“It” is a Problem in Your Writing
by Albert L.
It.
No, I’m not talking about the killer clown that preys on your deepest fears. However, overreliance on the word “it” in your writing should scare you.
This seemingly harmless pronoun is the antithesis of clarity in writing.
I understand the allure of this word for writers. It is a catchall to mean almost anything. You might say, EssayNarwhal Blogger, you just used it. And yes, I did. But even in this scenario, did I mean the word it, or am I using it in reference to the word it? The thing is, you don’t know!
If you’ve spent considerable time unearthing that unique story and finding that perfect value to encapsulate who you are for your college essay, the last thing you want to do is muddy up conveying your ideas by being vague with a pronoun. Just because you know what the word “it” is in reference to, doesn’t mean the reader will. And even in cases where the word “it” becomes clear with some context clues, you potentially slow down the read.
After finishing a draft, use your handy [ctrl] + [f]. Type in the word “it”, and you’ll find all the its in your document. If you have more than a couple, you’re probably using the word “it” as a crutch. This is also an indication that you haven’t fully formulated your thoughts.
As you go through each “it”, see if you can try finding a clearer, more evocative word to replace the overused pronoun.
In cases where you use the word “it” to replace a commonly referenced noun to avoid repetition, now is the opportunity to find more interesting synonyms and descriptors.
For example, if you use the word textbook a lot in your essay, you could maybe use the thesaurus and replace the word with assigned reading instead. But a good writer can inject more meaning and tone through creative word choices.
Take a look at this sentence:
It (referring to textbook) weighed down my backpack.
Now look at this replacement:
The pedantic brick weighed down my backpack.
Not only do you avoid the word “it”, but this new sentence gives you a colder and more burdensome feeling towards the textbook. This small change brings new life and meaning to the sentence by using more precise language.
If you find yourself using “it” at the start of the sentence, there’s an easy fix. You can replace it with a gerund (a verb that functions as a noun, usually indicated by the use of ing).
It was fun to bake. -> Baking was fun.
As an EssayNarwhal, you should now be more equipped to vanquish most its in your writing. In the big ocean of words that we can choose to swim through, don’t settle for “it.” The clown wins if you do.