Mark Twain on Adjectives

Here's what Mark Twain has to say about adjectives:

"When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice."—Mark Twain

As an exercise, write or rewrite a short scene in your writing without using any adjectives or adverbs. Use carefully chosen verbs and nouns to convey as much information as you can. After you have done so, add back in any modifiers you believe are essential to the writing.

See our most recent tips.

Tips from November 2001 to April 2002

Tips from September 2000 to October 2001.

Tips from January to August 2000
Tips from January to December 1999