The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning thatโs already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing whatโthese are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually occur in proportion to the education and rank.
William ZinsserNot every oak has to be gnarled, every detective hard-bitten. The adjective that exists solely as a decoration is a self-indulgence for the writer and an obstacle for the reader.
William Zinsser