Comments on: Do you use too many sticky words?

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:46:00 +0000

In reply to Charles Broming. Yes, I really like the phrase "parasite words" as well. So evocative!

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:45:00 +0000

In reply to Michael F. Tevlin. Thanks, Michael. I think "eliminating unnecessary words" is EXACTLY the same as reducing "sticky" words. And I agree with you that they serve as glue that gums up the works. Well put!

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:44:00 +0000

In reply to Marjorie Turner. Glad you found it useful, Marjorie!

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:44:00 +0000

In reply to Beth. What a happy story, Beth!

By: Michael F. Tevlin

Michael F. Tevlin — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:38:00 +0000

I follow other rules, but these have the same effect of concision: 1) Use active voice, 2) eliminate unnecessary words, 3) find a one-word substitute for phrasal nouns (e.g., checked = walked over into), 4) make the main clause carry the most important idea.

One other thought: I don’t think of these sticky words so much as glue that holds sentences together. Rather, they’re glue that, as you say, gums up the works and gets in the way of the relevant words. What holds sentences together are nouns and verbs.

By: Charles Broming

Charles Broming — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 17:51:00 +0000

In reply to Ligadema VF.

I like it–‘parasite words’–they such the life out or your prose!

By: Marjorie Turner

Marjorie Turner — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:12:00 +0000

What an excellent post! Thanks for providing the structure to identify excess verbiage and get rid of it. Sharing.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:45:00 +0000

I was tutoing GED hopefulls, when a young High School boy came to my class. He was bright, cheerful, but deathly afraid of writing. He had failed the writing portion of the ACT *and* the SAT miserably. So they sent him to me. I soon realized that his forte was computer technology, so I suggested he sort and label my floppy discs for other students, and then I suggested he go online to write reviews of other software–for pay. He thrived and was moved on to take the GED test before the semester was over. He was thrilled and so was I.

Can you tell I was inspired by the book giveaway, “Writing to Lean?”

By: Suman

Suman — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 06:17:00 +0000

It becomes automatic using glue words writing anything. But we can be aware of it and edit. Thank you for the post.

By: Ligadema VF

Ligadema VF — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 06:17:00 +0000

In reply to Daphne Gray-Grant.

These words have the name ‘слова-паразиты’ in Russian, it means ‘words-parasites’. As I know, you also have the term ‘filler’, words that are used for pauses. In Russian, filler words and sticky words that are used more than it is needed are called the same, – parasites words:)