Comments on: Five Words You Can Cut http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:41:25 +0000 hourly 1 By: raza http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/comment-page-2/#comment-389701 raza Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:14:06 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/#comment-389701 "Could you send those documents I mentioned?" would be even more concise...not sure the "I wondered" part is needed... the one that makes me cringe though it is more spoken than written is "basically"... “Could you send those documents I mentioned?” would be even more concise…not sure the “I wondered” part is needed…

the one that makes me cringe though it is more spoken than written is “basically”…

]]> By: Lucie Carruthers http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/comment-page-2/#comment-388955 Lucie Carruthers Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:56:49 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/#comment-388955 I was wondering about the use of "as" in fiction writing, when I stumbled across this website. I used "as" 68 times in 29 pages. It seems like "quite" an overuse of a necessary word. Suggestions for other ways to say the same thing? For instance: As the man left the house, he... He is as crazy as a loon. ...as though... ...as soon as... ...as he... ...as quickly as... ...she asked, as a slight edge came into view... I was wondering about the use of “as” in fiction writing, when I stumbled across this website. I used “as” 68 times in 29 pages. It seems like “quite” an overuse of a necessary word. Suggestions for other ways to say the same thing?

For instance: As the man left the house, he…
He is as crazy as a loon.
…as though…
…as soon as…
…as he…
…as quickly as…
…she asked, as a slight edge came into view…

]]> By: Josh Humble http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/comment-page-2/#comment-349354 Josh Humble Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:06:54 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/#comment-349354 I agree with the omitting of these and many other words in our vocabulary for many instances; however, as noted in other comments, you've made "quite" a few errors in this article, and their context do not appear to be satirical. I agree with the omitting of these and many other words in our vocabulary for many instances; however, as noted in other comments, you’ve made “quite” a few errors in this article, and their context do not appear to be satirical.

]]> By: khat http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/comment-page-2/#comment-349210 khat Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:25:55 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/#comment-349210 'THAT' is my nemesis! ‘THAT’ is my nemesis!

]]> By: Ken Turnbull http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/comment-page-2/#comment-285254 Ken Turnbull Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:53:18 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/five-words-you-can-cut/#comment-285254 The word 'that' is essential as an introduction to a substantival clause, as below: "The judge found the sum of $2.5 million, which had been salted away in a Swiss bank account, was the property of the claimant." You have to read most of the way through the sentence before realising that the judge did not have an amazing find. Putting 'that' after 'found' clears it up immediately. Some verbs are particularly susceptible to taking on the wrong object if the 'that' signal is missing -- verbs such as recommend, believe, suggest. I'm an editor, and it drives me crazy constantly fixing such poor expression. Sometime in the dim past, someone created a 'law' to eliminate the word 'that' in most instances. It's not valid. The word ‘that’ is essential as an introduction to a substantival clause, as below:

“The judge found the sum of $2.5 million, which had been salted away in a Swiss bank account, was the property of the claimant.”

You have to read most of the way through the sentence before realising that the judge did not have an amazing find. Putting ‘that’ after ‘found’ clears it up immediately.

Some verbs are particularly susceptible to taking on the wrong object if the ‘that’ signal is missing — verbs such as recommend, believe, suggest.

I’m an editor, and it drives me crazy constantly fixing such poor expression. Sometime in the dim past, someone created a ‘law’ to eliminate the word ‘that’ in most instances. It’s not valid.

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