Clean and clarify meaning11/16/2023 Yes, that goes for your mood, but it also goes for your writing. If your writing feels weighed down by long sentences crammed with lots of punctuation, try taking out some of the extras in favor of sentences that are short and sweet. Sure: sometimes a colon, semicolon, or other fancy punctuation-dashes, for example-can help you get a point across it’s elegant and convincing.īut often, shorter sentences are better. Er, that is, emulate interesting writing styles to keep your prose powerful. After all, there are so many interesting writing styles out there. Instead, try to start with yourself or a subject-or better yet, a verb-to focus on the action and the idea. Constructions that start with words like “it,” “here,” or “there,” followed by a form of the verb “to be” fall into the category of empty filler words. In other words, write interesting sentences. There is nothing more boring than a sentence that starts with “there is.” In other words, sentences that start with “there is” are boring. If it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence in a significant way, axe it. When you catch yourself using one of those words, read the sentence to yourself without it. Here are some of the most common do-nothings in the adverb world: Here’s that sentence without the padding: we recommend taking out the adverbs unless you need to modify an idea. We’re not going to bring devils and brimstone into the picture, but we do strongly recommend that you seriously think about taking out the adverbs, unless you actually need to significantly modify an idea. Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing: Who wants pasta with more pepper on it than cheese? They’re like seasoning: a little goes a long way. Like weasel words, adverbs aren’t evil on their own. But if you want to convey an idea or make an argument, remove words that make your readers think of slimy politicians trying to avoid stating something directly. Weasel words are qualifiers that make you sound unsure of yourself, like you’re trying to create wiggle room.ĭon’t get us wrong: in some cases, you need these words. Or maybe like you’re trying to create a little wiggle room. Send us feedback about these examples.Specifically, weasel words are qualifiers that might make you sound sort of like you’re not sure of yourself. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clarify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 27 July 2023 See More Simu Liu would like to clarify that Ryan Gosling is not his Kenemy. Simu Liu addresses awkward red carpet moment with Ryan Gosling Thania Garcia, Variety, 27 July 2023 Today's top entertainment and celebrity news Mathew Tsang / Getty Images Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 28 July 2023 Their note did not clarify who had fallen ill or whether or not the illness would impact the Chicks’ next show on July 29 at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nicholas Nehamas,, 29 July 2023 On Friday in Albia, Mr. Will Langhorne, Arkansas Online, 30 July 2023 On Friday in Albia, DeSantis sought to clarify his comments. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 31 July 2023 With esports on the rise, the Legislature enacted Act 439 to clarify that video game tournaments are not gambling. 2023 In a statement to PEOPLE, Daily Harvest clarified the purpose of the event. Tim Scott, who is competing against DeSantis in the GOP presidential contest, have criticized the Florida governor for his comments and called on him to clarify his position. 2023 Black Republicans including South Carolina Sen. Recent Examples on the Web The rocker clarified that the commitments previously agreed to with Moderatto during 2023 that involved him will be carried out without setbacks.
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