Stop Using Adjectives.

Adjectives are great little words. They are necessary tools for describing the object of your sentence. Yet some writers can get carried away with their use of adjectives. It is an easy trap to fall into, as adjectives seem o convey your message more than anything else.

However, your sentence structure, conciseness and ability to be descriptive in a very directed manner will do more for your message than a string of adjectives. I have already gone over some tips for keeping your sentence structure aligned as you write. Sentence structure is very important and can make or break your article, as it affects how your writing flows. These are the tools that will help you develop your writing style, which lends itself to your ability to build your brand through your “written voice.”

But back to the adjectives. I am not saying that you should avoid adjectives all together. A common mistake, however, is the use of too many adjectives in a given sentence or paragraph. What this can do is distract readers from your true message, as they have to cut down the sentence to recognize what you are actually trying to say. There is a lot to be said about the simplicity of writing, and this simplicity can aid you in conveying your message to readers loud and clear.

An English professor once told me that it takes more talent to write without adjectives than with adjectives. I took that to heart as I went about the remainder of my studies and eventually began a career in writing. Admittedly, I am one to frequently use adjectives a great deal. I also have a tendency to create run-on sentences. So the tips I am sharing with you this week on aligning your sentence structure and avoiding the use of too many adjectives are things that I have learned from and still practice on a daily basis.

A useful exercise towards minimizing your use of adjectives (or, in other words, simplifying your content) is to take my English professor’s advice to heart. Just try to write without using adjectives. It is virtually impossible, but the exercise alone will force you to think differently about which words you use and how you use them.

Once you begin to do this exercise, you will better recognize your writing style and how it can be amended. Doing so will also help to shift your mindset, so that future writing will be thoughtlessly improved. You will also be able to better recognize sentence structure in others’ writing. This will help you better comprehend the material you read. All of this in turn will make you a better writer.

Simplifying certain aspects of your thought process towards writing will truly help you better convey your message. As I mentioned, the ability to better convey your message is directly tied to how big your brand can be. People can recognize a writing style, and this becomes incorporated into the brand you build online. Develop your writing style and you will also be developing your brand.

image credit: Corante

Written by Kristen Nicole from Kristen Nicole
Posted on October 14th, 2009 and filed under Writing
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