Use of English Vocabulary in GMAT The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) mainly comprises 4 sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing and Integrated Reasoning. How To Use Unnecessary In A Sentence? “I don’t know where I’m going.”, “You have a map.” Ramona took a drag from her cigarette. Basically is a filler word that appears both in speech and writing. A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word … Removing them helps speed up the pacing of both action and dialogue, and makes your work more polished and professional. When you’re revising any piece of writing — a novel, a news article, a blog post, marketing copy, etc. This phrase is a disclaimer people tend to use when they want to say something, but they’re not sure how it will be received. Usually, these words are unnecessary and you can remove them. 2. As a reader, it’s understandable that they’d feel like if you didn’t need to write it, they don’t need to read it. For example, “I wondered whether Johnny was the murderer.” could be, “Was Johnny the murderer?” If the narrator questions, “Was Johnny the murderer?” it’s self-explanatory that the narrator is wondering it. Do you like to just follow up on things? Check out some of your recent emails. But it’s not necessary — no one is reading your writing as you’re doing it, so you have the opportunity to remove those fillers and just get straight to it. Something like By the time he’d arrived, he’d missed more than half of his appointment is much clearer. It is really unnecessary to bring anything to the party; we have lots of food, and plenty of stuff to drink. To be sure, Ann Bradstreet was a great American writer, and she was an admirable person, more or less. Try reading through paragraphs from the end of the piece back to the beginning. When I found out the wedding was off, I was devastated. Wonder, ponder, think, thought, feel, felt, understand, realize. 9. Saying For all intents and purposes, Rachel will be managing this project can be more succinctly phrased as Rachel will be managing this project. The law of freedom of worship is … Amazing, right? Only keep it if it’s essential for making the sentence clear, for example, I like the dog that sleeps inside the blue doghouse. Repeat this process for every word you want to find in your document. When you’re writing, it’s important to think about the reader and how they’ll interact with your writing. Sometimes a sentence will need to be reworked. PLUS you'll get a free psychological thriller story right away! “Figure it out.”. Read your sentences out loud and pay attention to the sound, rhythm, and flow of the pieces. I am constantly guilty of using “just” as a filler word, especially in emails. You could also eliminate it altogether by just saying Your order will be shipped today. We also say something is redundant when a modifier’s meaning is contained in the word it modifies, for example, ‘merge together’. Let’s take a look at ten of the most common fillers and examples of how to banish them. I don't want to encumber myself with unnecessary luggage. As long as you use "my" as the possessive of something it works. Simple sentences can be used to communicate to anyone clearly because you don’t have to mention a lot of unnecessary words– you are speaking directly to the point. Usually, these words are unnecessary and you can remove them. And calling it humble doesn’t make it so. Sometimes basically is an important qualifier, but often, it’s clear from context that you’re not making a claim of absolute truth. This one can also give off an air of condescension. A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point). The more you practice getting rid of filler words, the more natural it will become. I once saw someone comment they’d had a college professor who made them read their writing and delete all instances of that before turning it in. Smith he obtained his degree. Read on to learn more! Our language is full of rich and beautiful words and phrases which can make an ordinary sentence extraordinary. So is also used often as a qualifier, along with such. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. Incorrect: Despite leaving 10 minutes early, the worker arrived late nonetheless. Copyright © 2018 Diana Urban. For all intents and purposes, the semester will end on June 18 becomes The semester will effectively end on June 18. The use of pompous sentences and words; The use of tautology, which is the needles repetition of a word or idea using different words; Use of meaningless jargon; The use of unnecessary qualifiers for example ‘completely finished’ Below are some examples of redundancies in sentences. They’ll be able to point out actions that happen too frequently better than you can, because you’ll usually be too close to your own writing to notice. “Haven’t you been here before?” asked Derek. Take your time to learn around 20 hard words and then deeply understand its meaning by constructing sentences and using them in your day-to-day interactions. Eliminating Unnecessary Words in Your Text - A Research Guide As word nerds, we agree to an extent. I’ve started reviewing my pieces this way, and 9 times out of 10, removing that from sentences makes them clearer without affecting their substance or impact. These are useless modifiers. I read through every piece I post at least 3 times before clicking the publish button. Examples of Unnecessary in a sentence. are potential intruders. Finally, eliminate unnecessary words. If the sentence makes sense without these words, remove them. For what it’s worth, we could raise the prices on our dairy cows is saying the same thing as We could raise the prices on our dairy cows. Often when we translate our thoughts to writing, we are tempted to insert the same types of placeholders we need in speech to let our minds catch up to our mouths. What an oxymoron! Get rid of unnecessary words. — there are certain words you should delete to make the text stronger and cut your word count. Really is a true throwaway, something readers can just skim over them instead of becoming engaged with your writing. Neither of these phrases adds anything to your piece, in fact I’d argue that it takes something away because they’re so overused. The renovation will leave the house twice as large. Answer: My answer has to be yes! Phrases, too, can sometimes be trimmed, sometimes to a single word. Challenge yourself to restructure your sentences to eliminate them. Buying new curtains is unnecessary since we already have nice blinds hanging from the windows. In some ways it’s human nature to avoid conflict. A sentence contains a subject that is only given once. John saw two hawks in the sky, and Bill saw three. If you could just adjust it when you have the time becomes Please adjust it when you have the time. Unnecessary words creep into writing in so many ways -- when the writer feels unconfident and believes longer, more complex words and sentences will make them sound better, for example. Do you tend to use the word just a lot? The more direct and concise you can be, the better your pieces will read. Redundancy in the needless repetition of words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas. This is another filler phrase that is sometimes used to soften the delivery of whatever follows. [14 words] As shown in the examples above, eliminating filler words can significantly reduce your word count! First, make sure to select a highlight color from the toolbar besides white. In contrast, the third sentence conveys the level of sadness being felt much more effectively and descriptively. Adding really before sad isn’t much of a descriptor, and would not likely change the reader’s impression much. 10. There's no sense in taking unnecessary risks. Try reading through paragraphs from the end of the piece back to the beginning. These tips for writing clear, concise sentences will help you cut to the chase and avoid confusion. Also known as a pause filler or hesitation form. . Really, very. If it’s needless to say, you wouldn’t be saying it, right? When showing a sequence of events, either remove “then” or try using “and” instead of “then.” Using “then” frequently sounds repetitive and even juvenile. This can be offputting, and create a kind of tension you don’t necessarily want between yourself and your target audience. Saying in my humble opinion is really a way to give yourself a pass on taking responsibility for what you think. Some of the common filler words in English are um, uh, er, ah, like, okay, right, and you know. Click Edit > Find > Advanced Find and Replace. 2. These are far too commonly used by many authors to describe character internals, including me! If you’re coming across these words and phrases in every paragraph, it may be that you need a bit more content development before it’s ready to go. Unnecessary Words – The Infinitive without "To" 11. . In that space between words, when my brain is grasping for the next sentence or idea, I let the u-word slip my lips way more often than I’d like to admit. If a sentence still makes sense after removing “that,” delete it. Also opt for surrounding dialogue with action instead of dialogue tags. 3. The goal is to eliminate the unnecessary words and cut or change anything that might become distracting to the reader. The haunted house is delightfully terrifying this year. The… The child went to school is a word group which can stand alone as a sentence (independent clause).Therefore, there should be a comma before the word but. Consider the difference between these three sentences: When I found out the wedding was off, I was really sad. Eliminating phrases like these that can sound cliche will help you communicate more effectively. 6. When your cursor is still in the Replace with: field, click Format > Highlight. For example, “I sat down on the floor.” could be, “I sat on the floor.” and “I stood up.” could be, “I stood.” Wonder, ponder, think, thought, feel, felt, understand, realize. But does it add anything to the sentence, or is there a clearer way to say it? Really is one of my absolute pet peeves as a reader. Only first 15 results shown. The fact that they are even there just adds unnecessary complexity. View my, 43 Words You Should Cut From Your Writing Immediately, How to Have a Good Work/Life (or Work/Write) Balance, How to Find Which Great Young Adult Book to Read Next, How to Be a Great Beta Reader and Give Helpful Feedback, The First Two Chapters of All Your Twisted Secrets, What It’s REALLY Like to Go on Submission to Publishers, How I Decluttered Social Media to Cut Stress (and Spark Joy! Take a look, If You Want to Be a Writer, Stop Blogging and Start Copywriting, How I Quickly Landed My First Upwork Client in 2 Days, 5 Lucrative Writing Side Hustles (And How to Land Them), Outlining vs. Creative Reasoning: 4 Powerful Writing Techniques for Beginners, The Beginner Writer’s Guide to Info-Dumping: Don’t Commit This Literary Crime, Extreme Writing — How to Ride Your Keyboard at 4,000 Words per Hour. Home » Words » unnecessary [Example Sentences]: 1. (Or leave out the word altogether and let the act speak for itself.) So many words exist in the English language that can add intensity better than really, and communicate your point more precisely while you’re at it. Filler words … 2. Cut unnecessary words to keep your sentences tight and your readers happy. Use regarding or about depending on the context of the sentence, or rearrange it completely to eliminate extra words. Incorrect Omissions – Miscellaneous Examples. Make sure they belong. Correct: Leaving 10 minutes early, the worker nonetheless arrived late. Definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually. It’s not strong, and it’s not great writing. Heavy machines are unnecessary for the purpose of putting a pattern on sheet rubber. 4. Always have second readers, whether you’re writing a novel or blog post. This Week in Writing provides quick tips and encouragement for writers of all genres. ... they when the subject is doing an action. Get updates delivered to your inbox! A movie doesn’t have to be “rather dull,” it can just be “dull.” Delete! “I shut the car door, then tripped over the sidewalk. This is an example of redundancy, and it is found in various forms of writing and speeches. Instead of writing “Good morning, can you please send an update on the project” I will say “I’m just writing to request an update on the project.” Of course, there is not hard-and-fast rule that will fit ALL types of writing. 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