“Very” is an intensifying modifier that is commonly heard, but its use should be limited as much as posible. By saying “very” often, you may bore your crowd and there are more specific English words that you can use instead.
Thanks to an article by Globify Languages, here is a list of 20 words you can use in business that minimize the need to use “very”:
- excellent = very good
- exact = very accurate
- obvious = very clear
- cutthroat = very competitive
- comprehensive = very complete
- innovative = very creative
- meticulous = very detailed
- costly = very expensive
- swamped = very busy
- crucial = very important
- captivating = very interesting
- essential = very necessary
- frequently = very often
- compelling = very powerful
- rapid = very quick
- grave = very serious
- brief = very short
- basic = very simple
- intelligent = very smart
- exceptional = very special
Ready to practice?
On the Speecher app, go to the Train tab, select Speech and then Speech Recognition to practice the use of these new words instead of “very”. The app will tell you what new words you planned to say but forgot to mention. Don´t stop until the “missed key words” box is empty!
https://speecherapp.com/app