Overused Words

Don't overuse words or phrases! - We all do it. You probably don't even know you do. Read your writing. Do you see yourself repeating the same word or phrase quite a few times? For me it's "came over" (e.g. "A sudden realization came over her." or "He smiled as the sun came over the place where he lay.") and a whole bunch others. We over use these terms because we like them and the way they sound but we fail to realize that we've used them to the point of exhaustion. Here is a list of words teachers get so sick of reading when correcting paper after paper. Guilty? Look in the parentheses below each word for some substitutions. If you don't like any, grab a thesaurus or rack your brain and think of your own! The point is to keep it original and fresh. Your teacher and your report card will thank you for it.

Amazing

(awe-inspiring, impressive, incredible)

Bad

(troublesome, mischevious, horrible)

Big

(massive, enormous)

Fine

(acceptable, average)

Good

(fabulous, perfect, lovely)

Happy

(ecstatic, over-joyed, jubilant)

Interesting

(fascinating, captivating, alluring)

Nice

(amiable, becoming, charming)

Said

(uttered, mumbled, expressed)

Well

(sound, robust, strong)

Hint: Don't forget, good is used as an adjective to describe a condition or state, well is an adverb to describe an activity.

If you're still having trouble not using the boring words you seem so comfortable with, try stepping up awareness as you write. As you catch yourself writing one, stop for a moment and think of what would sound better and really emphasize the point your trying to make. Most word processors come with a thesaurus program built in. If not you can go to www.Thesaurus.com for some quick ideas.