The Hidden Danger of Over-Explaining: Why Too Much Clarity Can Actually Confuse Readers
Other common culprits include:
- Tautologies: “Small in size,” “ATM machine,” or “past history.”
- Weak Intensifiers: Using “very,” “really,” or “extremely” to bolster a weak verb instead of choosing a more precise one (e.g., “shouted” instead of “talked very loudly”).
By removing these modifiers, the sentence becomes tighter and the remaining words carry more weight.
Can excessive detail lead to misplaced modifiers and ambiguity?
When a writer tries to explain every detail within a single sentence, the proximity of related words often gets disrupted. This leads to misplaced or dangling modifiers.
