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15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter - Education (2) - Nairaland

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Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Nobody: 6:39am On Apr 24, 2016
Nice one ____________









*Smilingcheesy*

1 Like

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Nobody: 8:05am On Apr 24, 2016
Donald Trump should expunge EXCUSE ME from his day-to-day vocabulary.
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by freecocoa(f): 10:02am On Apr 24, 2016
This doesn't make any sense.

3 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Pamelayoung: 1:36pm On Apr 24, 2016
@ #5 that's to say the writer will need a measuring instruments to determine the degree of d weather condition
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by timmyblast(m): 2:17pm On Apr 24, 2016
16: EPIC. Dictionary meaning: long and interesting. Nairaland: they just use it anyhow. You hear something an EPIC response
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by 2RUTHHURTS(m): 3:22pm On Apr 24, 2016
khalhokage:
People don't have the time or the attention span to read any more words than necessary. You want your readers to hear you out, understand your message, and perhaps be entertained, right? Here's a list of words to eliminate to help you write more succinctly.

1. That
It's superfluous most of the time. Open any document you've got drafted on your desktop, and find a sentence with "that" in it. Read it out loud. Now read it again without "that." If the sentence works without it, delete it. Also? Don't use "that" when you refer to people. "I have several friends that live in the neighborhood." No. No, you don't. You have friends who . Not friends that.

2. Went
I went to school. Or the store, or to church, or to a conference, to Vegas, wherever it is you're inclined to go. Instead of "went," consider drove, skated, walked, ran, flew. There are any number of ways to move from here to there. Pick one. Don't be lazy and miss the chance to add to your story.

3. Honestly
People use "honestly" to add emphasis. The problem is, the minute you tell your reader this particular statement is honest, you've implied the rest of your words were not. #Awkward

4. Absolutely
Adding this word to most sentences is redundant. Something is either necessary, or it isn't. Absolutely necessary doesn't make it more necessary. If you recommend an essential course to your new employees, it's essential. Coincidentally, the definition of essential is absolutely necessary. Chicken or egg, eh?

5. Very
Accurate adjectives don't need qualifiers. If you need to qualify it? Replace it. "Very" is intended to magnify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. What it does is makes your statement less specific. If you're very happy? Be ecstatic. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed. Woebegone, even. Very sad is a lazy way of making your point. Another pitfall of using very as a modifier? It's subjective. Very cold and very tall mean different things to different people. Be specific. She's 6'3" and it's 13 degrees below freezing? These make your story better while also ensuring the reader understands the point you're making.

6. Really
Unless you're a Valley Girl, visiting from 1985, there's no need to use "really" to modify an adjective. Or a verb. Or an adverb. Pick a different word to make your point. And never repeat "really," or "very" for that matter. That's really, really bad writing.
If you are visiting from 1985? Please bring the birth certificate for my Cabbage Patch Doll on your next visit. Thanks.

7. Amazing
The word means "causing great surprise or sudden wonder." It's synonymous with wonderful, incredible, startling, marvelous, astonishing, astounding, remarkable, miraculous, surprising, mind-blowing, and staggering. You get the point, right? It's everywhere. It's in corporate slogans. It dominated the Academy Awards acceptance speeches. It's all over social media. It's discussed in pre-game shows and post-game shows.
Newsflash: If everything is amazing , nothing is.

8. Always
Absolutes lock the writer into a position, sound conceited and close-minded, and often open the door to criticism regarding inaccuracies.
Always is rarely true. Unless you're giving written commands or instruction, find another word.

9. Never
See: Always.

10. Literally
"Literally" means literal. Actually happening as stated. Without exaggeration. More often than not, when the term is used, the writer means "figuratively." Whatever is happening is being described metaphorically. No one actually "waits on pins and needles." How uncomfortable would that be?

11. Just
It's a filler word and it makes your sentence weaker, not stronger. Unless you're using it as a synonym for equitable, fair, even-handed, or impartial, don't use it at all.

12. Maybe
This makes you sound uninformed, unsure of the facts you're presenting. Regardless of the topic, do the legwork, be sure, write an informed piece. The only thing you communicate when you include these words is uncertainty.

13. Stuff
This word is casual, generic even. It serves as a placeholder for something better. If the details of the stuff aren't important enough to be included in the piece? Don't reference it at all. If you tell your reader to take your course because they'll learn a lot of stuff ? They're likely to tell you to stuff it.

14. Things
See: Stuff.

15. Irregardless
This doesn't mean what you think it means, jefe . It means regardless. It is
literally (see what I did there?) defined as: regardless. Don't use it. Save yourself the embarrassment.

Whether you're ghostwriting for your CEO, updating a corporate blog, selling a product, or finishing your doctoral thesis, you want to keep your reader engaged. These 15 words are a great place to start trimming the fat from your prose. Bonus? You’ll sound smarter.
.

U mean if am asked " where went u" my reply can be " I walked to school"

Am I right?

4 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by khalhokage(m): 6:05pm On Apr 24, 2016
2RUTHHURTS:
.
U mean if am asked " where went u" my reply can be " I walked to school"
Am I right?
It's for writers not speech.
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by JuicyGee(f): 10:23pm On Apr 24, 2016
Nice one OP! You've just succeeded in making me conscious of my choice of words. grin
Your choice of words matters alot, i dont think you have to totally eliminate the above words. You just have to know when to use it, also it depends on the kind audience u're addressing, your vocabulary can change depending on the kind of convo u're having, your choice of words differs from when u're just having a chit-chat with a buddy and a formal convo with your boss/client

1 Like

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by shirgles(m): 1:50am On Apr 25, 2016
Good work op
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by mekanaky: 6:58am On Apr 25, 2016
asusu Igbo kam na asu
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Btruth: 7:02am On Apr 25, 2016
musicwriter:
Imagine where this effort was put refining our native languages. Our languages would have grown, and would have been exported to all parts of the world via online use. White people who wants to visit Africa would've started learning Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Efik, Zulu, Swahili, Zona, Nupe, Ijaw, Igala, Ibibio, e.t.c on their computer.
A bi? Even the little English that I sabi, somebody they ask me now to fine tune it again. Well, I know fit oooo, if Queen of England want to come and collect it from my mouth, then fair enough, I will go back to my Yoruba language.

2 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by mekanaky: 7:07am On Apr 25, 2016
tomorrow u will get tired of ur newly invented words and seek for replacement

2 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by kloser(m): 7:10am On Apr 25, 2016
khalhokage:
People don't have the time or the attention span to read any more words than necessary. You want your readers to hear you out, understand your message, and perhaps be entertained, right? Here's a list of words to eliminate to help you write more succinctly.

1. That
It's superfluous most of the time. Open any document you've got drafted on your desktop, and find a sentence with "that" in it. Read it out loud. Now read it again without "that." If the sentence works without it, delete it. Also? Don't use "that" when you refer to people. "I have several friends that live in the neighborhood." No. No, you don't. You have friends who . Not friends that.

2. Went
I went to school. Or the store, or to church, or to a conference, to Vegas, wherever it is you're inclined to go. Instead of "went," consider drove, skated, walked, ran, flew. There are any number of ways to move from here to there. Pick one. Don't be lazy and miss the chance to add to your story.

3. Honestly
People use "honestly" to add emphasis. The problem is, the minute you tell your reader this particular statement is honest, you've implied the rest of your words were not. #Awkward

4. Absolutely
Adding this word to most sentences is redundant. Something is either necessary, or it isn't. Absolutely necessary doesn't make it more necessary. If you recommend an essential course to your new employees, it's essential. Coincidentally, the definition of essential is absolutely necessary. Chicken or egg, eh?

5. Very
Accurate adjectives don't need qualifiers. If you need to qualify it? Replace it. "Very" is intended to magnify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. What it does is makes your statement less specific. If you're very happy? Be ecstatic. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed. Woebegone, even. Very sad is a lazy way of making your point. Another pitfall of using very as a modifier? It's subjective. Very cold and very tall mean different things to different people. Be specific. She's 6'3" and it's 13 degrees below freezing? These make your story better while also ensuring the reader understands the point you're making.

6. Really
Unless you're a Valley Girl, visiting from 1985, there's no need to use "really" to modify an adjective. Or a verb. Or an adverb. Pick a different word to make your point. And never repeat "really," or "very" for that matter. That's really, really bad writing.
If you are visiting from 1985? Please bring the birth certificate for my Cabbage Patch Doll on your next visit. Thanks.

7. Amazing
The word means "causing great surprise or sudden wonder." It's synonymous with wonderful, incredible, startling, marvelous, astonishing, astounding, remarkable, miraculous, surprising, mind-blowing, and staggering. You get the point, right? It's everywhere. It's in corporate slogans. It dominated the Academy Awards acceptance speeches. It's all over social media. It's discussed in pre-game shows and post-game shows.
Newsflash: If everything is amazing , nothing is.

8. Always
Absolutes lock the writer into a position, sound conceited and close-minded, and often open the door to criticism regarding inaccuracies.
Always is rarely true. Unless you're giving written commands or instruction, find another word.

9. Never
See: Always.

10. Literally
"Literally" means literal. Actually happening as stated. Without exaggeration. More often than not, when the term is used, the writer means "figuratively." Whatever is happening is being described metaphorically. No one actually "waits on pins and needles." How uncomfortable would that be?

11. Just
It's a filler word and it makes your sentence weaker, not stronger. Unless you're using it as a synonym for equitable, fair, even-handed, or impartial, don't use it at all.

12. Maybe
This makes you sound uninformed, unsure of the facts you're presenting. Regardless of the topic, do the legwork, be sure, write an informed piece. The only thing you communicate when you include these words is uncertainty.

13. Stuff
This word is casual, generic even. It serves as a placeholder for something better. If the details of the stuff aren't important enough to be included in the piece? Don't reference it at all. If you tell your reader to take your course because they'll learn a lot of stuff ? They're likely to tell you to stuff it.

14. Things
See: Stuff.

15. Irregardless
This doesn't mean what you think it means, jefe . It means regardless. It is
literally (see what I did there?) defined as: regardless. Don't use it. Save yourself the embarrassment.

Whether you're ghostwriting for your CEO, updating a corporate blog, selling a product, or finishing your doctoral thesis, you want to keep your reader engaged. These 15 words are a great place to start trimming the fat from your prose. Bonus? You’ll sound smarter.
"basically" anyone? grin
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by ladyF(f): 7:10am On Apr 25, 2016
Chai ayam really guilty of almost everything that the OP posted here. Honestly, from today, I will never do this thing again...maybe grin Very amazing stuff....
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Emeskhalifa(m): 7:14am On Apr 25, 2016
0955eb027:
Great write up. That husband scarcity own sef make sense. In all, "who una don epp"?. Make i go iron dis shirt, monday don show face finish. Job hunting continues, dis month must not pass me by.
as in eh.... no b small job hunting oooo.
esp we wey dey Abj. e no s.exy at all sad
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by engrchykae(m): 7:20am On Apr 25, 2016
ikubch:

The first step to personal liberty is ti say the plain truth to oneself.
Until we have constitutional polygamy regulated by law. The problem has not even begun. T.M Aluko wrote One Man One Wife. abi? Una neva start.
One of the reasons why our grandmothers rarely experienced husband scarcity is because they were willing and ready to share their husband with co-wives but today women can inflict all kinds of unthinkable harms and injuries on potential rivals.
Polygamy will curb this unfulfilled marital menace in our society.
In churches,i feel for pretty,educated and good income but lack husbands.

1 Like

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Jabioro: 7:23am On Apr 25, 2016
I can see mass Comm journalism, and sort of English communicators to come over .I can't argue English, it is an absurd language, off and on license language, the most difficult and misunderstood in world.it never goes straight. OP teach us more..

1 Like

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by grandstar(m): 7:25am On Apr 25, 2016
Okay and alright should make the list as well
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Stanbeto: 7:25am On Apr 25, 2016
Thank you up comming Igodomigodo
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Gaddafithe2nd(m): 7:25am On Apr 25, 2016
English Language a language that coined words from different languages e.g French, Arabic, Latin, Hindu, Spanish, Greek and many more languages.
For good 300 years English language was not used by the wealthy and ruling class in Britain, French language was their official language in Britain e.g Richard the Lion heart was a French man by birth but became a king in England. Historians said he uses French to communicate to his subject
Our Indigenous languages is far better than English language. English language experts keep redefining/removing words year in year out is that a good language.
Nigerians should promote our indigenous languages.
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Ugosample(m): 7:27am On Apr 25, 2016
musicwriter:
Imagine where this effort was put refining our native languages. Our languages would have grown, and would have been exported to all parts of the world via online use. White people who wants to visit Africa would've started learning Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Efik, Zulu, Swahili, Zona, Nupe, Ijaw, Igala, Ibibio, e.t.c on their computer.


Yea right........
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Ugosample(m): 7:29am On Apr 25, 2016
Gaddafithe2nd:
English Language a language that coined words from different languages e.g French, Arabic, Latin, Hindu, Spanish, Greek and many more languages.
For good 300 years English language was not used by the wealthy and ruling class in Britain, French language was their official language in Britain e.g Richard the Lion heart was a French man by birth but became a king in England. Historians said he uses English to communicate ton his subject
Our Indigenous languages is far better than English language. English language experts keep redefining/removing words year in year out is that a good language.
Nigerians should promote our indigenous languages.


You see the problem with some Africans?
Empty feelings of superiority.
For your information, there are only widely spoken languages and less widely spoken language's. There is no such thing as a superior language

Get that
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Nobody: 7:32am On Apr 25, 2016
khalhokage:
People don't have the time or the attention span to read any more words than necessary. You want your readers to hear you out, understand your message, and perhaps be entertained, right? Here's a list of words to eliminate to help you write more succinctly.

1. That
It's superfluous most of the time. Open any document you've got drafted on your desktop, and find a sentence with "that" in it. Read it out loud. Now read it again without "that." If the sentence works without it, delete it. Also? Don't use "that" when you refer to people. "I have several friends that live in the neighborhood." No. No, you don't. You have friends who . Not friends that.

2. Went
I went to school. Or the store, or to church, or to a conference, to Vegas, wherever it is you're inclined to go. Instead of "went," consider drove, skated, walked, ran, flew. There are any number of ways to move from here to there. Pick one. Don't be lazy and miss the chance to add to your story.

3. Honestly
People use "honestly" to add emphasis. The problem is, the minute you tell your reader this particular statement is honest, you've implied the rest of your words were not. #Awkward

4. Absolutely
Adding this word to most sentences is redundant. Something is either necessary, or it isn't. Absolutely necessary doesn't make it more necessary. If you recommend an essential course to your new employees, it's essential. Coincidentally, the definition of essential is absolutely necessary. Chicken or egg, eh?

5. Very
Accurate adjectives don't need qualifiers. If you need to qualify it? Replace it. "Very" is intended to magnify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. What it does is makes your statement less specific. If you're very happy? Be ecstatic. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed. Woebegone, even. Very sad is a lazy way of making your point. Another pitfall of using very as a modifier? It's subjective. Very cold and very tall mean different things to different people. Be specific. She's 6'3" and it's 13 degrees below freezing? These make your story better while also ensuring the reader understands the point you're making.

6. Really
Unless you're a Valley Girl, visiting from 1985, there's no need to use "really" to modify an adjective. Or a verb. Or an adverb. Pick a different word to make your point. And never repeat "really," or "very" for that matter. That's really, really bad writing.
If you are visiting from 1985? Please bring the birth certificate for my Cabbage Patch Doll on your next visit. Thanks.

7. Amazing
The word means "causing great surprise or sudden wonder." It's synonymous with wonderful, incredible, startling, marvelous, astonishing, astounding, remarkable, miraculous, surprising, mind-blowing, and staggering. You get the point, right? It's everywhere. It's in corporate slogans. It dominated the Academy Awards acceptance speeches. It's all over social media. It's discussed in pre-game shows and post-game shows.
Newsflash: If everything is amazing , nothing is.

Whether you're ghostwriting for your CEO, updating a corporate blog, selling a product, or finishing your doctoral thesis, you want to keep your reader engaged. These 15 words are a great place to start trimming the fat from your prose. Bonus? You’ll sound smarter.

I know the source of this article and the copyright isn't yours. Quit passing this off as your original work. Very unprofessional. Plagiarism smirks of amateurism.

6 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Nature8(m): 7:36am On Apr 25, 2016
Nice one bro..
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by HaneefahRN(f): 7:37am On Apr 25, 2016
So we should start speaking and writing like Patrick Obahiagbon.
All those words have their use and meaning. I should go and measure a tree instead of saying , it's a very tall tree. What's sounding less smart about saying 'I went to school' as compared with 'I walked to school'?

Honestly, this write up didn't really make sense tongue

4 Likes

Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by menxer: 7:39am On Apr 25, 2016
2RUTHHURTS:
.

U mean if am asked " where went u" my reply can be " I walked to school"

Am I right?

Hahahahahahaha
U funny ooo.

Na wetin OP wants, forgetting that answers are given according to how questions are asked.
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Gaddafithe2nd(m): 7:41am On Apr 25, 2016
Ugosample:



You see the problem with some Africans?
Empty feelings of superiority.
For your information, there are only widely spoken languages and less widely spoken language's. There is no such thing as a superior language

Get that
Who is feeling superior?
English Language is a language that changes with time. For example, "Brethren" is an archaic word from "Brother". English language expert would tell you that "Thrice" is an archaic word for three times.
English language is a !yeye" language out of all the languages in the world. Have never seen a language that borrows words so much like English.
Mr man do research and drop this your neocolonialism mentality
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by Nobody: 7:42am On Apr 25, 2016
Really?
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by yunnyp(m): 7:51am On Apr 25, 2016
British self no omitted them, u come dey tell us make we dey omit them. @Op pack well
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by francis247(m): 7:57am On Apr 25, 2016
Terrible article with a reverse title. Only number 1 makes sense.
Re: 15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary To Sound Smarter by otswag(m): 7:57am On Apr 25, 2016
O ga ooo. Pesin no fit even tok english wt peace of mind again. To be ABSOLUTELY HONESTLY speaking, i VERY Much REALLY believe that the op was MAYBE JUST amazing with the STUFF and THINGS he decided to lecture us on IRREGARDLESS of how controversal some May appear to be.

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