Wikipedia:Writing better articles

5 days ago 4

Colloquial, emphatic, or poetic language: Copy edits

← Previous revision		Revision as of 02:48, 5 July 2025
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	==== Colloquial, emphatic or poetic language<span id="WPCOLLOQUIAL"></span><span id="WPCONVERSATIONAL"></span><span id="WPEMPHATIC"></span><span id="WPFORMAL"></span><span id="WPINFORMAL"></span><span id="WPPOETIC"></span> ====		==== Colloquial, emphatic, or poetic language<span id="WPCOLLOQUIAL"></span><span id="WPCONVERSATIONAL"></span><span id="WPEMPHATIC"></span><span id="WPFORMAL"></span><span id="WPINFORMAL"></span><span id="WPPOETIC"></span> ====
	{{shortcut\|WP:COLLOQUIAL\|WP:COLLOQUIALISM\|WP:EMPHATIC\|WP:FORMAL\|WP:INFORMAL\|WP:POETIC}}		{{shortcut\|WP:COLLOQUIAL\|WP:COLLOQUIALISM\|WP:EMPHATIC\|WP:FORMAL\|WP:INFORMAL\|WP:POETIC}}
	{{See also\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Puffery\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Editorializing\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Euphemisms}}		{{See also\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Puffery\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Editorializing\|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Euphemisms}}

	Another error of writing approach is attempting to make bits of material "pop" (an [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Due and undue weight\|undue weight]] problem), such as with excessive [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis\|emphasis]], over-[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters\|capitalization]], use of [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Contractions\|contractions]], unnecessary [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations\|acronyms and other abbreviations]], the inclusion of [[Hyperbole\|hyperbolic]] adjectives and adverbs, or the use of unusual synonyms or [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch\|loaded words]]. Just present the sourced information without embellishment, agenda, fanfare, cleverness, or conversational tone.		Another error of writing approach is attempting to make bits of material "pop" (an [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Due and undue weight\|undue weight]] problem), such as with excessive [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis\|emphasis]], over-[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters\|capitalization]], use of [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Contractions\|contractions]], unnecessary [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations\|acronyms and other abbreviations]], the inclusion of [[Hyperbole\|hyperbolic]] adjectives and adverbs, or the use of unusual synonyms or [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch\|loaded words]]. Present the sourced information without embellishment, agenda, fanfare, cleverness, or conversational tone.

	An extreme example of hyperbole and emphatic language taken from [[Special:Permalink/932854447\|Star Canopus diving accident]] as of 28 December 2019 (fixed in the next two revisions) read:		An extreme example of hyperbole and emphatic language taken from [[Special:Permalink/932854447\|Star Canopus diving accident]] as of 28 December 2019 (fixed in the next two revisions) read:
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	:{{xt\|Both divers survived the 294-foot fall.}}		:{{xt\|Both divers survived the 294-foot fall.}}

	See [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch]] for other examples. Avoid using words and phrases like ''{{!xt\|terrible}}'', ''{{!xt\|rising star}}'', ''{{!xt\|curiously}}'', ''{{!xt\|championed the likes of}}'' or ''{{!xt\|on the other side of the pond}}'', unless part of a quotation or stated as an external viewpoint.		See [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch]] for other examples. Avoid using words and phrases like ''{{!xt\|terrible}}'', ''{{!xt\|rising star}}'', ''{{!xt\|curiously}}'', ''{{!xt\|championed the likes of}}'', or ''{{!xt\|on the other side of the pond}}'', unless part of a quotation or stated as an external viewpoint.

	Punctuation marks that appear in the article should be used only per generally accepted practice. [[Exclamation mark]]s (!) should be used only if they occur in direct quotations.		Punctuation marks that appear in the article should be used only per generally accepted practice. [[Exclamation mark]]s (!) should be used only if they occur in direct quotations.