{"id":2124,"date":"2016-06-04T21:03:44","date_gmt":"2016-06-04T15:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/?p=2124"},"modified":"2016-06-04T21:03:44","modified_gmt":"2016-06-04T15:33:44","slug":"common-words-you-should-replace-in-your-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/common-words-you-should-replace-in-your-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Words You Should Replace in Your Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Common Words You Should Replace in Your Writing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Common Words You Should Replace in Your Writing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a familiar scene: you\u2019re slumped over your keyboard or notebook, obsessing over your character. While we tend to agonize over everything from structure to backstory, it\u2019s important to weigh how<\/em> you write something too. A perfectly constructed world is flat on the page if you use feeble, common words. When you\u2019re finished constructing your perfectly balanced world, do your writing a favor and take another pass to weed out these 18 haggard words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a list of 18 common words you should replace in your writing.<\/p>\n

\"Common<\/a><\/p>\n

Good<\/span><\/h2>\n

High on any list of most used English words is \u201cgood.\u201d While this word may appear to be the perfect adjective for nearly anything, that is precisely what makes it so vague. Try getting more specific. If something\u2019s going well, try \u201csuperb,\u201d \u201coutstanding\u201d or \u201cexceptional.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

New<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another of the common\u00a0words in English is \u201cnew.\u201d \u201cNew\u201d is an adjective that doesn\u2019t always set off alarm bells, so it can be easy to forget about. Give your writing more punch by ditching \u201cnew\u201d and using something like \u201clatest\u201d or \u201crecent\u201d instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long<\/span><\/h2>\n

Much like \u201cnew,\u201d \u201clong\u201d is spent, yet it doesn\u2019t always register as such while you\u2019re writing. Instead of this clich\u00e9 phrase, try describing exactly how long it is: \u201cextended,\u201d \u201clingering\u201d or \u201cendless,\u201d for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Old<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cOld\u201d is certainly one of those common words that\u00a0means more to readers if you\u2019re specific about how old a subject is. Is it \u201cancient,\u201d \u201cfossilized,\u201d \u201cdecaying\u201d or \u201cdecrepit\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

Right<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cRight\u201d is also among the common words that tends to slip through our writer filters. If somebody is correct, you could also say \u201cexact\u201d or \u201cprecise.\u201d Don\u2019t let habit words like \u201cright\u201d dampen your writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Different<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s another adjective that falls a bit flat for readers, but can also easily be improved by getting more specific. Saying something is \u201codd\u201d or \u201cuncommon\u201d is very different than saying it is \u201cexotic\u201d or \u201cstriking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Small<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cSmall\u201d is another adjective that is too generic for writing as good as yours. Use \u201cmicroscopic,\u201d \u201cminiature\u201d or \u201ctiny\u201d instead. Even using \u201ccramped\u201d or \u201ccompact\u201d is more descriptive for your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Large<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just like relying too much on \u201csmall,\u201d we tend to describe large things as, well, \u201clarge.\u201d Specificity is a big help with this one too: could your subject be \u201csubstantial,\u201d \u201cimmense,\u201d \u201cenormous\u201d or \u201cmassive\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

Next<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whenever we describe something coming \u201cnext,\u201d we run the risk of losing our readers. Good options to make your reading more powerful include \u201cupcoming,\u201d \u201cfollowing\u201d or \u201ccloser.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Young<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another case of being too generic is what makes \u201cyoung\u201d a problematic adjective. If you want your writing to be more captivating, try switching \u201cyoung\u201d out for \u201cyouthful,\u201d \u201cnaive\u201d or \u201cbudding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Never<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cNever\u201d is also among common words\u00a0to use sparingly. Not only is it a common, stale descriptor, it\u2019s also usually incorrect. For something to never happen, even one instance makes this word inaccurate. Try \u201crarely,\u201d \u201cscarcely\u201d or \u201coccasionally\u201d instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cThings\u201d is another repeat offender when it comes to worn out words. Another word where specificity is the key, try replacing \u201cthings\u201d with \u201cbelongings,\u201d \u201cproperty\u201d or \u201ctools.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

All<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just like \u201cnever,\u201d \u201call\u201d is an encompassing, absolute term. Not only is \u201call\u201d unoriginal, it\u2019s not usually factual. Try using \u201ceach\u201d and \u201ccopious\u201d instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cFeel\u201d is also in the company of common English words. Try using \u201csense,\u201d or \u201cdiscern\u201d instead. You can also move your sentence into a more active tense: \u201cI feel hungry\u201d could become \u201cI\u2019m famished,\u201d for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seem<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cSeem\u201d is bad habit word\u00a0we are all\u00a0guilty of using. Regardless of how well you think your sentence is constructed, try switching \u201cseem\u201d out for \u201cshows signs of.\u201d \u201cComes across as\u201d is another good option to give your writing more power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another easy adjective to let slip by, \u201calmost\u201d is a wasted opportunity to engage your readers. \u201cAlmost\u201d is more interesting if you say \u201cpractically,\u201d \u201cnearly\u201d or \u201cverging on\u201d instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cJust making\u201d it or \u201cjust barely\u201d affording something isn\u2019t very descriptive. To truly grab a reader, we must do better. Try \u201cnarrowly,\u201d \u201csimply\u201d or \u201chardly\u201d to give your phrasing more weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Went<\/span><\/h2>\n

Last but not least, avoid using the common word \u201cwent\u201d to describe your subject. \u201cWent\u201d is a word that lacks traction. Try using \u201cchose,\u201d \u201cdecided on\u201d or \u201crambled\u201d to truly grab your readers.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Common Words You Should Replace in Your Writing Common Words You Should Replace in Your Writing It\u2019s a familiar scene: you\u2019re slumped over your keyboard or notebook, obsessing over your character. While we tend to agonize over everything from structure to backstory, it\u2019s important to weigh how you write something too. A perfectly constructed world […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,38],"tags":[110,51,111,71,67,72,112,113,97,68,53,63,19,98,114,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-2124","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-english","8":"category-writing-tips","9":"tag-common-words","10":"tag-english","11":"tag-english-gramar","12":"tag-gre","13":"tag-ielts","14":"tag-improve-your-english","15":"tag-language","16":"tag-learn-english","17":"tag-speaking-english","18":"tag-toefl","19":"tag-vocabulary","20":"tag-words","21":"tag-writing","22":"tag-writing-english","23":"tag-writing-prompts","24":"tag-writing-tips"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Common-Words-You-Should-Replace-in-Your-Writing-min.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Writing Geeks","author_link":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/author\/writinggeeks\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Common-Words-You-Should-Replace-in-Your-Writing-min.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6uhmH-yg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2124"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2126,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124\/revisions\/2126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writinggeeks.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}