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Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

writerswrite.co.za

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Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#71

Post by sliverstorm »

Zikes wrote: post #24
bagosm wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tee hee you used it! Really though, I think there is a big difference between "Very tired" and "exhausted". Although the technical mind I think is bugged more about precision rather than flow or poeticness of speech Ι think we can appreciate it...

Especially in certain situations like "I'm not very tired". Offhand you could say "I'm not overly tired" or "I'm not too tired", but those could subtly change the meaning of what you're trying to say or sound unnatural in everyday speech.

Both of those are modifiers as well, and could fall victim to the same overuse. The only surefire remedy is picking more words that describe a variety of degrees of tiredness.

Tired, exhausted, washed up, worn out, fatigued, beat, weary, run down, depleted...

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#72

Post by bane »

sliverstorm wrote: post #65
sabbatic13 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rules like these aren't really good guide to style though. They are the sort of guidelines suited to curing teenagers of bad habits. That's the problem I have with articles like these. They aren't adult discussions of language; they do not teach effective writing, and do not promote an understanding of language. One should ideally outgrow such pedagogy by one's second year of college.

Ideally. But when I took my cross-discipline gen-ed requirements, I was pretty amazed how little & how low-quality writing was expected of at least some of the humanities first & second years. Not much chance for growth when assigning a two-page paper is enough to provoke upset.

I also noticed this in my undergrad. In my second semester gen English, a 5 page minimally researched paper was enough to get people pretty upset, while in my hard science courses, it wasn't uncommon to turn in 20-30 pages every couple weeks.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#73

Post by the_af »

I wonder what Orwell would think. As mentioned in an article on writing by Orwell, posted here some time ago, didn't he prefer simple constructions such as "very poor" to "destitute"? I wonder if he would think most of the recommendations are actually snobbish and more complex to understand.

Not saying Orwell is right and the article wrong. Just that this kind of recommendations is very subjective (quick, someone find me a replacement for "very subjective"!). A matter of taste, actually, and not all accomplished writers agree on this.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#74

Post by romaniv »

dllthomas wrote: post #48
Maciek416 wrote: post #12

This reminds me of an English teacher I had in high school who disallowed us from using a list of banned words in a writing assignment. In previous assignments students had overused them to pad their word count and to inflate the apparent sophistication of their vocabulary. Among these words were "basically" and "essentially" which he told us were garbage words (as far as essay-writing as concerned). It stuck with me…

Might be interesting to automatically keep a running count of words used in your writing (across formats), and make a habit of avoiding what you've been overusing.

There is no need to avoid useful words, even if they are used often. The problem is with words that don't change what you say while making it longer.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#75

Post by bane »

cgh wrote: post #63
sabbatic13 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rules like these aren't really good guide to style though. They are the sort of guidelines suited to curing teenagers of bad habits. That's the problem I have with articles like these. They aren't adult discussions of language; they do not teach effective writing, and do not promote an understanding of language. One should ideally outgrow such pedagogy by one's second year of college.

The Economist Style Guide disagrees: http://www.economist.com/style-guide/unnecessary-words

The key is to learn to write well before becoming a staff writer at the Economist. These guidelines are fine, but all of these nonos have good uses when used appropriately. Some of these guidelines even create imprecision or run counter to general usage.

My father (an ex-English teacher) used to always say something like "concision is rarely wrong, unless it ruins precision."

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#76

Post by sdegutis »

I can't agree with her article. These are legitimate words with their own distinct connotations. Saying "very old" conveys a different idea than saying "ancient".

She's encouraging sensationalist writing where down-to-earth content would often be easier to understand and convey the author's meaning clearer and more accurately.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#77

Post by joesmo »

sabbatic13 wrote: post #45
Maciek416 wrote: post #12

This reminds me of an English teacher I had in high school who disallowed us from using a list of banned words in a writing assignment. In previous assignments students had overused them to pad their word count and to inflate the apparent sophistication of their vocabulary. Among these words were "basically" and "essentially" which he told us were garbage words (as far as essay-writing as concerned). It stuck with me…

Rules like these aren't really good guide to style though. They are the sort of guidelines suited to curing teenagers of bad habits. That's the problem I have with articles like these. They aren't adult discussions of language; they do not teach effective writing, and do not promote an understanding of language. One should ideally outgrow such pedagogy by one's second year of college.

In this case, the rule is just not to use the word "very." I can't think of a single context where "very" doesn't degrade from the semantics and syntax of a sentence. I think this rule is appropriate to any and every style.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#78

Post by ctdonath »

I find such tips handy for writing. Don't use "very"; avoid starting a sentence with "I" [1]; don't end words with "ly"; avoid "to be"; etc.

An excellent summary of such tips is Stephen King's On Writing. While the bulk of it is interesting (autobiography), the 16-page section "Toolbox" is a fantastic collection of writing guidance. Highly recommended, to the point that I look for opportunities to mention it.

[1] - I know. Selective breaking of rules has its place too.

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#79

Post by dllthomas »

romaniv wrote: post #74
dllthomas wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Might be interesting to automatically keep a running count of words used in your writing (across formats), and make a habit of avoiding what you've been overusing.

There is no need to avoid useful words, even if they are used often. The problem is with words that don't change what you say while making it longer.

There's some use to most restrictions you can put on writing, simply to break old habits and grow. Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement is a change. I meant it more as an exercise than a rule (which is why I said "might be interesting...").

Re: Ways to avoid using the word 'very'

#80

Post by glomph »

adriand wrote: post #40
sker wrote: post #37

I was always bothered by the overuse of the word "pretty" on the Internet in place of "very." As a non-native English speaker, I grew up thinking of pretty as synonym of beautiful. Now that I see everyone using it as they would use very , I find it hard to parse.

It's not used in place of "very", it means "somewhat" or "mostly". "Pretty good" means not all good but not all bad either. If a server at a restaurant asks you, "How is your meal?" and you respond, "Pretty good", you should be prepared to have them ask, "What's wrong with it?"

I think this varies a lot depending on which english speaking communities you are in and your tone of voice.

Personally I often say something was pretty good and mean it as quite high praise or at least better than I expected. I think (hope) my tone of voice would make that apparent though.

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