The explanation has a shape
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
An environmental history seminar asked students to explain a map they had created from fictional planning records. Nora's first draft was verbose, spending several paragraphs on the order in which she had opened the files before identifying the question her map addressed. Her partner suggested a succinct opening that named the question and the features shown. With that change, the explanation became more lucid because readers could understand why the later details mattered instead of following a chronology without knowing its purpose.
A succinct opening did not require Nora to leave out a limitation that affected interpretation. She added that limitation in a short, clearly labeled sentence and removed another verbose account of routine file preparation. The result remained lucid because each paragraph had a distinct job: introduce the question, describe the map, or explain a constraint. Her partner could now summarize the argument after one reading and identify the precise point where an additional example would help.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.