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Replace the “very” in your sentence

losethevery.com

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Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#221

Post by torginus »

I feel like this is is high school lit level advice. I've heard that in the US, part of the grade on essays is calculated algorithmically, based on the rarity of words one uses.

My teachers also tried to get me to avoid word repetition in my writing, such as the word 'very' 'say' etc. but never explained to me why it is a bad thing.

My personal theory is the usage synonyms is important to make sentences look 'dissimilar' as possible. This aids in reading comprehension, as samey looking sentences can lead the readers to lose track of their progress, similarly how one can lose their way physically without the aid of distinctive landmarks.

Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#223

Post by KaiserPro »

Daub wrote: post #212
KaiserPro wrote: post #187

As a native speaker, my reply is: no[1] Firstly this appears to be a way to boast about the size of your vocabulary. That's great, but, frankly you are walking into a bigarsed zone of unintended connotations. Its more than likely to do the exact opposite. Second, half of the suggestions are wrong. for example "very ashamed" is not the same as repentant. shame and regret are two similar things, but not the same. same…

> All of you who want to sound either more "well read", or more native, this website will lead you astray. I wholeheartedly agree that excessive and unnecessary verbiage can be a tiresome impediment to the clear transmission of ideas. That being said ‘the more words you know, the more things you can say’ as my old English teacher used to say. A wide vocabulary is particularly useful when addressing complex subjects.

you're right of course. I should have been more clear.

building vocab is _awesome_ everyone who can, should do it. but learning when to use those fancy new words is _more_ important. Getting good source material is key to that.

Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#224

Post by KaiserPro »

koolba wrote: post #205
KaiserPro wrote: post #187

As a native speaker, my reply is: no[1] Firstly this appears to be a way to boast about the size of your vocabulary. That's great, but, frankly you are walking into a bigarsed zone of unintended connotations. Its more than likely to do the exact opposite. Second, half of the suggestions are wrong. for example "very ashamed" is not the same as repentant. shame and regret are two similar things, but not the same. same…

> using 'very' is perfectly fine, just try to limit it's use to once a sentence at the very minimum(no you can't swap very minimum for "the least" maybe "at the very least"). s/min/max/g I like to imagine it always being written in italics. If you don’t want it standing out and being very noticeable, then don’t use it at all.

I have been very clear, I need a good sub editor & proof reader. ;)

Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#226

Post by wongarsu »

jmbwell wrote: post #206

It playfully encourages people to think and write more lyrically. Perhaps the mathematical notation, also apparently intended to be metaphorical, implies a literal variable substitution objective where there is none. Obviously, words have nuance of meaning dependent on multiple factors. The point, it seems to me, is just to try to write more creatively, even in work and business. Poetry can fill even the tiniest spac…

I believe the site would be great, if below the suggested word it showed you some of the nuance of the suggested substitution. Almost every substitution will change the meaning or connotation, which is arguably the paramount reason for switching from the "very adjective" version. Reminding us of this would elevate the site and would make it more honest.

Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#227

Post by strken »

wizofaus wrote: post #61
alibrarydweller wrote: post #14

"So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays." -- The Dead Poets Society

Great movie but not the best advice - "morose" doesn't even mean "very sad", it means ill-tempered/in a bad mood. I wouldn't even say there is one good word that means "very sad", but "morose" is definitely not it. The site in question came up with "inconsolable", but that's hardly appropriate if you're talking about "very sad news" (after a few attempts it come back with "somber" which at least sort of works in that…

Sometimes you're deliberately trying to be inoffensive and formal, in which case claiming you're morose makes you look like a clown.

Compare "I was sad to hear about your grandmother" or "I was very sad..." with "I was morose..." or "I was inconsolable..." When it really matters, you need to drop the pretensions from your writing and just be normal.

Re: Replace the “very” in your sentence

#228

Post by [deleted] »

wongarsu wrote: post #219
koolba wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> using 'very' is perfectly fine, just try to limit it's use to once a sentence at the very minimum(no you can't swap very minimum for "the least" maybe "at the very least"). s/min/max/g I like to imagine it always being written in italics. If you don’t want it standing out and being very noticeable, then don’t use it at all.

I think the sentence can be read both ways (which is arguably worse): it's either "limit it to once a sentence, or limit it more" or "limit it to (once or more)". Which goes to show that to communicate clearly a well-thought-out sentence structure is more important than fretting over the exact word to use.

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