“Use Precise Words. Delete Unnecessary Words.”
Don’t fill your writing with vague, iffy words. Use clear, precise words in your writing. Delete weak, unnecessary words.
Here are a few ideas to help you improve your clarity.
- Many writers use the word think. Be more precise.
More precise: recall, remember, recollect, review, consider, contemplate, entertain the idea of, weigh, turn over in one’s mind, mull over, chew over, reflect on, believe, consider, contemplate, decide, dream, guess, imagine, know, notice, realize, remember, see, suppose, understand, wonder.
A. I thought I’d go to the park.
B. I decided to go to the park.
A. I thought about my choices.
B. I mulled over my choices.
2. Delete overused pet words, such as: then, just, that, very, etc.
A. I went to the store, then I picked out a great slice of salmon, then I paid for it and left the store.
B. At the store, I picked out a great slice of salmon, paid for it, and left.
A. Sam just began his job at 6:00 a.m.
B. Sam began his job at 6:00 a.m.
A. Tom shared only one wish.
B. Tom shared one wish.
A. Jane shared just three wishes.
B. Jane shared three wishes.
A. Leslie was very excited to begin lessons.
B. Leslie eagerly began her first tap lesson.
3. Use stronger verbs so you can delete unnecessary “ly” adverbs or weak adjectives. Mark Twain said about adjectives, “When in doubt strike it out.” I believe it works for adverbs, too. Here are examples of weak adjectives: little, big, long, short, old, and young. More precise words could be used.
Adverbs
A. Jake angrily left the meeting.
B. Jake stomped out of the meeting.
A. Sam sat down sadly in the chair.
B. Sam slumped into the chair.
A. Susan went down the hall.
B. Susan raced down the hall.
Adjectives
A. Ronald drove an old car.
B. Ronald drove a rickety 1920 Model T.
A. The big cat jumped through the hoop.
B. The lion leaped through the fiery hoop.
I believe the B options are the best. What do you think?
Use your search and find options for your Word documents to find your overused words, LY adverbs, or adjectives.
Thanks for reading my blog. I’d love to hear from you. Please share one of your pet words that you may use too many times in your manuscripts. Mine is the word “then.”
Giveaway is over for this post.
Thank you to all of you who read my blog and leave comments on a regular basis. You add joy to my heart.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2019 Joan Y. Edwards
Resources
- College Writing Clinic. “Delete Unnecessary Words:” https://collegewritingclinic.com/sample-lesson-plans/delete-unnecessary-words/
- Diana Urban. “Words You Should Cut from Your Writing Immediately:” https://dianaurban.com/words-you-should-cut-from-your-writing-immediately
- Jerry Jenkins. “The Ultimate Strong Verbs:” (This contains a list of strong verbs.)https://jerryjenkins.com/powerful-verbs/
- Kathy Steinemann. “Six Ways to Reduce “LY” Adverbs:” https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/adverb-abuse/
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