As a copywriter and editor, I’m always on the lookout for wastrel words that add clutter and weaken the copy.
Lazy, do-nothing words that are meant to enhance meaning, but more often detract, are the enemy of crisp concise language.
Topping my list of these culprits are those tiresome qualifiers. The short list of qualifiers includes: a bit, really, pretty, a lot, very, sort of, quite, rather, somewhat, little and dozens more.
Don’t be really bold. Be bold. Stand up for clear uncluttered copy and dare to banish these useless freeloaders from your writing.
To improve your writing, go through your text and replace these torpid phrases with descriptive and precise language.
Instead of “December in Buffalo is pretty cold,” opt for “December in Buffalo is freezing.”
Don’t be “very happy,” be “thrilled,” “overjoyed,” or “ecstatic.”
Don’t say, “The show was a big hit.” Instead say: “The show was a sensation.”
Qualifiers dilute your meaning and erode trust in your writing. Readers want a clear, confident writer who gets to the point.
Don’t be really clear. Be explicit and straightforward; give worthless qualifiers the boot.