Certain words are overused and they serve no real purpose. These are words we tend to use in daily conversation and they come naturally to us as speakers.
However, writers can improve their work by deleting these space robbers:
• it
• just
• only
• very
• many
• though • all
• every
• always • forever • never
• then
• that
If removing these words does not interfere with the clarity of the sentence, cut them.
Here are some words that can be useful, but often add nothing to the meaning of a sentence. See if cutting them improves your writing:
- actually
- basically
- completely
- definitely
- essentially
- extremely
- generally
- individual
- moreover
- particular
- quite
- really
- specific
- therefore
- thus
- totally
Other words to eliminate if they do not add something crucial to the work:
- whole
- entire
- own
- rather
- pretty
- little
- a bit
- a lot
Condense and Tighten:
Many of the things covered in the revision process are connected to condensing and tightening the writing.
Less is more: fewer words mean more clarity. Fewer words mean a faster, more engaging pace. An example: “he wore” versus “his wardrobe consisted of”