Weak Sentences I

Stretching the meaning of words
Adapted from R.W Harris

Malescribes convey shades of meaning by choosing familiar words and try to make them do more than they realistically can.

Example 1: After Joseph fumbled with the ball, his coach was _____________.

Healthy writers might use 'livid' or 'furious' to complete the sentence. But malescribes typically use 'very angry' even if they are aware of other options. To their minds, it is the safe, comfortable choice. The intensifiers 'very', 'so', and 'extremely', work adequately to convey nuance, so they are used automatically. Malescribes also rely heavily on the qualifiers 'rather', 'fairly', and 'somewhat.'

Example 2: I called the an ambulance because the injury seemed to be rather serious.
Example 3: Learning to play the drum was a fairly challenging task.
Example 4: Bill wasted no time in hiring a somewhat attractive secretary.

The qualifying words weaken the impact of the sentences by creating uncertainty. How is 'rather serious' different from 'serious'?

Solution: Choose suitably vivid words instead of stretching less appropriate words with qualifiers.