Some words in our language are used far too frequently.

 

That's a nice dress.

We had a nice evening with our friends.

That was a nice piece of cake.

 

 

Each of these sentences would be improved by choosing a more precise adjective instead of nice.

 

That's a pretty dress.

We had a pleasant evening with our friends.

That was a delicious piece of cake.

 

 

We can also improve our writing by choosing more precise adjectives instead of using the word very.

 

I was very tired after the match.

I was exhausted after the match.

 

 

It is often better to choose a precise verb instead of adding an adverb to a common verb.

 

Kayden walked slowly along the road, swinging his school bag as he went.

Kayden strolled along the road, swinging his school bag as he went.

 

In this activity, we will practise improving sentences by choosing precise words to use instead of vague or over-used ones. You may find a dictionary or a thesaurus helpful.

 

Let's get started!