Stop Saying ‘Very’ — Use These Words Instead
When it comes to overusing basic intensifiers, no one embraces them more than the ’90s duo Savage Garden, who famously sang: “I‘ll love you more with every breath, truly, madly, deeply do.” Notice how the adverbs “truly,” “madly,” and “deeply” add intensity to the depiction of love. Imagine if the
lyric were simply “really do.” While it’s technically correct, it’s not very memorable. That’s the problem with adverbs such as “really” and “very.” They work, but they rarely shine. In grammatical terms, they’re known as “intensifiers” — they amplify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. They’re perfectly acceptable in everyday English,...
