Elaboration is essential when implementing
SEO
measures or when trying to publish more attractive content on
your homepage
or
owned media
. However, some people may not understand the outline of elaboration or the difference between it and synonyms.
Therefore, in this article, we will explain the meaning, origin, and purpose of elaboration. We will also explain synonyms for “edit” and points to check when revising, so please use this as a reference.
What is the meaning of elaboration?
First, I will explain the meaning of elaboration. Elaboration is the process of refining the contents of words (text), such as sentences, haiku, and poems, over and over again to make them even higher quality. By carefully rehearsing your message, you have the advantage of being able to convey your message in words that are easier to understand.
Elaboration is widely used, especially in business settings. For example, a business email sent to a client. In business emails, it is necessary to send the information you want to convey to the recipient in a text format while concisely conveying your conclusion. To do this, we change the wording of words and check for spelling errors, but these are the outline of elaboration.
Also, by revising it, you will be able to better convey to the other party what should be conveyed in the contract or report. If you want to improve the quality of your words and text, try revising them.
How do you express elaboration in English?
If you look up the English expression of the word “elaboration”, you will find the following four English words: “elaboration”, “polish”, “revision”, and “improvement”.
All four have the same elaboration, but the meanings of the other nouns included are slightly different. By using these on a case-by-case basis, you can express subtle differences in nuance. For example, the following expressions all have the meaning of raising the level of a sentence.
Even in Japanese, if you can express subtle differences in nuance in sentences like the above, you will be able to aim for a higher level of elaboration, whether it be one or two ranks.
Origin of elaboration
Up to this point, we have provided an overview of the elaboration process. From here, I will explain the origin of elaboration. It is said to be based on a Chinese folk tale.
Specifically, in a collection of historical stories called “Tang Shikiji,” there is a passage in which a person named “Jia Dao” was thinking about changing the word “push” to “write.”
This is the origin of the word, and as a result, the word “elaboration” was born by combining these words.
Purpose of elaboration
So far, we have explained the outline and origin of elaboration, but what is the purpose of elaboration? The purpose of elaboration is to convey sentences and words more clearly and concisely to the other person.
Sentences that have not been carefully edited may become disjointed or have many typos.
Even though this is a normal sentence, it becomes a redundant sentence that is difficult to read, and you cannot convey what you really want to convey to the other person. Elaboration is done to prevent such situations.
For example, after a business meeting, you might want to send a business email to the client to thank them for the business deal. Even in this case, sending a well-edited, high-quality text can greatly change the impression after the business meeting.
Elaboration occurs in many situations, but in all cases it is not wasted and is more likely to yield positive results.
Example sentences for elaboration
There are many example sentences using elaboration. For example, an example sentence for elaboration is as follows.
Let’s look at each in turn.
elaborate
“Elaboration” is an example sentence that is often treated as the meaning of “Elaboration”. It means revising and checking your sentences many times. Use something like, “This sentence seems like it will need to be revised many times.”
room for refinement
The need for elaboration on a text is called room for elaboration. Use something like, “My graduation thesis is 80% complete, but I think there is still room for improvement.”
keep elaborating
Finally, the word “elaboration” is often used together with the word “layering.” When the revision itself needs to be repeated many times, or when the revision is repeated many times, it is called “repeated revision.”
For example, you might say something like, “The presentation materials I’m going to give to the client today will likely receive a good evaluation because I’ve refined them a lot.”
Synonyms of elaboration
So far, I have explained the meaning of elaboration. On the other hand, some people may be concerned about the difference in meaning between synonyms. From here, we will explain the following synonyms for elaboration.
Let’s look at each in turn.
correction
Correction is a word that means to properly correct mistakes in sentences or words. Elaboration includes the meaning of not only correcting mistakes but also refining the text, so there is no problem with the impression that correction is narrower in scope.
proofreading
Proofreading, like correction, is a word that means correcting errors in sentences or words. However, while “correction” is a word used in emails and reports, “proofreading” is a word mainly used in printed matter.
Although correction and proofreading have the same purpose, such as correcting typos, there is no problem as long as you understand that they need to be used differently depending on what you are dealing with.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the term used to refer to checking for spelling errors, etc., and adding missing points in a text. In other words, in addition to corrections and proofreading, proofreading involves adding sentences to make the text more understandable. In that sense, there is no problem in recognizing that the word has a meaning closer to elaboration than correction or proofreading.
Correction
There is no problem in understanding that “correction” is a word that has almost the same meaning as “elaboration”. The purpose of this is to check the text for spelling errors and add sentences as necessary to make the text more understandable.
However, the major difference between elaboration and correction is that elaboration is aimed at one’s own writing, whereas correction is aimed at someone else’s writing.
In other words, correcting is the process of refining someone else’s writing. Therefore, be careful when using the term “correcting your own writing”, as it is incorrectly used.
rewrite
Rewriting means adding leverage to an already completed manuscript. The purpose is to further improve the manuscript as a whole by rewriting or adding to it.
In English, rewrite is written as “rewrite” and is “re=re” and “write¬¬= write”, which means “rewrite=to write again”. If the rewriting is done by someone different from the original author, it can be expected to improve the effectiveness.
Points to check when revising
So far, we have explained the meanings of synonyms for elaboration. From here, we will explain the points you should check when revising.
Check for typos
First, let’s check for typos. In particular, if you check the kanji that are known to be easily confused, you will often be able to improve your writing.
Examples include “duplicate” and “duplicate.” In business situations, there are cases where a single typo or omission in a contract can result in the contract not being valid, so it is a good idea to check for typos in important situations.
If the format you want to check is Word, you can use the “spell check and grammar check” function in the proofreading tab to automatically display potential typographical errors in Word, allowing you to check efficiently. Probably.
Is the text easy to read?
It is also important to make sure that the text is easy to read and clear. Check that the subject and object are clear, and that the subjects have not been switched within the sentence.
It is also said that if the same ending occurs three times in a row, the sentence becomes difficult to read. For example, if the words are followed by “desu” and “desu”, the next ending should be changed to “desou” or “masu”.
The easier your writing is to read, the easier it will be for the other person to understand your main points, so be sure to check for typos as well.
Take your time and revise it
It is also important to take time to revise. Especially after working for a long time, your brain is tired, so there are cases where elaboration itself becomes meaningless.
Even if you try to refine the text in these cases, it will obviously not be possible to create a sentence that is easy for the other person to understand.
However, for example, you can improve the quality of your editing by editing it the day after you write it, or by taking a short break before editing it. We recommend elaborating when your brain is not tired.
Break a sentence that is too long into multiple parts
The longer a sentence is from the beginning to the end of the sentence, the farther apart the subject and predicate become, and the harder it becomes to convey the content of the sentence.
It is said that the optimal length of a sentence is around 60 to 80 characters, and if it exceeds approximately 120 characters, consider dividing the sentence somewhere.
Use lists wisely
If you have to list a number of words, you can write them clearly and clearly in list view.
For example, instead of writing nouns related to elaboration as “elaboration,” “detail,” “precision,” “polishing,” “gloss,” “revise,” “revised,” “improvement,” and “enhancement,” we would write them as follows.
By making good use of list display in this way, you can not only display information clearly but also reduce the length of each sentence.
Be aware of the meaning of each sentence
Unique meaning in one sentence means that one sentence conveys one thing. This writing technique is extremely simple and does not include any unnecessary information, so it is the most accurate writing technique for conveying information to users.
Be careful of redundant expressions
Redundant expressions are expressions or topics that are unrelated to the main topic. Sentences tend to become unnecessarily long due to the heavy use of unnecessary expressions and roundabout phrases that can be used to increase the number of characters. It becomes difficult to convey what you really want to convey, and the text tends to give the impression of being very immature.
Be careful of twists in sentences
A twisted sentence is an expression used when the relationship between subject and predicate is broken. For example, in the twisted sentence below, the relationship between subject and predicate is broken, and the sentence is twisted.
| Twisted sentence (×) | My wish is to live in a world where everyone can live happily. |
| Explanation: “My wish” becomes “I think” and the relationship between subject and predicate is broken. | |
| Sentences with untwisted sentences (○) | My wish is for a world where everyone can live happily. I hope that happens. |
| Explanation: “My wish” becomes “It will happen,” and the relationship between subject and predicate is maintained. |
Useful ways to check text other than elaboration
Earlier, I explained the points to check when revising. In addition, we will introduce two useful methods of checking text other than redaction.
Utilize the reading function
The first step is to use the read-aloud function. Nowadays, there are many document tools that have a read-aloud function, such as Microsoft’s Word.
Methods of elaboration include silent reading and reading aloud, but by reading out loud what you have written, you will be able to notice things you did not notice before.
For example, common mistakes are wording incorrectly or things that you think are correct but are actually incorrect.
There may be cases where you cannot use the text-to-speech function in your workplace, but in situations where you can use the text-to-speech function, it is a good idea to actively try it out.
double check
Next, one useful method is to double-check. This means that after you have refined your own writing, you have a third party correct your writing. There are some points that you may not be able to notice just by elaborating on your own.
In such cases, having a third party make corrections can help you create a higher quality text. If you are unsure about your own revision, one way is to check with your colleagues or superiors at work.
Use the proofreading/editing support tool “Tomarigi”
“Tomarigi” is an excellent tool that allows you to improve your written expression. Rather than producing improved writing itself, it provides hints and insights for improvement.
It is important to note that it is humans who improve the writing, and it is not the writing that is produced by AI or computers.
To use it, follow the steps below.
1. Enter text in the editor area
2. Check the structure and elaboration
3. Click on any errors or suggested corrections that appear.
4. Check the points pointed out and correct the sentences.
Using the writing advice tool “Bunken”
“Bunken” is a tool that checks your writing from over 100 perspectives. It not only checks readability and typos, but also checks for offensive words and misuse of Japanese.
Since it is a cloud tool, there is no need to install it on your computer, and you can edit the text by simply uploading it.
To use it, follow the steps below.
1. Start Bunken and copy and paste the text into the text area on the left side of the screen.
2. Then the check will start automatically
3. Click on one of the options on the far left: “Expression,” “Proofreading Support,” “Elaboration Support,” and “Advice” to revise the selected item.
Using AI chat service “ChatGPT”
You can also use the AI chat service “ChatGPT” to refine your sentences. There are two ways to make ChatGPT write text: “Ask questions” and “Give instructions.”
Of these, when you ask a question, you cannot control the content of the sentence, so you have to give instructions to the child to write the sentence. We will proceed by following the steps below.
1. Give the main point and give instructions.
2. Instruct students to write longer sentences for their answers.
3. We will give detailed instructions to the rewritten text, such as “Please revise it” and “Please make the text easier to read.”
4. From then on, give detailed instructions such as “Please change your colloquial style to a literary style” and “Please use more polite language,” and repeat this about 5 or 6 times.
5. Finally, check by yourself whether there are any strange wording or misuse of Japanese, and whether the information is correct.
summary
In this article, I explained about elaboration. Elaboration mainly refers to the process of carefully examining the content of a text and finishing it with a higher quality.
Elaboration has the advantage of being able to convey the main points in contracts and business emails more easily to the other party.
When editing, it is important to check that the text is easy to read and that there are no typos. Please keep these points in mind as you refine your writing.