The word “just” sounds informal and conversational in your writing. First, second, and third works, so why mess with the simplicity?Īren’t those advertisements for “Just Water” annoying? It implies that simply “water” contains anything other than water.

And if you had to go on through the digits, it can only get worse. However, if you really feel that a word ending in LY works, then don’t hesitate to use it. Instead of “She spoke softly” you can say “She whispered” or “she murmured”. It’s either one or the other, take your pick.Ī lot of the time, these adverbs can throw off the rhythm of your sentence. In conversations, people use “Each and every time” when they are frustrated or exasperated, but “each” and “every” do not have to be combined to make a point. If you see that taking this word away doesn’t affect your expression, omit “then”. This words is often extraneous, especially when you are trying to convey a timeline. You can use more descriptive language to communicate your ideas more effectively. These words don’t add much to what you have to say. Very, Basically, Totally, Essentially, Really Let’s go through some of these words together. We’ve gathered 23 of such words or phrases here. For further help with grammar, you can always consult our dissertation editing services and academic editing services professionals to obtain advice. It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a novel, thesis or dissertation, a letter, or even an email there are some words and phrases that you most likely can do without. Have you ever read something that was so long-winded that you wished the writer just got to the point? Could you imagine if a script writer had the actors speaking extra words that didn’t add to the characters? Unnecessary words are not fun for anyone. Every word should have its place, and not be diluted by unnecessary words that can distract your reader from what you are trying to get across.

Just as a drawing shouldn’t have extra lines in it, your writing should not have extra words or sentences.

Whether you’re writing an essay, novel, or just an e-mail, here are some must-have tips to help you do just that… Mastering the art of decluttering words frees you to effectively capture readers’ attention, sparking intrigue and affirming expertise in what you are writing about. There’s a tendency to fill writing with needless words this can bog a reader down in details, distracting from your message. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.” A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. phrased it best in the must-have book for writers of all levels, Elements of Style:

Funny words or phrases