How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

?In Paul Roberts essay â€Å"How to Say Nothing in 500 Words† he gives us nine tips that we can use to be a more productive writer. The first is to â€Å"Avoid the obvious† in which we should make a list of the things that immediately come to mind and not use them in your writing. Second he says that you should â€Å"Take the less usual side† which most people will avoid. He also mentions that trying to predict what the teacher wants is not a good way to choose a topic. Third is to â€Å"Slip out of abstraction† by not using vague topics but to go into detail instead.Number four says to â€Å"Get rid of the obvious padding† by beginning with more real content so you don’t have to add fluff. The fifth is â€Å"Call a fool a fool† meaning that you should get to the point and not be apologetic. The sixth is to â€Å"Beware of pat expressions† which are common phrases that everybody uses. Next is to use â€Å"Colorful words† to paint a picture or cause an emotion. In number eight he says to use â€Å"Colored words† which have associations either good or bad that are common to us from past experiences. Finally he warns against using too many â€Å"Colorless words† which have been utilized so much that the meanings have been diminished.I agree with what Paul has written because I have made each one of these mistakes, especially trying to find as many words as possible to fill up a page. I found that he used examples in a way that made his points clear and easy to understand. The text is a little dated but well written with the exception of some spelling and grammar mistakes. In one sentence that stood out to me, he used every one of the â€Å"colorless words† that he had listed, which was barely understandable. I plan on using the ideas from this essay in my future writing in hopes that I will not get a grade of â€Å"D. †