Use regarding or about depending on the context of the sentence, or rearrange it completely to eliminate extra words. Now imagine it 25-30% leaner by eliminating fillers alone. When I found out the wedding was off, I was devastated. In the same way we use fillers like ‘um’ and ‘like’ when we’re speaking, we often manifest fillers in our writing. Getting rid of it will create a more confident, concise phrase. Something like By the time he’d arrived, he’d missed more than half of his appointment is much clearer. In most cases, you can remove in my humble opinion altogether. Substitute damn every time you’re inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. This one can also give off an air of condescension. Try deleting this one from your sentences and seeing if there’s really a difference in meaning. Many filler words actually have other meanings, so not every “like” is a filler word, for example. This leaves your brain free to think of other things—like the word you’re trying to remember. If you’re an expert in something or have good reason for what you’re writing, don’t give people reason not to trust in that! Let’s take a look at ten of the most common fillers and examples of how to banish them. Don’t discount yourself by telling your reader you’re about to give them a throwaway sentence you didn’t need to write. Do you tend to use the word just a lot? The secret to a successful essay doesn’t just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points. Filler words are empty phrases that don’t add anything substantial to what you’re writing. Mostly, we do this to meet word counts and because we do not have a plot. In my writing, […] [14 words] As shown in the examples above, eliminating filler words can significantly reduce your word count! But does it add anything to the sentence, or is there a clearer way to say it? Sometimes, this phrase is used in place of essentially or effectively, in which case it’s more concise to just use one of those words. For example, “The box was completely full of clothes.” reads the same as, “The box was full of clothes.” or better yet, “The box was stuffed with clothes.” Definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually. 4 Medium YouTubers You’ll Fall in Love With. This is one area where practice helps. Searching for filler words can also be a great way to determine if your piece is ready for publication. I once saw someone comment they’d had a college professor who made them read their writing and delete all instances of that before turning it in. Try reading through paragraphs from the end of the piece back to the beginning. Adding really before sad isn’t much of a descriptor, and would not likely change the reader’s impression much. With regards to your order, it will be shipped today can be rephrased as Regarding your order, it will be shipped today and it comes out cleaner and more concise. The haunted house is really scary this year. Below is a handy list of words that are both useful and appropriate to academic language. The Write Up delivers writing advice, encouragement, and challenges right to your inbox each month. He was so late could mean minutes or hours, and isn’t informative without context. Phrases like in order to and due to the fact that are nearly always completely unnecessary. If you write well, using strong verbs and precise nouns, you will show. It’s not strong, and it’s not great writing. Really is one of my absolute pet peeves as a reader. This is another filler phrase that is sometimes used to soften the delivery of whatever follows. Using these words also makes you ‘tell’ rather than ‘show’. Once you notice them, you’ll be able to eliminate them before you use them, or recognize them during the editing process. To save time, double check all orders before they go out for delivery. Challenge yourself to restructure your sentences to eliminate them. Most of the time, both of these phrases can be replaced with a simple to with zero effect on the meaning of what’s being said. When I started teaching natural childbirth classes, it didn’t take me long to figure out that I’m an ‘um’er. If communicating concisely and clearly is your goal, eliminating filler words is an easy way to shave content you don’t need. Learning to eliminate words and phrases like these can be a huge advantage if you’re working with content that has a specific word count targeted, especially when you’re in a paring-down phase. Basically is a filler word that appears both in speech and writing. Since filler words don’t really add any meaning to the sentence, you don’t need to think about using them. Unless you’re writing a piece that’s required to be subjective, you might even consider removing in my opinion altogether, as the whole piece is written from your own point of view and not an objective one. In order to save time in the future, maybe we can double check orders before they go out for delivery. When you’re writing, it’s important to think about the reader and how they’ll interact with your writing. Although filler words "may have fairly minimal lexicalcontent," notes linguistBarbara A. Freelance Writers: How Much Should You Charge? In contrast, the third sentence conveys the level of sadness being felt much more effectively and descriptively. Why use multiple words when one will do? Consider the difference between these three sentences: When I found out the wedding was off, I was really sad. I’m a big believer in directness, and when you want to speak in a way that people will listen to and have faith in, being assured of your words is huge. When you begin a sentence this way, the implication is that what follows is something the reader should already know. As a reader, it’s understandable that they’d feel like if you didn’t need to write it, they don’t need to read it. Some of the common filler words in English are um, uh, er, ah, like, okay, right,and you know. If it’s needless to say, you wouldn’t be saying it, right? It’s tempting to use these phrases to begin a final paragraph, but it’s unoriginal and un-necessary. Just as in speech, a So followed by a period or comma is a common way to start a sentence. That is actually a good example! This phrase is a disclaimer people tend to use when they want to say something, but they’re not sure how it will be received. The renovation will leave the house twice as large. There isn’t much difference in what’s communicated in the first two. We have prepared some flashcards containing linking words you can use in academic writing. Cut unnecessary words to keep your sentences tight and your readers happy. For what it’s worth, we could raise the prices on our dairy cows is saying the same thing as We could raise the prices on our dairy cows. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here. I just need an answer so I can move to the next phase of the project. These phrases can both be pared down. They can muddle your points and weigh down your paragraphs. Read your sentences out loud and pay attention to the sound, rhythm, and flow of the pieces. Look at your most recent writing. You could also eliminate it altogether by just saying Your order will be shipped today. If you’re coming across these words and phrases in every paragraph, it may be that you need a bit more content development before it’s ready to go. Don’t miss a thing! Is it just a way to make things sound more polite? In that space between words, when my brain is grasping for the next sentence or idea, I let the u-word slip my lips way more often than I’d like to admit. Saying in my humble opinion is really a way to give yourself a pass on taking responsibility for what you think. Again, these words don’t add information. This can be offputting, and create a kind of tension you don’t necessarily want between yourself and your target audience. See if you can spot fillers and unnecessary words in these examples: There is a dog sitting on the porch. However, if communicating concisely and clearly is your goal, eliminating filler words is an easy way to shave content you don’t need. Qualifiers like basically undermine your confidence and your voice, and in most cases can be entirely removed. So is also used often as a qualifier, along with such. Often when we translate our thoughts to writing, we are tempted to insert the same types of placeholders we need in speech to let our minds catch up to our mouths. So many words exist in the English language that can add intensity better than really, and communicate your point more precisely while you’re at it. The more direct and concise you can be, the better your pieces will read. We often use basically when we’re exaggerating for effect or making a statement that is generally true but may have some rare exceptions. For all intents and purposes, the semester will end on June 18 becomes The semester will effectively end on June 18. Instead of writing “Good morning, can you please send an update on the project” I will say “I’m just writing to request an update on the project.” Of course, there is not hard-and-fast rule that will fit ALL types of writing. In Creative Writing. In order to save time in the future, maybe we can double check orders before they go out for delivery. Only keep it if it’s essential for making the sentence clear, for example, I like the dog that sleeps inside the blue doghouse. CLICK HERE to download these FREE flashcards. Sometimes basically is an important qualifier, but often, it’s clear from context that you’re not making a claim of absolute truth. Fox, "they can play a strategic syntacticrole in an unfolding utterance" (in Fillers, Pauses and Placeholders, 2010). Let’s take a look! The haunted house is delightfully terrifying this year. In some ways it’s human nature to avoid conflict. Check out some of your recent emails. One begins weakly, while the other presents a valid idea with certainty. Eliminating phrases like these that can sound cliche will help you communicate more effectively. The Writing Cooperative is a community of people helping each other write better. So is used in a couple of different unnecessary contexts. I am constantly guilty of using “just” as a filler word, especially in emails. Recognizing your preferred fillers is the first step. The more you practice getting rid of filler words, the more natural it will become. In order to move to the next phase of the project, I need an answer. Amazing, right? This lesson provides 100+ useful words, transition words and expressions used in writing an essay. […] help much either. Sentences like he was so late can be transformed to be more colorful and more complete. Noticing filler words is hard. Here’s a bit of practice to get you started! Personally, for me, I like to use the word “that” a lot. Discover 30 of the dullest, most meaningless and boring words on the planet, compressed into one, beautiful infographic. Take a look, Writers — Here’s How to Choose a Publication That’s Right for You, Writing Multiple Articles at Once is Easier Than You Think, How I Became an Amazon Bestseller in Less than A Week, How Michael Jackson Can Help Improve Your Writing’s Popularity. But most of the time when we’re writing, whether it’s in business, academia, or in an essay online, we’re making a case for something we believe in. Is there anything you were just wondering? I’ve started reviewing my pieces this way, and 9 times out of 10, removing that from sentences makes them clearer without affecting their substance or impact. When all’s said and done, the renovation will leave the house twice as large. Just is another word that’s often used to soften something, but there’s a difference between being straightforward and being rude. See if you can spot fillers and unnecessary words in these examples: Nothing is grammatically wrong with these sentences, but they can all be made more concise and interesting. Neither of these phrases adds anything to your piece, in fact I’d argue that it takes something away because they’re so overused. If you could just adjust it when you have the time becomes Please adjust it when you have the time. Most of the time, you’ll find there’s not. Really is a true throwaway, something readers can just skim over them instead of becoming engaged with your writing. Filler words in creative writing include the overuse of adverbs and adjectives. But it’s not necessary — no one is reading your writing as you’re doing it, so you have the opportunity to remove those fillers and just get straight to it. Part of it is resisting adding them in the first place, and the other part is gaining the skill to spot them during editing and polishing. The haunted house is really scary this year. Also known as a pause filleror hesitation form. Other examples of filler words are just, so, very, really, but, of, some, and like. If it’s an opinion that’s coming from you, we know it’s your opinion. Do you know any filler words? These words give structure to the whole, helping you to organise your ideas and assist the reader in understanding them. Beginner creative writers do the same thing when they write their first novels. One is staring sentences with it. If the … What an oxymoron! And calling it humble doesn’t make it so. I drove to town in order to pick up the dry cleaning has the exact same meaning as I drove to town to pick up the dry cleaning. I was sad to find out the wedding was off. For example, She believed that the dog had run away can become She believed the dog had run away without any loss of meaning. This is a weird one, and it shows up so often and so naturally we don’t even notice it. Wait until you apply our other word-count reduction rules!

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