I often advise writers to avoid so-called weak words, and here’s a quote I often use:
“Substitute ‘damn‘ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’”, said Mark Twain. “Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
In today’s world, we “write” our “spoken” messages all the time in our texts and emails. If you’re writing an everyday email to your colleagues, it will approximate speaking and include “weak words”.
What are considered weak words? The quote above gives an example of a frequently used one. Others include vague language such as “really, was / is / were / are, sort of, kind of, well, stuff, basically, actually, just, I think, I feel, perhaps, maybe, huge, extremely”.
Aside from texts and emails, if you are writing a report, a formal email or memo, a proposal, an article or other substantive document, then this advice to avoid weak words holds true.
Always consider your purpose, your audience and the content and tone.
________________________________________________
Author: Carol Waites
Presentation/editing by Christina O’Shaughnessy
https://worldwidewriting.org/
________________________________________________
Carol Waites (PhD)
Email: carolswritingtips@gmail.com
For more writing tips, consult my website:
https://carolswritingtips.com/writingtips/
To sign up for the newsletter, go here:
https://carolswritingtips.com/