Writing and speaking are all about making good word choices. Those of us who write for a living, as I’m fond of pointing out, are also on the struggle bus from time to time when it comes to finding just the right word. (Le mot juste, as the French would say.)
Laura Hale Brockway, a medical writer and editor who blogs at impertinent remarks has come up with 32 words to substitute for “a lot,” which we all use too frequently, if not in writing, then certainly in every day speech. I won’t list them all here, so you’ll need to check out her article.
Here are a few of her suggestions:
- A good/great deal
- A large number
- A whole heap (Love it. Ms. Brockway lives in Texas, BTW)
- Bunches
- Copious
- Myriad
- Plenty
- Plethora
- Scads
- Slew
- Tons
I love these, though some are not suitable for business writing. Just considering, and even rejecting, some of her list should get you going on creating your own. The next time “a lot” pops into your head, I can almost guarantee that you will come up with acceptable substitutes. In fact, if you’re lacking in dinner-table conversation, try coming up with not-so-great word choices and encourage your table mates to make suggestions.
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