First and foremost, writing is communication, a way of interacting with other people; we write to reach out to the world. Sometimes we forget this and perceive writing as an exhibition, a way of showing off how smart we are.
If we think of writing as a way of looking “smart”, and we aren’t confident in our intelligence, we sometimes try to trick our readers into thinking we are “smart.” Writers sometimes use complicated words and sentences to try to impress readers, or even make them feel stupid. This is not good writing, because writing is all about communication. In most cases, communication is best when it is clear and to the point.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.