You "Really" Don't Need This Word

Here's another word you can almost always cut from your writing. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

What is Grammar Minute?

Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and a while ago I talked about why you shouldn’t use the word “very.” It’s “very” unnecessary and clutters up your writing without adding any valuable information. Well, now I’m back with another clutter culprit: really.
Suppose a car whizzes past you on the freeway, and you’re trying to convey just how fast it was. There are two ways you could do this: you could say “it went really fast!” or you could describe how your car shook, how you swerved on instinct, how your heart rate shot up, how for one panic-filled moment, you thought he was going to hit you … aaaand do you see what I mean? “Really fast” isn’t interesting, but the event ^is. And if you can describe it using a phrase more interesting than “really”—that is, almost any other way—your readers will be hooked.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.