# Quick-Pass Editing Checks ## Word-Level Checks **Cut these words:** - Very, really, extremely, incredibly (weak intensifiers) - Just, actually, basically (filler) - In order to (use "to") - That (often unnecessary) - Things, stuff (vague) **Replace these:** | Weak | Strong | |------|--------| | Utilize | Use | | Implement | Set up | | Leverage | Use | | Facilitate | Help | | Innovative | New | | Robust | Strong | | Seamless | Smooth | | Cutting-edge | New/Modern | **Watch for:** - Adverbs (usually unnecessary) - Passive voice (switch to active) - Nominalizations (verb → noun: "make a decision" → "decide") ## Sentence-Level Checks - One idea per sentence - Vary sentence length (mix short and long) - Front-load important information - Max 3 conjunctions per sentence - No more than 25 words (usually) ## Paragraph-Level Checks - One topic per paragraph - Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences for web) - Strong opening sentences - Logical flow between paragraphs - White space for scannability