Using Strong Verbs and Nouns | strong noun
Choosingthebestwordcanmakeyourwritingclearer,stronger,moreeffective,andmoreinteresting. Amorespecificwordcanconveymoreinformation. Oftenadjectivesandadverbsareaclumsyreplacement[1]forawell-chosennounorverb. Somewordsaresoblandandvaguethattheytellthereaderalmostnothing. Suchwordsshouldalmostalwaysbereplaced. BeingSpecific Aspecificwordtellsusmorethanagenericword. Adogcouldbeacollie,aterrier,oramutt. Ifawomanwalks,doesshestroll,wander,ormarch? Theimagethatwegetwhenwereadaboutagran...
Choosing the best word can make your writing clearer, stronger, more effective, and more interesting. A more specific word can convey more information. Often adjectives and adverbs are a clumsy replacement [1]for a well-chosen noun or verb. Some words are so bland and vague that they tell the reader almost nothing. Such words should almost always be replaced.
Being SpecificA specific word tells us more than a generic word. A dog could be a collie, a terrier, or a mutt. If a woman walks, does she stroll, wander, or march? The image that we get when we read about a grandmother marching along with her collie is so much more vivid than when we read about a woman walking along with her dog.
Creating ImpactThe right words can make your writing vivid and memorable[2]. Consider the following examples:
Bland - The house was on fire. Vivid - Flames erupted from the windows. ...