In the previous post in this series on Becoming a Better Writer, I explained the importance of tightening your writing. One of the easiest ways to do that, is to cut words you don’t need anyway.
There are a few notorious words that you can often cut or rewrite without changing the meaning of your sentence. Often you even strengthen your writing as an added bonus, since you’re becoming more precise.
1. Very
Very is a very overused word. Yeah, lame joke. But totally true. Nine out of ten times you can delete ‘very’, or replace the verb + very + adjective with a strong verb or stronger adjective.
I am very tired –> I am exhausted
I am very disappointed –> I am crestfallen
He used very powerful language –> He used vivid language (or another word that captures your point exactly, since ‘very powerful’ is still vague. Powerful in what sense: convincing? Moving? Vivid? Explicit?)
He goes there very often –> He’s a regular there
2. Kind of
Kind of is also a word that’s easily slapped on, but more often than not weakens a point, than strengthens it.
“He was kind of a jerk.” Ok, either he was a jerk or he wasn’t. If he was, you can leave ‘kind of’ out. If he wasn’t, use a better description, eg ‘he was annoying’ or ‘he was rude’. Be specific!
The same holds true for ‘sort of’ by the way.
3. Actually
Have you ever seen the film ‘Love Actually’? There are many clever word jokes around the word actually, quite funny.
But actually, you can often leave ‘actually’ out. Or change the constructions of your sentence such that you don’t need it. It’s no biggie to use it every now and them, but it might become one of those empty words that you slap into every other sentence without noticing.
Always ask yourself: does it actually really truly mean something? Does it add meaning or is it actually redundant?
Tip: the same holds true for ‘really’ and ‘truly’, so don’t replace one vice with the other!
Adverbs
Adverbs are a category of their own when it comes to redundant words, so we’ll discuss these in more detail in an upcoming post – combined with an equally notorious cousin: the adjectives.
Bonus: That
This is a different category. ‘That’ is needed as many times as it can be left out, depending on its function.
“I want that app.” Here ‘that’ is functional and cannot be taken out without changing the meaning of the sentence, or even wrecking it grammatically.
“The app that I downloaded yesterday doesn’t work.” Here you can leave it out. ‘That’ is not needed to make the sentenced correct. ‘The app I downloaded yesterday doesn’t work.’
You don’t always have to take out ‘that’ when you can grammatically. Sometimes the sentence flows better if you leave it in, or leaving it out creates confusion.
Tip: a little sidetrack here. If you refer to people, don’t use ‘that’. Use ‘who’. It’s not ‘the boy that gave me this’, it’s ‘the boy who gave me this’. Small error maybe, but readers notice. Only use ‘that’ when referring to things.
Allen Allnoch says
“If you refer to people, don’t use ‘that’. Use ‘who’.” Thank you! I see (and correct) this error all the time. You’re “actually” the first writer I’ve heard say something about it. I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed.
Rachel Blom says
Thanks! I’m not a fanatic member of the Grammar Police, but I have to admit that that one bugs me. And yes, I see it a lot…Let’s keep fighting the good fight here 🙂
John Finkelde says
Superb post. Often these lists of writing tips go and on but your succinct style wins!
Please keep them coming,.
Rachel Blom says
Thanks for the encouragement John!