3 ms·

You can also just drop the “very”. There’s no need for a fancy word to replace the thing you’re very very about. For example, if you’re writing “very tall”, ch

You can also just drop the “very”. There’s no need for a fancy word to replace the thing you’re very very about. For example, if you’re writing “very tall”, change it into “tall” and re-read the sentence. It’ll be better. I learned this by reading Scott Adams’ excellent 3-minute essay on writing: https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/06/the_day_you_bec.html https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/06/the...

DonHopkins 4y ago
[flagged]
- skrebbel 4y ago
  I don't appreciate this personal attack. You know nothing about me, you know nothing about who and what I endorse. You simply conclude that because I refer to work by a person you dislike, I am also a person you dislike, and therefore I'm worthy of being yelled at. The world isn't this black and white. My linking to an article from 2007 does not mean I stand behind everything its author ever said. It's a good article. It does not suddenly become a bad article just because the author has gone batshit crazy a decade later. Please try to assume good faith.
qwery 4y ago
Very tall people are taller than tall people. (Of course) you can (always) (just) remove words from a sentence. The (very) idea that doing so will (always) result in a "better" sentence is nonsensical. The Empire State Building is a very tall building, but it is not the tallest. King Kong is a tall gorilla, and he is the tallest. Many examples are contrived. This example is contrived. I'm sorry, but I'm not very sorry.
- skrebbel 4y ago
  Sure, I should've written "It'll often be better".
  - jonnycomputer 4y ago
    Not "It'll very often be better"
strken 4y ago
When someone on the internet says "do not do X" it should be read as "think before you do X."
olau 4y ago
Well.
the_only_law 4y ago
Yeah but how will you know how oh so smart I am then?
- skrebbel 4y ago
  Actually keeping it simple makes you seem smarter https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-04065-001 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-04065-001

DonHopkins 4y ago

[flagged]

skrebbel 4y ago
I don't appreciate this personal attack. You know nothing about me, you know nothing about who and what I endorse. You simply conclude that because I refer to work by a person you dislike, I am also a person you dislike, and therefore I'm worthy of being yelled at. The world isn't this black and white. My linking to an article from 2007 does not mean I stand behind everything its author ever said. It's a good article. It does not suddenly become a bad article just because the author has gone batshit crazy a decade later. Please try to assume good faith.

qwery 4y ago

Very tall people are taller than tall people. (Of course) you can (always) (just) remove words from a sentence. The (very) idea that doing so will (always) result in a "better" sentence is nonsensical. The Empire State Building is a very tall building, but it is not the tallest. King Kong is a tall gorilla, and he is the tallest. Many examples are contrived. This example is contrived. I'm sorry, but I'm not very sorry.

skrebbel 4y ago
Sure, I should've written "It'll often be better".
- jonnycomputer 4y ago
  Not "It'll very often be better"

strken 4y ago

When someone on the internet says "do not do X" it should be read as "think before you do X."

olau 4y ago

Well.

the_only_law 4y ago

Yeah but how will you know how oh so smart I am then?

skrebbel 4y ago
Actually keeping it simple makes you seem smarter https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-04065-001 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-04065-001