"If you can't explain something simply, you don't
understand it well enough." - Leonardo Da Vinci.
I posted this image several weeks ago, and it serves as the inspiration for this entry. Aside from fictional literature, I have never come across a reader who wants to read anything longer than they have to. I have said it in the past, and will reiterate: Adding unnecessary words does not smarten up your content, rather, it dumbs it down.
I use Da Vinci's proverb to send an important message to
anyone who's ever penned a piece of communication, be it a report, a literary
article or an email. There are a series of adverbs that you should never use at
the start of a sentence. This includes words such as:
Basically, essentially and obviously.
The adverbs I have used for this example do not add rigor to our argument or
message. In fact, they undermine the writers credibility and can be perceived
as condescending to the reader. For example:
Writer: Basically, the cow jumped over the moon.
Reader: Why are you making it basic? Do you take me for a
fool?
Writer: Obviously, the cow jumped over the moon.
Reader: If it were obvious there would be no need for me
to be reading this. You are wasting my time.
Writer: Fundamentally, the cow jumped over the moon.
Reader: Fundamental to what? Are you comparing it to something?
I would go so far as to say that these words do not have a place in any piece of communication that you draft. They should be removed from your vocabulary completely in order to avoid confusion and insult.
Before closing, I would like to point out that this is not to say that an adverb should never start a
sentence. Sometimes an adverb placed at the beginning of a sentence functions
as a sentence adverb (also known as an adverbial disjuncture) modifying the
meaning of an entire sentence or clause. For example:
Fortunately, I witnessed the cow jumping over the moon.
The writer is explaining that they felt fortunate having
witnessed the cow jumping over the moon.
In closing, be aware that certain adverbs render your sentences moot. They must be avoided at all costs.
