The key idea
I can replace weak, repeated words with words that say more.
What is it for?
Learn to choose words that give readers clearer details and make your writing more interesting.
What you need to know
- Replace repeated words such as good, nice, bad, and thing.
- Choose precise words that show what you mean.
- Learn common word partners, such as make a mistake.
- Replace very plus an adjective with one stronger word.
- Check new words in a learner dictionary before using them.
1. Replace words that say little
Words such as good, nice, bad, and thing are often too general.
Choose a word that gives the reader more information. Think about the exact meaning you want to express.
- Use delicious for food that tastes excellent.
- Use helpful for something that makes a task easier.
- Use comfortable for a chair, bed, or room.
- Use enormous when something is extremely large.
The food was good.
Good does not tell us much about the food.
The soup was delicious.
Delicious tells us exactly what the writer liked.
I bought a thing for my desk.
Name the object when you know what it is.
2. Choose natural word partners
Some words often appear together. These word partners are called collocations.
The words may be easy, but the combination matters. Learn the whole phrase, not each word alone.
- Say make a mistake, not do a mistake.
- Say do homework, not make homework.
- Say take a photo, not make a photo.
- Say heavy traffic, not strong traffic.
- Say strong coffee, not heavy coffee.
I made a mistake in my shopping list.
Make a mistake is the natural word partner.
We took a photo after lunch.
Take a photo is a common phrase.
Heavy traffic made me late for work.
Heavy traffic is the usual combination.
3. Use one strong word
Sometimes very plus an adjective makes a weak phrase. One stronger word can say the same thing more clearly.
Choose a word that matches the situation. Do not make every sentence sound dramatic.
- very tired → exhausted
- very large → enormous
- very tasty → delicious
- very useful → helpful
- very small → tiny
After eight hours at work, I was exhausted.
Exhausted gives a stronger picture than very tired.
The enormous box did not fit in my car.
Enormous describes the box more precisely.
This guide is helpful for new workers.
Helpful explains why the guide matters.
4. Build your own word list
Keep a short list of useful words and phrases. Add words when you read, listen, or write.
Use a learner dictionary to check meaning, spelling, and examples. Do not choose a difficult word just because it sounds impressive.
- Write the weak word and its stronger choice.
- Add a short example sentence.
- Learn the word partners around a new word.
- Check that the word fits your meaning.
Weak: The journey was very tiring.
Replace very tiring with exhausting.
The exhausting journey lasted five hours.
Exhausting describes an experience that causes great tiredness.
I had strong coffee before my early shift.
Keep useful word partners in your word list.
How to do it, step by step
- Read your sentence and find weak or repeated words.
- Ask what you really want the reader to understand.
- Choose a more precise word or a natural word partner.
- Read the new sentence and check that the meaning stays the same.
- Check unfamiliar words in a learner dictionary.
Formulas and key language
| Use it for | Example | Another example |
|---|---|---|
| good food → delicious food | The restaurant serves delicious food. | We ate a delicious vegetable soup. |
| a nice person → a helpful person | Our helpful neighbour carried the bags. | A helpful worker explained the new machine. |
| very tired → exhausted | I felt exhausted after the long shift. | The exhausted children fell asleep on the bus. |
| very large → enormous | An enormous tree stands beside our house. | They ordered an enormous cake for the party. |
| make + a mistake | I made a mistake in the report. | Everyone makes a mistake sometimes. |
| do + homework | I do my homework after dinner. | She did her homework before work. |
| take + a photo | We took a photo near the lake. | He takes a photo of each meal. |
| heavy + traffic | Heavy traffic delayed the morning bus. | We left early because of the heavy traffic. |
| strong + coffee | My father prefers strong coffee. | I drank strong coffee before my exam. |
UK / US: Some words differ in British and American English. For example, British English often uses holiday, while American English often uses vacation. Check your dictionary and stay consistent.
Level up: Replace basic words (good, very, nice) with stronger ones. See our A2 to B1 upgrades page.
Model text
Making a Paragraph More Precise
1. First draft
Last Saturday, I had a good day with my family. We visited a nice park near our home. There was a very big lake, and we took a photo beside it. My sister bought a good sandwich, but my lunch was a bad thing because it was cold. After lunch, we walked for a lot of time and felt very tired.
The words good, nice, very, thing, and a lot of give few details.
2. Improved draft
Last Saturday, I had an enjoyable day with my family. We visited a peaceful park near our home. An enormous lake stood beside the walking path, so we took a photo there. My sister bought a delicious sandwich, but my lunch was disappointing because it was cold. After lunch, we walked for hours and felt exhausted. The weather was pleasant, so we stayed outside until evening. What I liked most was the quiet atmosphere, which helped us relax. We returned home tired but delighted with our family outing.
The new words add detail. Natural word partners and a relative clause connect ideas.
Common mistakes
✗ I did a mistake on the form.
✓ I made a mistake on the form.
Make a mistake is the natural word partner.
✗ We made a photo at the beach.
✓ We took a photo at the beach.
Take a photo is the usual phrase.
✗ There was strong traffic near the school.
✓ There was heavy traffic near the school.
Heavy traffic is the natural word partner.
✗ I did a lot of mistakes in my report.
✓ I made a lot of mistakes in my report.
Use make with mistakes, even when there are many.
✗ The film was very exhausted.
✓ The film was exhausting.
Exhausted describes a tired person, while exhausting describes an experience.
✗ I drank heavy coffee before work.
✓ I drank strong coffee before work.
Strong coffee describes coffee with a powerful taste.
Plan it, then check it
Plan
- Underline weak or repeated words in your draft.
- Write two or three stronger choices beside each word.
- Choose the words that best match your meaning.
- Read the paragraph again and check each word partner.
Check
- Have I replaced weak or repeated words?
- Do my new words express the meaning I want?
- Have I used natural word partners?
- Have I checked unfamiliar words in a learner dictionary?
- Does the paragraph still sound natural?
Practice
Choose a stronger word or phrase
Choose the best word or phrase for each sentence.
1.The soup tasted excellent. It was ___.
Delicious describes food that tastes excellent.
2.I slept for only three hours and felt ___.
Exhausted describes someone who feels extremely tired.
3.The bus was late because of ___.
Heavy traffic is the natural phrase for many vehicles on the road.
4.Please ___ a photo of our new kitchen.
Take a photo is the correct word partner.
5.This chair is soft and ___.
Comfortable describes furniture that feels pleasant to use.
6.I need to ___ my homework before dinner.
Do homework is the natural word partner.
Replace the weak word
Complete each sentence with the best word. Use the hint.
1.The cake tasted excellent. It was . (delicious)
Delicious gives a precise description of food with an excellent taste.
2.After ten hours at work, I was . (exhausted)
Exhausted means extremely tired.
3.The room had enough space for twenty people. It was . (enormous)
Enormous describes something extremely large.
4.This clear guide makes the job easier. It is . (helpful)
Helpful describes something that makes a task easier.
5.The soft hotel bed was really . (comfortable)
Comfortable describes something that feels pleasant to use.
6.The food was cold and disappointing. It was . (terrible)
Terrible clearly describes a very unpleasant experience.
7.The road was full of cars, so we faced traffic. (heavy)
Heavy is the natural word partner for traffic.
8.I like coffee with a powerful taste, so I order coffee. (strong)
Strong coffee describes coffee with a powerful taste.
Match the weak phrase
Match each weak phrase with the stronger phrase that fits it best.
1.very tired
2.very large
3.very tasty
4.do a mistake
5.make a photo
6.strong traffic
Fix the word partner
Change only the incorrect word in each sentence.
1.I did a mistake in my homework.
Make a mistake is the correct word partner.
2.She made a photo of the garden.
Take a photo is the natural phrase.
3.We drank heavy coffee after lunch.
Strong describes coffee with a powerful taste.
4.I made my homework before dinner.
Do homework is the correct word partner.
5.Heavy rain caused strong traffic near the station.
Heavy traffic is the natural phrase for crowded roads.
Now write
Your task
Rewrite this paragraph with stronger words. Keep the same main ideas, but replace repeated words and weak phrases. Draft: Yesterday, I had a good day at work. My new colleague was nice and helped me with a thing on my computer. We had a very good lunch at a nice café. After work, there was a very big queue at the bus stop. I waited for a lot of time and felt very tired. Use the word bank when it helps. You may choose other words if they fit better.
Word bank
productivehelpfulproblemdeliciouscomfortableenormousexhaustedcrowdeddisappointingpleasantmake a mistaketake a photoheavy trafficstrong coffee
Sentence starters
- Yesterday, I had a ...
- My new colleague was ...
- We enjoyed ...
- After work, I saw ...
- I waited because ...
- By the time I arrived home, ...