words to not use in an essay

164 Phrases and words You Should Never Use in an Essay—and the Powerful Alternatives you Should

This list of words you should never use in an essay will help you write compelling, succinct, and effective essays that impress your professor.

Writing an essay can be a time-consuming and laborious process that seems to take forever.

But how often do you put your all into your paper only to achieve a lame grade?

You may be left scratching your head, wondering where it all went wrong.

Chances are, like many students, you were guilty of using words that completely undermined your credibility and the effectiveness of your argument.

Our professional essay editors have seen it time and time again: The use of commonplace, seemingly innocent, words and phrases that weaken the power of essays and turn the reader off.

But can changing a few words here and there really make a difference to your grades?

Absolutely.

If you’re serious about improving your essay scores, you must ensure you make the most of every single word and phrase you use in your paper and avoid any that rob your essay of its power (check out our guide to editing an essay for more details).

Here is our list of words and phrases you should ditch, together with some alternatives that will be so much more impressive. For some further inspiration, check out our AI essay writer .

Vague and Weak Words

What are vague words and phrases.

Vague language consists of words and phrases that aren’t exact or precise. They can be interpreted in multiple ways and, as such, can confuse the reader.

Essays that contain vague language lack substance and are typically devoid of any concrete language. As such, you should keep your eyes peeled for unclear words when proofreading your essay .

Why You Shouldn’t Use VAGUE Words in Essays

Professors detest vagueness.

In addition to being ambiguous, vague words and phrases can render a good piece of research absolutely useless.

Let’s say you have researched the link between drinking soda and obesity. You present the findings of your literature review as follows:

“Existing studies have found that drinking soda leads to weight gain.”

Your professor will ask:

What research specifically? What/who did it involve? Chimpanzees? Children? OAPs? Who conducted the research? What source have you used?

And the pat on the back you deserve for researching the topic will never transpire.

Academic essays should present the facts in a straightforward, unambiguous manner that leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader.

Key takeaway: Be very specific in terms of what happened, when, where, and to whom.

VAGUE Words and Phrases You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay

Flabby words and expressions, what are flabby expressions.

Flabby expressions and words are wasted phrases. They don’t add any value to your writing but do take up the word count and the reader’s headspace.

Flabby expressions frequently contain clichéd, misused words that don’t communicate anything specific to the reader. For example, if someone asks you how you are feeling and you reply, “I’m fine,” you’re using a flabby expression that leaves the inquirer none the wiser as to how you truly are.

Why Should Flabby Words be Removed from an Essay?

Flabby words are fine in everyday conversation and even blog posts like this.

However, they are enemies of clear and direct essays. They slow down the pace and dilute the argument.

When grading your essay, your professor wants to see the primary information communicated clearly and succinctly.

Removing the examples of flabby words and expressions listed below from your paper will automatically help you to take your essay to a higher level.

Key takeaway: When it comes to essays, brevity is best.

Flabby Words and Expressions You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay

Words to avoid in an essay: redundant words, what are redundant words.

Redundant words and phrases don’t serve any purpose.

In this context, redundant means unnecessary.

Many everyday phrases contain redundant vocabulary; for example, add up, as a matter of fact, current trends, etc.

We have become so accustomed to using them in everyday speech that we don’t stop to question their place in formal writing.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Redundant Words in Essays

Redundant words suck the life out of your essay.

They can be great for adding emphasis in a conversational blog article like this, but they do not belong in formal academic writing.

Redundant words should be avoided for three main reasons:

• They interrupt the flow of the essay and unnecessarily distract the reader.
• They can undermine the main point you are trying to make in your paper.
• They can make you look uneducated.

The most effective essays are those that are concise, meaningful, and astute. If you use words and phrases that carry no meaning, you’ll lose the reader and undermine your credibility.

Key takeaway: Remove any words that don’t serve a purpose.

Redundant Words and Phrases You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay

Colloquial expressions and grammar expletives, what are colloquial expressions.

A colloquial expression is best described as a phrase that replicates the way one would speak.

The use of colloquial language represents an informal, slang style of English that is not suitable for formal and academic documents.

For example:

Colloquial language: “The findings of the study appear to be above board.”

Suitable academic alternative: “The findings of the study are legitimate.”

What are Grammar Expletives?

Grammar expletives are sentences that start with  here ,  there,  or  it .

We frequently use constructions like these when communicating in both spoken and written language.

But did you know they have a distinct grammatical classification?

They do; the expletive.

Grammar expletives (not to be confused with cuss words) are used to introduce clauses and delay the subject of the sentence. However, unlike verbs and nouns, which play a specific role in expression, expletives do not add any tangible meaning. Rather, they act as filler words that enable the writer to shift the emphasis of the argument. As such, grammar expletives are frequently referred to as “empty words.”

Removing them from your writing can help to make it tighter and more succinct. For example:

Sentence with expletive there : There are numerous reasons why it was important to write this essay. Sentence without expletive: It was important to write this essay for numerous reasons.

Why Should Colloquial Expressions and Grammar Expletives be Removed from an Essay?

While colloquial expressions and grammar expletives are commonplace in everyday speech and are completely acceptable in informal emails and chatroom exchanges, they can significantly reduce the quality of formal essays.

Essays and other academic papers represent formal documents. Frequent use of slang and colloquial expressions will undermine your credibility, make your writing unclear, and confuse the reader. In addition, they do not provide the exactness required in an academic setting.

Make sure you screen your essay for any type of conversational language; for example, figures of speech, idioms, and clichés.

Key takeaway: Grammar expletives use unnecessary words and make your word count higher while making your prose weaker.

Words and Phrases You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay

Nominalization, what is normalization.

A normalized sentence is one that is structured such that the abstract nouns do the talking.

For example, a noun, such as solution , can be structured to exploit its hidden verb, solve .

The act of transforming a word from a verb into a noun is known as normalization.

Should normalization be Removed from an Essay?

This is no universal agreement as to whether normalization should be removed from an essay. Some scholars argue that normalization is important in scientific and technical writing because abstract prose is more objective. Others highlight how normalizations can make essays more difficult to understand .

The truth is this: In the majority of essays, it isn’t possible to present an entirely objective communication; an element of persuasion is inherently incorporated. Furthermore, even the most objective academic paper will be devoid of meaning unless your professor can read it and make sense of it. As such, readability is more important than normalization.

You will need to take a pragmatic approach, but most of the time, your writing will be clearer and more direct if you rely on verbs as opposed to abstract nouns that were formed from verbs. As such, where possible, you should revise your sentences to make the verbs do the majority of the work.

For example,

Use: “This essay analyses and solves the pollution problem.”

Not: “This essay presents an evaluation of the pollution issue and presents a solution.”

While normalized sentences are grammatically sound, they can be vague.

In addition, humans tend to prefer vivid descriptions, and verbs are more vivid, informative, and powerful than nouns.

Key takeaway: Normalization can serve a purpose, but only use it if that purpose is clear.

normalization You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay

That’s a lot to take in.

You may be wondering why you should care?

Cutting the fat helps you present more ideas and a deeper analysis.

Don’t be tempted to write an essay that is stuffed with pompous, complex language: It is possible to be smart and simple.

Bookmark this list now and return to it when you are editing your essays. Keep an eye out for the words you shouldn’t use in an essay, and you’ll write academic papers that are more concise, powerful, and readable.

JLV College Counseling

20+ words to avoid writing in your essay.

   Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jessica Velasco

   7 Comments

Essays, assignments, admissions…

These words implicate the pain of students from all over the world, don’t you agree? They yet sound like a creepy snake whispering, “You shall not passsss!”

Most students hate writing essays. It’s difficult, time- and energy consuming, and challenging to complete them. A thesis, arguments, references, and conclusion are fundamental to every essay. But what makes yours stellar is words you use to convince readers. Words are your powerful weapon to prove critical thinking and knowledge of the topic. Words help you stand out in a crowd of other students writing about the same topics.

But here’s the problem:

Not all words are useful. Some are clunky and redundant , while others make your writing mumbling. Some you use for word count rather than meaning, and they make essays sound complicated yet empty.

For concise and meaningful writing, do your best to avoid these words and phrases in your admission essays.

1) Contractions

In essays, avoid abbreviations such as “ don’t ,” “ can’t ,” and “ won’t .” Academic works suppose using full words, so write them rather than contractions.

Set phrases enrich a language, but leave them for personal stories, blog posts, or fiction books. An admission essay is a task to check your skills of formal writing, not your ability to entertain or wow professors with flourished vocabulary. Stay clear and concise.

3-5) “ So on ,” “ etc ,” “ and so forth “

These run-on expressions demonstrate nothing but your inability to work with arguments, details, and examples. They scream, “I do not know what else to say!” Avoid them in your essays.

Phrases a la “ it’s an open secret ,” “ we all know ,” or “ sleep like a baby ” are clichés used so often that have lost relevance far long ago. They are a poor attempt to strike as clever, but such words sound false in sober fact.

7-11) “ Thing ,” “ stuff ,” “ good ,” “ bad ,” “ big “

The problem with these words is colloquiality and vagueness, inappropriate for academic language. It’s okay to use them in everyday talk; but when in essays, they sound too elementary and make admission officers think of your poor vocabulary. Do your best to master paraphrasing and synonymization for writing more sophisticated words in academic papers.

12) Slang, jargon, teen speak

Remember the audience. Even though admission officers might read Buzzfeed articles in spare time, they will hardly appreciate such writing style in your formal essay. Leave slang where it’s appropriate.

13) Rhetorical questions

Asking them, you assume that readers know the answer. But why then do they need this information? What’s its value? Rhetorical questions don’t expect explanations, which is inappropriate for academic writing. What seems evident to you might not be so for a reader, that is why you should provide clear statements in essays.

14-17) “ In terms of ,” “ needless to say ,” “ in conclusion ,” “ it goes without saying “

Parenthetic words bring no surplus value to your writings. They may serve as transitional phrases in informal works but become redundant when used in academic essays. Professors will consider it a trick to complete a word count rather than add value to your work.

Quoting and referencing are a must-have for academic essays, but this rule is about starting your work with a quote from a famous person. First, this trick is so overused that drives professors nuts; and second, they want to hear from you, not Hemingway, Musk, or Obama. It’s your essay, so its tone of voice and personality should be yours.

19-26) “ Very ,” “ quite ,” “ really ,” “ totally ,” “ already ,” “ fairly ,” “ actually ,” “ just “

All they are weak modifiers or redundant – ly adverbs with no meaning. When you need to write a 2,000-word essay, you might fight against the temptation to insert them; but the result will be poor because such words are irrelevant and bring no surplus value to the statements you use in essays. “ Very unique ,” “ really interesting ,” and “ quite enough ” have nothing to do with efficient academic writings.

27) Passive voice

Most educators ask students to avoid passive voice because this grammar construction 1) weakens wiring and 2) “ lacks explicit reference to who the actor is .” Use active voice to make all statements clear to readers.

When writing essays, let words be your allies. Use those powerful words to communicate your message to admission officers and overtake other students. Be concise, enhance your vocabulary, consider active verbs and clear sentence structure, and do not plagiarize ideas and texts from peers or online sources. Convey your skills and highlight strengths in your academic writings.

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 Category: College Essay      Tags: college admission , College Essay , Essay , Guest Blog , Guest Post , Lesley Vos

7 Comments on “ 20+ Words to Avoid Writing in Your Essay ”

Pingback: What Words Are Excluded In A Word Count: Unveiling The Limits

what about if they essay is about a book?

if it’s in a book that’s fine,if you use it more than four times it gets overused

Yeah, my essay is about a book and my teacher told me to still not have any weird words. like above.

What about ‘for example’?

Ah I looked it up, and it said that you just shouldn’t repeat it too many times. It said one at best.

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33 Words not to use in your Essay

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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There are many types of words not to use in an essay. Today I want to talk to you about just three types. I’ll also provide you with 33 examples of words not to use in your essay to give you an idea of the sorts of words to look out for.

I’ll break these 33 words up into three sets:

Set 1: Exaggerated Words not to use in an Essay

Set 2: assertive words not to use in an essay, set 3: emotional words not to use in an essay.

One major place where many students fall down is that they don’t realize that the ideal essay writing format is very different from other writing styles. If you’re writing like a journalist, blogger, or fiction writer, you’re probably losing yourself marks.

Students keep trying to write essays that excite, engage, and dazzle their marker through exquisitely crafted prose.

That won’t work.

Your marker doesn’t want to be excited or dazzled through Shakespearian verse.

In fact, your marker likely isn’t even reading most of your essay the way you think.

They’re not sitting down with a nice cup of tea for an afternoon of entertainment. Essay marking is serious business. Your marker has a stack of 20, 50, or even 100 assignments to mark over the space of two weekends – weekends when they’d much rather be skiing (trust me, I know this all too well).

Your marker is therefore trying to assess how well you know the information, and whether you’ve presented it in a critical, insightful, and balanced way.

They’re scanning through your work as fast as they can, and those superb adjectives you ummed and ahhhed over for hours are probably irritating the heck out of your frazzled marker .

How Would you Describe your Essay? Focus on being ‘critical’, ‘ insightful ’, and ‘balanced’. Do not make the mistake of trying to be ‘engaging’, ‘exciting’, and ‘entertaining’.

In fact, the more you try to excite or sell a position to your marker through superlative language, the more they’ll roll their eyes.

Your marker is going to make a decision in about the first 3 minutes of their marking what grade they’ll give you. The language you use in the first few paragraphs matters. A lot.

Your marker is going to want to know, in as short a time as possible:

• Do they understand the issue?
• Have they got a balanced perspective on the issue?
• Have they looked at it from several different angles?

With this in mind, you’re going to want to start removing some of those superlative essay words that you’re accustomed to using in your nightly diary.

Here are thirty-three words to stop using. Immediately.

Exaggerated words are words not to use in your essay. Exaggerated language makes you sound like you’re selling your teacher a shoddy used car.

In academia we call these exaggerated words ‘Boosters’, and research shows students who use them too much tend to have lower grades.

Instead, you want to look like you’re very soberly stated the cases for and against a particular point. That same research study noted above highlighted that sober analysis tends to get higher grades.

Therefore, try not to provide the impression that you’ve exaggerated.

One of the biggest mistakes students make when writing an essay is overstating their claims. Students think their goal is to present a powerful exposition that will overwhelmingly convince their marker of one fact or another.

In reality, a truly critical thinker – even in an argumentative or critical essay is critical of both themselves and others.

Therefore, they don’t overstate one side of any argument. Even when they come to a conclusion at the end of their piece, it’s after picking apart the flaws and problems with all sides of an argument.

With this in mind, you don’t want to come across as a snake oil salesman. Here are some over-the-top words you might want to leave out of your next essay:

Similarly, try not to use the most dramatic statistics that don’t seem to pass the common-sense test. If you do identify an overwhelmingly powerful statistic, search for one that seems more grounded or understated.

You can present a seemingly over-the-top statistic alongside a less overwhelming statistic to show that there is disagreement within a topic. Even if both statistics seem to support a statement, present them side-by-side to show how even people who agree on big-picture issues disagree on some of the minor points.

Showing the small differences between different scholarly sources you have read is one of the best ways to show that you have come up with deep, thoughtful, and insightful ‘critical commentary’ about a topic. It also shows that you haven’t gotten carried away believing something wholeheartedly in a way that appears thoughtless.

Read Also: 13+ Examples Of The Word “Academic” In A Sentence

We don’t completely, unequivocally, and unrefutably know anything. Therefore, nothing is ever ‘confirmed’.

Even the ‘Theory’ of gravity is just a theory – and indeed, it’s changed and been updated many, many times since Isaac Newton got hit on the head by that apple.

Indeed, the idea that we never really know something to be completely true forms the basis of university thought. It dates way back to scholars such as Nicolaus Copernicus who, in 1514, proposed that the sun revolved around the earth.

Back then, this was a preposterous assertion! Everyone knew , was absolutely certain , that the earth was the center of the universe. The sun woke up in the morning and went to bed at night – that’s the way the world was.

However, by making observations of the positions of the stars at night, Copernicus showed us that we could observe that it was not the sun that was moving through space – it was us!

Copernicus showed us that we had to let our observations shape our beliefs. Thinking something is true – no matter how much it seems to be! – is not enough. We should always leave our minds open to new ideas.

Copernicus’s contemporary, Francis Bacon, called this new way of thinking skepticism . 

Nowadays, students are taught to always be skeptical. We, therefore, aim not to use words that leave no room for new data to emerge to change our minds.

Take a look at some words that are overly certain, and consider replacing them with more skeptical terms:

Emotional language is a sign of lack of critical thinking. Emotional words are therefore a big fat red flag for your teacher. You want to make it appear as if you have come to your position in an essay through the use of objective and thoughtful research.

This is very hard when an issue is inherently emotive. I used to teach a course on Child Protection. In this course I found it very difficult to get my students to stop using language like ‘disgusting’, ‘abhorrent’, and ‘repulsive’ to describe abusive behavior towards children.

“Look,” I would tell them, “I know that abusive behavior is disgusting – we all in this room agree on that. But you need to be a professional, objective juror. Explain to me the effects of child abuse through facts and research. Show facts, not feelings. In your essay, keep your emotional language out of it.”

Simply speaking, emotional language makes it appear to your marker that you are susceptible to researcher bias. A more sober analysis will be more much convincing.

Here are some words to avoid at all costs:

You might notice I didn’t provide you with possible alternative words in the table above. The reason is simple: remove superlative adjectives and adverbs, and don’t replace them with anything.

Many of my students complain that I’m asking them to be boring . It’s true, to an extent. In essay writing (unlike journalistic or blog writing), you need to take your ‘voice’ out of the writing.

You need to let the way you sorted and presented the data do the talking for you. For some tips on this, you might want to have a look at our post on paragraphs where we outline the ideal paragraph formula to achieve the best results in your essays.

In this post, I have outlined three types of words to avoid in essays , with examples. I have highlighted that you should avoid these three types of words:

Three types of Words to Avoid

• Exaggerated Words
• Emotional Words
• Assertive Words

The above 33 examples are just a start: keep your mind active when editing your work and try to pick out these three types of words.

Essay writing is supposed to be succinct, clear, and to-the-point. It should be analytical and critical. However, it should do this calmly and professionally. By exaggeration, being emotional, and being assertive, you are doing yourself a disservice.

(You might also want to brush up on tautologies so you avoid using them in essays, too!)

By paying attention to your word choice, you can start to build your marks. Sometimes it’s more important to focus on words to avoid than words to include.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ Free Social Skills Worksheets
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8 Types of Words You Must Not Use in Your Essay

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by  Antony W

June 26, 2024

Academic writing is different from creative writing mostly because it’s formal. And although creativity is welcome in essay assignments, there are words and phrases that can cost you important marks if you use them in college assignments.

We know how hard writing essays can be, especially because you don’t have the opportunity to implement the elements of creative writing. Plus, it’s time and energy consuming because you have to do a lot of research, write a working thesis , build an outline, defend arguments , and have an impressive paper at the end of it all. 

As challenging as essay writing can be, it’s not impossible. You can take your research and put it on the paper before the deadline elapse. However, the words you use to write is what will count towards enticing (convincing) your readers or boring them altogether. 

To be clear, not words are useful in essay writing. While you can use idioms and self-made sayings and quotes in creative writing, essay writing requires a 100% forma approach. That’s why it’s important to avoid these words if you want your essays to read well.

Word to Avoid in Essay Writing  

1. contractions  .

By definition, contractions are a combination of words linked together with apostrophes. Since they shorten words, contractions tend to lower the number of words in written and spoken communication. As interesting as contractions sound when read verbally, they hardly have a place in formal academic writing. You can use them in college application essays to personalize your application, but they won’t be appropriate for other types of formal essays or research assignments.

Words such as “can’t” and “mustn’t” should not appear in your academic paper, even in the case where you have to write a persuasive essay in your own voice. You should write the words in full instead.

2. Personal Pronouns 

Personal pronouns are okay for college admissions essays, persuasive essay writing, and opinion essays but bad for everything else in academic writing.

Take argumentative essay writing , for example. A writer must academically reflect on arguments that correspond with their opinions and be 100% free from personal feelings. Given that they have to speak facts, which are practically difficult to explain in first person pronouns, you should avoid using words such as “I” and “We” in the essay.

To be clear, academic essays must never sound subjective. An essay that sounds subjective tends to be full of bias and sounds more like a narrative paper. As such you should avoid using personal pronouns in an essay unless otherwise instructed to do so.

3. Rhetorical Questions 

People read academic essays because they’re looking for answers to the questions that they have. So asking questions is an essay makes your writing irrelevant to a great degree.

Here’s why: 

Every time you ask a rhetorical question in an essay , you shift the burden to answer from the writer (you) to the reader (your audience). Unfortunately, the question itself doesn’t add value because they don’t provide any clue, information, or explanation. Not to mention that they’re so much irritating that they tend to easily draw attention away from the essay.

Keep in mind that what might seem obvious to you won’t be so for someone reading your essay. So instead of filling your writing with questions that will otherwise disinterest your audience, use rhetorical statements.

4. Quotes 

There’s nothing wrong with starting an essay with a quote provided it’s relevant to the issue under investigation. To make sure your readers understand the quotation, you have to explain what the quote means and its significance in the essay.

You can also end an essay with a quote provided it’s relevant to the topic.

The problem comes in when you don’t know exactly how to use quotes in the essay.

From an academic writing standpoint, you should never include a quote that you’ve made up yourself. If you must include a quote in your work, make sure it’s from a well-known author whose work is academic worthy. 

Second, don’t just copy the quotation to your writing. Explain what it is about and demonstrate how it’s significant to the topic you’re investigating. Also, you have to reference the quote so that your professor knows where you found it.

While the idea of using quotes in your work may seem Interesting, it’s best to avoid them entirely. Unless you strongly believe there’s a need to include a quote from Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Hemingway, or Obama in your work, stick to a tone that presents your personality and thoughts.

5. Passive Voice 

You should not use passive voice in an essay for the simple reason that it weakens your writing. Given its kind of grammar construction, passive voice lacks reference to who the subject (or actor) is and can make your content difficult to consume.

Use active voice in essay writing. It will make your statements clear to your reader and therefore make your paper easy and interesting to read. 

6. Vague Words 

How often do you mention words such as bad, good, thing, stuff, and big? We believe these are words you use in every day talk. However, they’re not appropriate for essay writing because they tend to make your work sound vague and elementary.

Once you finish writing your essay, re-read it, highlight the most all the inappropriate words or phrases, and then replace them with synonyms and phrases accepted in academic writing.

7. Slang 

We can’t deny that jargon, teen speak, and slang have taken root in the society. However, Buzzfeed’s style of writing isn’t something your teachers will appreciate. You need to train yourself to write and speak in a formal language, for the sake of your essay assignment at least. Leave slang to where it belongs and stick to formal writing instead.

8. Idioms 

Aren’t idioms good for enriching written works? Well, they’re but are too informal to be appropriate in academic writing. Remember, academic writing must be formal. Any idiom you include in the article breaks that rule and ruins your chances of scoring good grades.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Words to Avoid in an Essay. List With Explanations

When writing an essay, picking the right words is very important. As an experienced IB writer, I know that even small changes in your words can make or break the quality of your essay. “What words to avoid in an essay?” is one of the questions I get asked most often by students.

What phrases should you not use in your papers, why do they make your writing worse, and what words should you use instead? This piece will answer that question and more.

How Important Is Word Choice in Writing?

Choosing the right words is one of the most essential parts of writing, especially in academic papers. As an IB tutor, I’ve seen students lose important points because their wording wasn’t precise or professional. The phrases you use affect how people understand your case and the tone and clarity of your essay. IB guidelines say that how you choose words directly affects how well your essay meets the requirements of official academic writing.

It makes a big difference what words you choose. Solid and specific words show you know what you’re discussing and strengthen your case. Another thing is that using unclear or casual language can make your ideas look like they were not well thought out or backed up. That’s why knowing words not to use in essays is essential.

For example, changing “a lot of issues” to “several challenges” immediately makes the sentence clearer and more formal. In the same way, avoiding overused phrases like “at the end of the day” will make your writing feel new and fresh.

I believe that getting better at choosing words is a constant process. Reviewing your work carefully and changing weak sentences with better ones will significantly change your writing. Remember, every word matters — make each one count.

What Words You Shouldn’t Use in an Essay? Informal Language

Using casual language in your essay can make it look sloppy and inappropriate for school or college. Avoiding some phrases ensures that your work meets the required formal standards. Here are the words not to use in an essay:

• A lot – it doesn’t quantify or clarify the extent of an issue ( use many or a significant number ).
• Kinda – extremely casual and inappropriate for formal essays ( use somewhat or to some extent ).
• Gonna – a shortened form of going to that is too informal for academic writing ( use going to ).
• Wanna – slang for want to , which is unsuitable for formal contexts ( use want to or wish to ).
• Stuff – vague and doesn’t specify what is being referred to ( use items, materials, or topics ).
• Things – too broad and lacks specificity ( use concepts, factors, or elements ).
• Cool – too casual and irrelevant for academic essays ( use interesting, effective, or noteworthy ).
• Bad – oversimplifies complex ideas ( use ineffective, harmful, or problematic ).
• Good – vague and lacks analytical depth ( use effective, beneficial, or valuable ).
• Awesome – overly enthusiastic and informal ( use impressive or remarkable ).
• Really – adds little value and can be redundant ( use extremely, significantly, or notably ).
• Very – overused and weakens your writing ( use exceptionally, highly, or profoundly ).
• Basically – unnecessary and often redundant ( remove or rephrase for clarity ).
• Totally – informal and lacks academic precision ( use completely or entirely ).
• Literally – often misused and unnecessary in most contexts ( remove or use actually if appropriate ).
• Kinda – extremely casual and inappropriate for academic essays ( use somewhat or moderately ).
• Okay/OK – informal and lacks depth ( use acceptable, sufficient, or satisfactory ).
• Big – too vague for academic contexts ( use substantial, significant, or large ).
• Small – lacks specificity ( use minor, limited, or minimal ).
• A bit – informal and imprecise ( use slightly or somewhat ).
• Pretty (as a qualifier) – casual and weakens your writing ( use rather, moderately, or fairly ).
• Huge – informal and imprecise ( use significant, vast, or substantial ).
• Get/Got – overused ( use receive, obtain, achieve, or acquire depending on context ).

If you use exact and formal words instead of these casual ones, your writing will be clearer and more professional.

Words to Avoid in an Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay uses strong proof, rational reasoning, and a well-organized structure to persuade the reader of a certain point of view. A well-written argumentative essay clarifies the writer’s thoughts and the strength of their proof.

However, many students weaken their writing by using casual or vague language that does not have meaning. If you want to know “Which words should not be used in this essay? “, the answer is phrases that aren’t clear or have power:

• I think – overly subjective and weakens your argument (use it is evident, it can be argued, or it is clear instead) .
• I believe – makes the essay seem opinion-driven rather than evidence-based (use the evidence shows or research indicates) .
• In my opinion – adds unnecessary subjectivity to your points (use the data suggests or the findings demonstrate) .
• Always – too absolute and often inaccurate (use typically, frequently, or in most cases) .
• Never – it oversimplifies complex arguments (use rarely or seldom) .
• Good – too vague to convey meaning in argumentative writing (use effective, beneficial, or valuable) .
• Bad – oversimplifies arguments and lacks precision (use harmful, detrimental, or problematic) .
• Maybe – conveys uncertainty and weakens your stance (use it is possible or likely if applicable) .
• Somehow – lacks clarity and creates confusion (use specifically or explain directly) .
• Surely – assumes agreement without evidence ( use likely, probably, or it is reasonable to suggest ).
• Obviously – it can come across as condescending or dismissive ( use clearly or evidently ).
• Actually – often unnecessary and doesn’t add value ( omit or use specifically when clarifying ).
• Perhaps – suggests uncertainty, which is problematic in argumentative writing ( use it is possible or likely instead ).
• Everybody – too broad and impossible to justify ( use most people or a majority ).
• Nobody – absolute and often inaccurate ( use few people or not many ).
• Completely – adds redundancy to most statements ( use fully or thoroughly if needed ).
• Amazing – too emotional and informal ( use remarkable or significant ).
• Cheap – informal and imprecise ( use affordable or low-cost ).
• Sad – too vague and emotional for academic writing ( use unfortunate, regrettable, or disappointing ).
• Happy – informal and lacks academic depth ( use positive or favorable ).
• Thingy – extremely informal and unclear ( use object, item, or concept ).
• Problematic – overused in academic contexts and often too vague ( use challenging, flawed, or contentious ).
• Fine – too casual and lacks specificity ( use adequate, acceptable, or sufficient ).
• Nice – adds no depth or precision ( use pleasant, effective, or beneficial ).
• Wrong – too simplistic for argumentative writing ( use inaccurate, misleading, or flawed ).
• Right – often too broad or casual ( use correct, appropriate, or justified ).
• Easy – informal and vague ( use straightforward, uncomplicated, or simple ).
• Hard – too casual and unclear ( use difficult, challenging, or complex ).
• Fast – too informal for academic writing ( use quick, rapid, or efficient ).
• Slow – casual and lacks depth ( use gradual or delayed ).
• Sort of – informal and weakens arguments ( use somewhat or moderately ).
• Good-looking – inappropriate for academic contexts ( use visually appealing or aesthetically pleasing ).
• Lazy – informal and judgmental ( use unmotivated or disengaged ).
• Rich – informal and vague ( use wealthy, affluent, or well-resourced ).
• Poor – lacks specificity ( use disadvantaged, underprivileged, or insufficient ).

Mastering the art of formal writing also requires knowing the words to avoid in essays, as these can weaken your arguments and diminish the overall quality of your work.

More helpful articles:

• What Is a Claim in an Essay?
• Can You Ask Questions in an Essay?
• Can Turnitin Detect Essays Bought Online?
• How to Avoid Plagiarism in Your Essay?
• Interdisciplinary Topics in Extended Essays. Ideas for IB Students

What Words Not to Use in an Essay? Redundant Words

Using words or sentences that repeat the same idea too many times is called redundancy in writing. From what I’ve seen, using words that are already there takes up space in your essay and makes your writing less clear and straightforward. So, if you’re wondering about words to not use in an essay, redundant words are high on the list.

• Free gift – the word gift already implies it’s free ( use gift ).
• Past history – history is inherently in the past ( use history ).
• Future plans – all plans are about the future ( use plans ).
• True fact – facts are always true ( use fact ).
• End result – results occur at the end by definition ( use result ).
• New innovation – all innovations are new ( use innovation ).
• Revert back – to revert means to return ( use revert ).
• Close proximity – proximity already indicates closeness ( use proximity ).
• Added bonus – a bonus is an additional reward ( use bonus ).
• Unexpected surprise – surprises are unexpected by nature ( use surprise ).
• Basic fundamentals – fundamentals are inherently basic ( use fundamentals ).
• Each and every – either word alone suffices ( use each or every ).
• Final conclusion – a conclusion is always final ( use conclusion ).
• Small in size – small already refers to size ( use small ).
• Large in size – similar to above ( use large ).
• Few in number – few already refers to a small number ( use few ).
• Repeat again – to repeat already implies doing it again ( use repeat ).

Words used more than once make lines longer than they need to be and weaken your points. You must be clear and concise when writing essays, especially for the IB.

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Choosing better words doesn’t mean making your language too hard to understand. Instead, pay attention to being professional and precise. Avoiding words to never use in an essay, like slang or clichés, ensures that your writing meets the expectations of the IB examiners.

Before you turn it in, take the time to look over your paper for any of the words and sentences we discussed that aren’t working. If you replace them with strong, detailed options, your points will be more substantial.

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The Most Important Phrases To Avoid in an Essay

• Posted on November 4, 2024 November 21, 2024

Whether in high school or already attending college, you have many academic writing assignments ahead of you. You’ll write research papers, opinion pieces, argumentative essays, lab reports, thesis statements, analyses, and more. Improving your writing is a must if you want to be successful.

When writing an academic paper, you’re expected to use formal, academic language and write well-cited content . There are many words to avoid in academic writing. Follow the writing tips below to figure out which words not to use in a research paper and formal writing.

Personal Pronouns

You should avoid personal pronouns like “I,” “me,” and “my” in almost all academic writing. In most cases, your work will be research- or evidence-based. Inserting yourself into the argument reduces your paper’s credibility, as professors want ideas you can source.

Even most opinion pieces should not contain personal pronouns. Again, you’re arguing using research-backed logic, not your personal opinions.

Vague Wording

Vague wording includes any words that create ambiguity by talking around the point instead of giving information directly. 

Vague wording can confuse readers, preventing them from reading your whole essay and muddling your point. This can damage your credibility as a writer for the future. 

Ambiguity works against the point of writing an essay, which is to deliver information and defend one side of an argument. The confusion created by vague wording takes away from your argument and can invalidate your research.

Vague wording can present itself in a variety of ways. One way is failing to identify who did something. The writer might use the word “it” without a clear antecedent or use a pronoun without clarifying who they mean, leaving the reader unsure to whom the writer is referring. 

Then there is what is happening, which can be vague if the writer uses vague quantifiers (some, many, few) or “this” or “that” without specific references. If you can ask, “Who did this?” or “What is this?” and the answer isn’t in the text, you need to clarify it for the reader.

Informal Language

With the exception of rare circumstances which your professor would alert you to, informal language should be avoided in academic writing. While both informal and formal language have their purpose and their audience, it’s important to know when those circumstances are.

Informal language is spontaneous and casual, with a very unfocused tone. You use it to communicate with friends, family, and coworkers to get immediate feedback or message them. It would seem strange or wrong to be too formal with a close friend and equally strange to be too informal with a stranger or person of authority.

Informal language uses many of the words on this list. It uses personal pronouns and has cliches, contractions, and slang. Using informal language often leads to text that jumps from thought to thought in the same way it would if someone were having a conversation. 

Cliches and Overused Expressions

Cliches are phrases that have been so overused that they feel bland and boring. Some common examples of wordy cliches that don’t add to the text are “thinking outside the box” and “better safe than sorry.”

When you use a cliche, it makes it hard for your professor to take you seriously. Cliches aren’t original, and since they don’t add anything to the essay, they can weaken any research you’ve done and your credibility as a writer. The more cliches you use, the worse it gets. 

Common cliches can be replaced to convey the same information without relying on overused expressions. 

“At the end of the day” and “the fact of the matter” are ways of concluding or ending a thought. It can be replaced with “in conclusion” or “this proves.” 

“Think outside the box,” “on the same page,” and “in this day and age” can be omitted completely. They are conversational and would be obvious based on the rest of the essay. If you had never heard these phrases before, would it be confusing? What box? What page? Don’t assume your reader knows the same cliches as you. 

“Needless to say” and “time will tell” offer no information to an essay and shift the tone from academic to informal writing.

“Paradigm shift” means a sudden change to fundamental properties, but it’s been overused. If you use this cliche for its intended meaning, explain what a paradigm is and then how the shift relates to your research.

Cliches also often make your essays wordier than they have to be. Look for other ways to get your point across, and try to stick to your own voice as much as possible.

Weak Modifiers & Overused Adverbs

Weak modifiers and overused adverbs often seem helpful when you’re using them but do nothing to strengthen your points. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause used to strengthen, clarify, or intensify meaning in a sentence. Weak modifiers do not add to the meaning of a sentence and can even detract from it. Examples include “merely,” “rather,” and “fairly.”

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Below is a list of words considered overused adverbs:

Professors consider weak modifiers and overused adverbs filler words because they add to the word count but don’t add meaning. You can often improve a sentence by taking out these words. If the sentence still lacks meaning, try a stronger adjective or verb.

Passive Voice

Understanding passive voice can be challenging. In a sentence, you will often have an actor and a receiver of the action. When you make the receiver the subject of a sentence and the actor the object, it doesn’t read well and is wordier than the active version.

Consider these two sentences:

• Active voice: Liam took Jakob to the movies.
• Passive voice: Jakob was taken to the movies by Liam.

You’ll notice that in the active example, the first person mentioned is the one doing the action. The second person is the one receiving the action. It reads much more clearly than the second example.

It’s crucial to avoid passive voice when possible. You should try to avoid passive voice in informal writing, as it almost always makes your writing awkward and difficult to read.

Absolute or Overgeneralized Terms

Absolute and overgeneralized terms are words or phrases like “always,” “literally,” and “never” that are used in everyday conversation to emphasize a point. The person speaking usually doesn’t intend for the absolute definition to be believed. 

However, essays are arguments that you are attempting to defend or prove with evidence, and using those terms in an essay without proof of the absolute weakens your argument and credibility. The true meaning of these words should be honored, and they are virtually impossible to prove and should be used cautiously when you can confidently prove them. 

Some common absolute/overgeneralized terms are:

• Always – With rare exceptions, it is very difficult to prove that something is true without any exceptions. Say that something happens often and show evidence. 
• Never – Like “always,” it only takes one time to prove this word wrong. Use words like rarely or show proof that something hasn’t happened yet.
• Every or all – Quantify the term and use data to show your point rather than use a general term. Instead of writing every volunteer or all volunteers, show what the research says and give the reader a mental picture. For example, a group of twelve volunteers conducted the experiment and twelve experienced changes.
• None – Like “never,” show the proof you have that shows the opposite. Then, the onus is placed on the reader to prove otherwise. 
• Absolutely or undoubtedly – Again, to use these terms requires you to prove that the contrary has never happened, which is virtually impossible. Instead, say that the opposite has yet to be shown.

Redundant Words and Phrases

Redundant words and phrases like absolutes are often used in conversation to emphasize a point. In academic writing, they are repetitive, unnecessary, and can impact the clarity of your writing. 

Using them can confuse readers, and as they say the same thing more than once, redundant words can require the reader to re-read something multiple times to understand it fully. 

• In my opinion – in academic writing, everything is assumed to be your opinion which needs to be backed by proof. Replace this with “research shows,” or simply state your findings. 
• The reason is because – reason makes because redundant, so just state your findings and give proof. 
• Due to the fact that – this can be shortened to because or “due to” and follow it with your evidence. 
• For all intents and purposes – this means “essentially” or something has the same result as something else and would be clearer to just state the result. 
• Each and every – this is redundant because both “each” and “every” means the same thing and an absolute that would be almost impossible to prove. Stick to the facts and use data to support your argument. 
• Absolutely essential – Absolute and redundant. Show how essential it is and back up your argument. 
• Past history – Just say history which is understood to be in the past.
• Advance planning – Like history, the word planning is done before something happens. 
• Repeat again – Repeat means to do something again. The word repeat is sufficient. 
• End result – A result occurs at the end, so only “result” needs to be used

Filler Words

In conversation, filler words (also called discourse markers) are used to fill silence and to show that the speaker is pausing to think of what to say next. They serve an important purpose and help to keep people from speaking over each other. 

Informal writing uses a more conversational tone and includes filler words to mimic natural dialogue.

Academic writing, however, is less of a conversation and more of a presentation, so it requires conciseness. They may lead to inserting cliches into your writing, which can further dilute your message. Filler words also remove the focus from your argument and bloat your word count. 

By eliminating filler words, your essay is more likely to come across as professional, convey information directly, and demonstrate an understanding of a topic.

However, be careful when editing your essay to leave in important words that may appear to be filler words at first glance. Words like “however,” and “additionally” may be filler words in speech, but in text, they act as transitional words that allow the reader to move from one idea or topic to another. 

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, frequently used filler words include: 

• Just – This word adds hesitation to the rest of the sentence and can take away from your argument. Remove it and rephrase the sentence so it’s a strong, confident statement. 
• Actually – Redundant and can come across as condescending in some instances, “actually” can be removed and phrased directly.   
• Basically – This term simplifies ideas and explanations but tends to oversimplify things and is too informal for academic purposes. Instead of using “basically,” choose concise words to make your point.
• Literally – An absolute word that can be misused. This word can be used but only in appropriate situations where something is exactly the same. Otherwise, omit it and construct the sentence without it.
• Somewhat – Like “basically,” this word is uncertain and weakens the statement around it. Pick strong words that describe the impact the statement or fact has. 
• Kind of – This phrase is informal and appears indecisive compared to a more direct statement. If a statement cannot be described in a definite way, use data to show the degree to which it’s true. 
• Sort of – Similar to “kind of,” this phrase diminishes the statement, is vague, and is considered informal. Omit it and use data to express the degree. 
• In order to – This phrase implies intention, but it’s a very wordy way to do so. It can be shortened to just “to” when implying a purpose. 
• That – A common word often used to connect clauses. Check to see if “that” can be removed without affecting the meaning of the sentence. Often, you can move the word, and the sentence will read more smoothly. 

The Impact of Word Choice in English Essay Writing

Your writing doesn’t have to suffer because you have to use academic and formal language. Although it is more formal and precise than informal language, your essays can still be interesting to write and to read. Formal language keeps your thoughts organized and concise.

Focus on delivering a professional-sounding thesis that has a solid argument, explains all terms and ideas, and cites all its sources. Using a citation generator to format your sources correctly can help you save time and ensure that your bibliography is consistent for the citation style. 

Avoid allowing your academic writing to suffer by sticking with academic language. Choose your words carefully to support your argument, and don’t forget these key writing tips:

• Personal Pronouns: Let your research speak for itself, and don’t put “I,” “me,” and “our” in your paper. Speaking to the reader as yourself in a paper can weaken your research-based evidence and distract from the argument. 
• Vague Wording: Avoid words or phrases that don’t strengthen your argument or immediately explain what they are. Every word should bring something to the sentence.
• Informal Language: Contractions and slang are great for conversations, but leave them out of your essay. Use more formal language to demonstrate the strength of your argument. 
• Cliches and Overused Expressions: Cliches don’t add anything to writing because they are overused and bland. They’re also not formal enough for a college essay. These words deserve to be replaced with stronger, original words that can convey your thoughts properly. 
• Weak Modifiers & Overused Adverbs: These words, which attempt to add to words, are unnecessary, and their use may imply that you’re trying to pad your word count. If you choose strong words instead, they will be able to stand alone. If support is needed, use data to support your ideas. 
• Passive Voice: Passive voice adds unnecessary words and makes your writing difficult to understand. Writing in an active voice makes the statements direct, clear, and engaging. 
• Absolute or Overgeneralized Terms: Absolute terms like “every,” “always,” and “never” are inaccurate because they can’t be proven to always be true. Rely on data and specific terms to back up your statements. 
• Redundant Words and Phrases: Phrases like “in my opinion” and “past history” are repetitive and don’t add anything to your essay. Remove redundant phrases and choose specific words that are concise and support your argument.
• Filler Words: While they are important parts of a conversation, filler words don’t offer much to academic writing. Take out words like “just” and “basically” for a more impactful essay.

Before submitting your assignment, check for formatting and do some proofreading. You should also use a plagiarism checker. Even if you didn’t copy, you may sometimes unintentionally plagiarize . Check your school’s style guide because you will probably need to use APA or MLA. Quetext’s software can help you create citations at the click of a button, all for free.

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Words To Avoid In Writing (Including Rules and Phrases)

Have you ever found it challenging to understand someone because of how they were writing?

Like a messy desk, untidy writing can cause problems when someone else needs to understand what you’ve written. Removing unnecessary words and phrases ensures that your message is as straightforward as possible for anyone who has to read it instead of just for yourself.

When you’re revising any piece of writing, there are certain words you want to remove to make your text tighter. These should help speed up the pacing of action and dialogue and make your work more polished and professional.

There isn’t a definitive list for every type of writing out there, but some words tend to be useless and should be omitted when doing revisions.

Here are ten commandments to improve your writing.

Don’t use too many adverbs

Adverbs—those words that often end in -ly—are helpful but should be used sparingly. If a verb is not strong enough to convey the meaning you are trying to express, use a stronger verb instead of adding an adverb.

Don’t use too many prepositional phrases

Prepositions are words that often pop up before nouns and pronouns. Fortunately, there are ways to rid your writing of these phrases. If you can eliminate phrases like “towards the end” or “from the middle,” or any other prepositional phrase from your sentence, it will instantly become shorter and more easily understood by most people.

Don’t use ambiguous modifiers

A squinting modifier is a misplaced sentence element that could modify either the phrase that precedes it or the one that follows it because of its unclear location in the sentence. Move their positions to make them clear to your readers.

Don’t use vague pronoun references

When pronouns are used, they should always have something to “stand” on, which means no pronoun should be used without a clear antecedent (a noun – person, place, or thing). Making sure that pronouns do not go without a reference is a matter of paying attention to your writing so as not to confuse the reader.

Don’t use Comma Splices

To splice means to join or connect. Writers often use a comma to join two independent clauses or sentences together in place of a semicolon, period, or coordinating conjunction.

Don’t use Run-on Sentences

Run-on sentences consist of two or more complete sentences incorrectly connected without proper punctuation or coordinating conjunction. An easy way to identify whether run-on sentences are present is by noticing an abrupt transition in writing and then finding the error in speech construction.

These errors can either be long or short sentences depending on the length of each clause in the sentence and how much time it would take you to correct them. Regardless of their size, both types of run-ons need to be fixed before considering correct punctuations.

Don’t use inflated sentences

Clean up your prose by minimizing superfluous language that serves nothing but to distract and confuse. This helps deliver more accurate, straightforward text that reflects precisely what you want to say in a much more efficient way.

Don’t use excessive sentences

Shakespeare has rightly said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Use that as guidance by never using ten sentences when two will suffice. Avoid overusing words such as “that,” “just,” and “very” in your work because it will only make reading more difficult for the reader.

Don’t use “could of” instead of “could have”:

“Could have” is always acceptable; “could of” never is. Writers probably make this grammar error because when we speak, the contraction “could’ve” sounds an awful lot like “could of.”

Don’t use Tautologies

Tautologies are phrases that have identical meanings. For example, “Can you jump?” and “Can you jump up and down?” Both sentences mean the same thing. You can have a lot of fun with these kinds of phrases. Often, like non-tautology phrases, they add emphasis or leave out extraneous information: dilapidated ruins, close proximity, added bonus, large crowd. The list goes on and on!

Now that you know which grammar mistakes you should avoid, here is a list of words for a quick scan that might work as your cheat sheet when proofreading or editing:

All the time.  This is a redundant phrase, and avoid it all the time.

About.  Don’t use this word to estimate because it does not specify anything. Use the word ‘approximately’ instead. Or even better, use a range.

Absolutely necessary or absolutely essential.  The words “necessary” or “essential” themselves express the urgency of that matter. Avoid the redundant absolutely.

Add an extra/an additional.  The words extra or additional work as a tautology here. Avoid them to tighten your phrasing.

Each and every.  Don’t use filler words like “each and every” day. Use compact words, such as daily instead.

As yet.  This is an example of a filler that you don’t need in your sentences.

In order to.  Eliminate the excess verbiage ‘in order to’ and use ‘to’ instead.

Basically, actually, totally, completely, absolutely, literally, actually.  All these filler words are basically, actually, totally, completely, absolutely, literally, actually useless and frustrating to read.

Some.  This is an ambiguous word. Add specifications like something, someone, somewhere, somebody instead.

Very, really, quite, rather, extremely.  These filler words are really, very, quite, rather, extremely frustrating to read.

At the end of the day, at this point of time, at this present time.  These are empty phrases that don’t add value to your piece. Use specific words like “ultimately”, “now”, “today”, etc., instead.

‍ Simply, pretty, just.  You don’t need these vague words. Don’t use them often, pretty please. ‍

As a matter of fact.  This is an empty phrase that you do not need. ‍

For all intent and purposes, for the most part.  Empty phrases. Use those sparingly. ‍

Fly through the air, sit down, jump up.  You can write fly, sit or jump instead. The rest is already intended.

‍ Sort of, kind of.  Empty phrases. You sort of kind of don’t need them to write. ‍

Probably.  You are probably too smart to use such an empty word.

As a rule.  As a rule, you should avoid such vague phrases at all costs. ‍

Frequently.  Rhis is an example of a vague phrase that you should not use often.

With regard to, in reference to.  These are prepositional phrases that do not add much to your writing. ‍

Due to the fact, in fact.  Avoid using these.

‍ I believe/I think/ in my opinion.  This might be hard, but your opinion rarely matters in professional writing.

‍ Needless to say.  If it is needless to say something, do not say it. ‍

It is important to note that.  It’s important to note that your writing should be clean and precise.

‍ During the course of.  During the course of this article, we have learned what to use and what not to use. This is another example of a redundant phrase that you should avoid while writing.

In an essay titled  Politics and the English Language , George Orwell gave out a few pointers.

Here they are:

• Never incorporate a metaphor, simile, or other figures of speech.
• Never go for a long word when a short one can do.
• If there is a scope to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Always use an active voice.
• Never use a foreign phrase, a jargon word, or a scientific word, as your reader might not be aware of those.

There you have it: keep your writing simple, brief, active, free of clichés, and to the point. Follow this advice, and you are golden!

Tomas Laurinavicius

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