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An essay is an organized collection of ideas and thoughts that is written in response to a prompt or topic. Because of this, it is important to use words that are accurate and comprehensive when writing an essay. To this end, there are a variety of words that can be used to describe the same idea or concept. For example, instead of simply saying things in an essay, one could use more specific words such as elements, issues, or points.
In general, it is best to use the most accurate and descriptive words that one can when writing an essay. Synonyms and related words can be a great way to add further depth and detail to an essay. Objects and attributes could be used in place of things when referring to physical objects or qualities, while considerations and arguments could be used when referring to ideas and concepts. By using multiple words to express similar ideas, the writer can make their writing more interesting and engaging while also improving the quality of their work.
Is there a more academic sounding word that encompasses anything, be it locations, objects, situations, etc. like "things" or "stuff" does? I can think of plenty of examples that narrow it down to a certain type of thing (like "area" for locations or "paraphernalia" for objects), but I can't think of anything that more generally applies to all of the above like "stuff" does.
Better words to substitute for things? | WordReference Forums
The word things is often somewhat informal. When referring to tangible things, the word objects is less informal. The word items is also a way to be more formal and can refer to tangible or intangible things.
When writing an essay, it is helpful to have a thesaurus or dictionary on hand. This will provide the writer with a variety of words that they can use to express a single concept or idea. In addition to synonyms, they might also find related words such as aspects, features, and facets that could be used in place of things. All of these words will help the writer to express their ideas more effectively and clearly.
By taking the time to find an appropriate word for any idea or concept in an essay, the writer can develop their writing skills and ensure that their essay is accurate and well-written. While the word things may be accurate in some contexts, it can also be too broad or vague for many written works. By exploring various synonyms and related words, the writer can make their essay more interesting and engaging while also deepening their understanding of English language.
Lacking any context, the generic "things" is all we have.
Added in edit: Cross-posted with the previous poster, who said the same thing in far fewer words.
What are some better words to use instead of the word things?
The word can be used to collectively refer to a bunch of things, especially a collection of miscellaneous physical objects, but also informally to a collection of intangible things like events or occurrences (as in A lot of stuff happened today), actions or activities (as in There is plenty of stuff you can do to stay busy), topics (as in We learned a lot of stuff in that class), and other stuff.
What is another word for thing? - WordHippo
To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.
Synonyms of thing - Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
I have had this problem in many cases, not just for this essay, but now I know it is ok to use "things" in a formal essay and I have to choose your word choice based on the situation.
Synonyms of THING | Collins American English Thesaurus
please help me out Your question is whether we can substitute "something" in "I should do something" to "stuff"?
No of course you can not!
Stuff is used when you are talking about things such as substances, materials or a bunch of objects when you do not know what they are called or you dont want to specify their names.
I hope it helps
What is another word for stuff? | Stuff Synonyms - WordHippo
The pronoun is commonly used to refer to something without naming it. The plural pronoun can be used to refer to multiple things in this way.
Another Word for This Shows in An Essay - TikTok
It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.