10 Intensifiers You Should Really, Absolutely Avoid

10 Intensifiers You Should Really, Absolutely Avoid 10 Intensifiers You Should Really, Absolutely Avoid 10 Intensifiers You Should Really, Absolutely Avoid By Mark Nichol You are not hereby forbidden to employ the following adjectives according to their casual connotations, but to strengthen your writing, try limiting usage to that which most closely reflects their literal meaning: 1. Absolute: The original sense of absolute is â€Å"ultimate,† but now it is weakly used as an intensifier (â€Å"It was an absolute riot!†). Minimize, too, usage in the connotations of â€Å"outright† and â€Å"unquestionable† and reserve it to mean â€Å"unrestrained† or â€Å"fundamental.† 2. Awesome: Originally, something awesome inspired awe. Now, the most mundane phenomena are exalted as such. Try devoting this word to truly spectacular sensations alone. 3. Fabulous: This adjective, derived from fable, once referred to sensory stimuli one might expect to encounter in a flight of fancy. It’s long since been appropriated to describe extravagant fashion sense or, more mundanely, notable accomplishments, but it is most potent when restricted to describing phantasmagorical phenomena. 4. Fantastic: Avoid using as a synonym for excellent; senses such as â€Å"unbelievable,† â€Å"enormous,† and â€Å"eccentric† are truer to the source. 5. Incredible: As with fantastic, usage of this word has strayed far from the original meaning of something that does not seem possible. Only if a story literally cannot be believed is it authentically incredible. 6. Magnificent: Something magnificent was originally grand or sumptuous, exalted or sublime, but the word has been diminished in impact by its exclamation in response to merely commendable achievements. Reserve usage to describe things of stunning impact. 7. Real: This term derives from the Latin term res, â€Å"thing, fact,† and should be used only to denote genuine, actual, extant, practical phenomena; minimize its use, and that of the adverb really, as a synonym for complete or completely. 8. Terrific: Terrific, originally referring to something terrifying, has long been rendered impotent by use as a synonym for great, but try to reserve it for such descriptions as â€Å"a terrific crash.† 9. Very: The most abused word on this list and one of the most in the entire English language comes from the Latin word for â€Å"true.† Consider restraining yourself from using it in writing except to convey verity, precision, and other adjectival connotations, rather than the adverbial sense of â€Å"exceedingly.† 10. Wonderful: Use when a sense of wonder is involved, or at least when there’s an element of surprise, not just to suggestion a reaction of delight. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two PeopleDifference between "Pressing" and "Ironing""To Tide You Over"

Breaking Down Writer’s Block An Infographic - Freewrite Store

Breaking Down Writer’s Block An Infographic - Freewrite Store Writer’s block can happen to anyone, no matter if you’re a new writer or if you have had several well-received publications under your name. These dry spells can be a bother to deal with, as they can go on for days or even weeks at a time. It can be frightening, especially if you make a living by writing. But what exactly happens when you have writer’s block? It plays out differently for different individuals. While some find themselves not being able to pen a single decent sentence, there are others who can still write pages of paragraphs- but nowhere near the quality that they’re used to producing. There are those who just can’t seem to find the right words to say and also those who seem to have too many ideas to fit into a single article. Writer’s block can happen at any time, sometimes during crucial moments in your writing career. Because of the unpredictability of writer’s block, knowing a few techniques to overcome it can come in handy. Some experts suggest to continue writing, even when what you end up writing doesn’t make sense. You can even write about something else, so find a topic that truly interests you, and feel the thoughts and ideas come out through written format. You can also work on your focus by using a distraction-free typewriter instead, which will force you to write and write until you’re finally done. However, if you can’t even seem to find any words at all to scribble down, then shut everything down and go for a walk. Sometimes, simply taking yourself out to unwind can help loosen the screws that are holding the mental box trapping your creative juices. Go out and see people; change your environment- in other words, do something else. Interested to find out more about this scary yet inevitable experience? Check out this infographic to get more details. Writer’s block can be a pain to work with, but even the most famous writers suffered from it at various points in their writing careers. Don’t be easily discouraged if you experience that too. After all, there are many ways you can overcome this creative stumbling block.