I hope I make sense.

Now I’m on “like.” Sometimes the way to take it out and write a better metaphor is obvious, but I can’t put my finger on “why” one’s easier to detect than the next. Can you offer up any clues to this? Is there a trick to recognizing unnecessary “like’s”? (I MANY to think about.)

How about “abouts”?

Thanks, Rachelle for any input.

Clarification about gerunds: A gerund is a verb used as a noun. Not all words ending in -ing are gerunds. Some are verbs.

Now, if that could just work for my thighs.

And, Catherine, I think you should send the University of Toronto a check for NOT teaching gerunds! If I want my students ‘ eyes to glaze over l just start chanting words like, “verbals, gerunds, participles. . .”

Another suggestion, look for redundancies. A former boss had conniptions when he saw “public forum” or “safe haven.” A forum is, by it’s very nature, public, and if a haven’s unsafe, it’s no longer a haven. Similar redundancies are common.

Also, look at the narrative surrounding quotes to be sure you’re not repeating yourself, only phrasing it differently.

I’ve been writing and editing news so long, my crit partners keep wanting more modifiers. It’s hard to switch hats.

“She shouted” is more immediate and active than “she was shouting.”

“She ran” is stronger than “she was running.”

It’s a judgment call, but like I said in the post, just watch for them and ask yourself if you’ve chosen the right word to accomplish your goal.