Write “Very” One More Time. One More Time, I Dare You

This is a very common mistake that editors see very often. It makes for very weak and very verbose writing. Are you getting very irritated yet by my use of “very”?

Of course you are, because it’s lazy writing. Yet writers succumb to this laziness all… the… time.

Below, is an example from an opinion piece in the Guardian no less. Here, I wouldn’t blame the author, as opinion pieces are often written by amateur writers. The blame falls on the editor who, by the looks of it, was busy scrolling Instagram when they should’ve been paying attention to editing the article.

Why not?

“Very” is an intensifier word used in speech, although it’s good advice to write like you speak, “very” is the exception.

People use it to add strength to their writing.

It doesn’t.

Don’t do it.

“Very” is about as helpful as a pimple on prom night and you should pop that zit.

The good news is there’s an easy fix, the Clearasil to “very” is to either cut or replace them with a stronger alternative, like this:

- “Very important”. If it’s important, it’s important, that’s it. Want to make it stronger? Inject some steroids? Give it some biceps, flex those pecs? Then why not use “vital”, “essential”, or “critical”?

- “Interest rates rose very quickly”. How about “interest rates surged”? Five words to three and more descriptive. “Surge” is powerful, it’s energetic, it’s sexual. Yeah baby, yeah! Look at you, you editing champion.

Don’t just take it from me, take it from the great American author Mark Twain, who is quoted as saying:

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

Actually, it wasn’t Mark Twain who said that, but the internet is chock-a-block with wrongly attributed quotes and this one has been dumped on Mark Twain’s doorstep. The man who said it was William Allen White, a newspaper editor from Kansas, but he isn’t as famous as Twain, so the internet has left him in obscurity thanks to someone taking that quote and slapping Twain’s pic on it and hey presto, an internet meme became fact.

Here’s a little secret about drafting

There’s no need to get self-conscious about using “very”, it belongs in speech and it belongs in your chat messages. Have at it, people. Let it fly, drop that word in your conversations and your chat messages like Joe Pesci drops F-bombs. It ain’t no sin.

Just don’t let it get into your published articles, because you can do better.

And here’s that secret I promised (and you’ll be surprised to see me write this): “very” is actually a very, very, very useful word, as a writer, it can be your veritable friend, learn to love them. But, just like your favourite comfiest cotton undies, keep them hidden from view.

Let the “verys” come out in your drafts, sprinkle them like granny sprinkles sugar on a sponge cake.

Then, when you’re done with your first draft, click “Control+F” on your keyboard, type in “very”, go through each one, and substitute with a stronger verb. Quick, easy and fun, fun, fun.

Okay, one more thing, because I have lived in Switzerland (and the Swiss like rules), I shall give to you and my Alpine friends in attendance a rule for the use of “very”: Treat “very” like exclamation marks, you’re allowed a maximum of one per article.

Okay, I’m done. That’s all from me today, I hope you had a very enjoyable read.

I’m Jay, I rant about writing but I’m also chatty, so sound off in the comments. For more actionable writing rants, subscribe to my Medium stories (about three a week). Click here.

If you liked the above article, you’ll love these: