While a handful of writers have a natural gift for articulation, a larger percentage simply knows how to edit their work. Look at any writer’s first draft, and you’ll see fillers and weak words.
To make your blog writing easier, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 worst offenders.
Cut these 5 words from your writing, and instantly improve your blog posts’ quality.
1. “To be” Verbs
Any form of the to be verb (there is, here are) is a filler, weakening your writing. Removing this verb phrase will instantly strengthen your sentence by cutting it down to the core.
Before: “There are many people who seem to be writing well.”
After: “Many people write well.”
2. “Really” and “Very”
They say you should write how you talk. Unfortunately, this leaves the door open to wimpy descriptions. The weakest? Really and very. These words add nothing to your sentence and can almost always be substituted by one stronger adjective.
Before: “That food tastes really bad.”
After: “That food tastes terrible.”
3. “That” and “Just”
The words that and just are often warned against by editors and English professors, but can slip by unnoticed. Rarely does that or just add anything to the sentence. Instead, they’re an extra word, adding nothing of value.
Before: “She promised that she was done with him.”
After: “She promised she was done with him.”
4. “I believe”
The two words I believe, when used together, do less to hinder your writing and more to hinder your overall point. As the author of a blog post, you are the expert. I believe is a qualifier giving the reader an excuse to question your authority. The reader knows you believe your position; it’s the reason you’re writing on the subject. Cut out I believe and instantly gain persuasive power.
Before: “I believe this position stands against scrutiny.”
After: “This position stands against scrutiny.”
5. “Yet”
Last on the list is appropriately placed, as it’s often slipped into the end of the sentence. Much like I believe, adding a yet to the end of your sentence often does nothing more than fill space. Again, the reader already understands your meaning; you don’t need to add qualifiers.
Before: “I haven’t arrived yet.”
After: “I haven’t arrived.”
Whether you dream of becoming a great author or simply want to write great blogs, cutting these 5 words from your post will instantly improve your writing style.
Photo Credit: Greek Tweeters
