预计阅读本页时间：-
Day 221: Avoid flowery verbs.
A flowery verb is any verb that calls attention to itself for being colorful, poetic, or unexpected in a particular context. Flowery verbs steal the reader’s attention from the content, and they may promote an un-professional, inappropriate tone. Let’s look at some examples.
“His career bloomed under his mentor’s direction.”
[flowery: “bloomed”; professional: “advanced”]
“Our collection is creeping towards 100 pieces.”
[flowery: “is creeping towards”; professional: “is approaching”]
“The funding proposal screamed our need for new services.”
[flowery: “screamed”; professional: “strongly expressed”]
Prose and other nonfiction, including business writing, doesn’t have to be boring. A well-written document of any type will have some artistic expression and feel, even while maintaining economy and effectiveness. Word choices, sentence structure, and organization still combine to express your style. However, if you are using words simply to provide an artistic flair to your writing, and if those words will distract your reader from the content, you are using the wrong words.
