.

 

[QZP]

No. If its anything more than 3% of your essay then yes its too much.

However, too fix this don't do this: "Therefore the two people belonged."

Do this: "Therefore, the two people chose to connect through a common identity/memory to each other and thus felt a sense of belonging."

30 times?

 

[anomalousdecay]

You should ideally be using alternative words for belonging and not belonging in your essays/speech written in the area of study-belonging, the reason being by using alternative vocabulary-you are showing the marker you understand the versatility of belonging-in that it can be the expression of individuality, the cultivation of a sense of communal solidarity, it can involve cultural estrangement/diaspora, social seclusion/alienation and etc... try to replace the synonyms with the words 'belonging' or 'not belonging'- and you will see a big difference in the variety and complexity of your expression of your ideas. You should check with your teachers to see whether she will prefer the use of alternative words, but in the long run, for any future modules, try to avoid the overuse of a particular word associated with that module in any essay or assessment task you do.

This is ok, but just be careful. My teacher told me that if someone is going to mark your paper at night and is very tired, you need to make it obvious that you know how to link belonging to the question and the texts prescribed/related. This would require the use of "belonging" a fair bit.

30 times?

I said that because for my essays, it would only be around 25 times. For other people who do 1600 words, then obviously 48. It should be in proportion, just like how your thesis should be 100% of your argument and should resonate in every paragraph.

 

[Amaranth_]

There are many ways to get around this, experiment with different phrasing and sentence structure. Doing this will not only ensure you don't overuse words, but also allow you to develop a deeper analysis within your text and increase sophistication.

 

[angrycookies]

well, you don't there are times when you can use other alternative words for "belonging" as it would prove you know the concept more profoundly.

here's a list of alternate words instead of belonging.

"http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/english/esl/belonging/3692/Educating%20Rita/vocabulary_poster.pdf"

 

[bounce9]

My teacher always says that you should use other words most of the time but throw in the word "belonging" or "belong" occasionally in case the marker doesn't pick up on your synonyms.

 

[Ironist]

Using the word 'belonging' is as important as using the key words of the question that you're answering. So long as you're showing an in-depth exploration of 'belonging', and thus illustrating that you actually know what you mean by 'belonging', there's no need to saturate your essay with the word. Similarly, using the key words of the question over and over again is the equivalent of a B-Range attempt at answering the question. To get into the A-Range (13-15/15 or 17-20/20), you need to show the examiner that you're actually exploring themes of belonging, instead of just providing some general analysis and tacking on the words 'sense of belonging' to the end of it.

For reference's sake, I state ranked English with a 1400 word long essay that used the word 'belonging' 23 times - but I used the word 8 times in the introduction (on reflection that might have been overkill), and 3 times in the conclusion.