LLRX.com -- Grammar Goddess: Defining Diction

The Grammar Goddess from LLRX.com weighs in with some good advice on diction. My heart thrilled when I read this advice:

If you want a simple rule guaranteed to improve your writing, try this: Avoid the words very, really, truly, quite, and thing. Rarely do these words contribute to a sentence.

I hope that recommendation sounds familiar to my students. Really, truly, very familiar. :-)

In truth, the Grammar Goddess's list seems completely manageable. Five little words to avoid in one's writing provides a workable starting place toward improving language.