[Jill Malcolm]

One of the never ending tasks of writing is expanding your vocabulary and clearly understanding what words mean so that you use them correctly.

The use of ‘concrete’ nouns and adjectives bring clarity to writing. By that I mean using the correct more descriptive term or word in a situation.  ( e.g. instead of building, use high-rise, bungalow, shack,  apartment etc). To do this you need to first find what you think is the right word and then make sure you know it’s meaning.

Here are a few words to use instead of ‘hill’ (which used on its own is a loose term and does not paint much of a picture for a reader):

knoll, hummock, hillock, tuffet, mesa, ridge,  mound, dome, tor, cone, dune ….. I am sure you can think of others.