[Becky Budgeter]

I write emails, short articles, and notes, and I often end up with weak verbs and too many filler words (like “just,” “really,” “that,” etc.). I’m curious whether AI can help make my writing clearer and more concise without changing my voice.

Specifically, I’d love practical, beginner-friendly advice on:

• Which simple tools or services work well for suggesting stronger verbs and removing filler words.
• How to give an AI a short, non-technical prompt to get useful suggestions.
• Any quick workflow tips (one pass vs. multiple passes) so I don’t over-edit.

If you’ve tried this, could you share a short before-and-after example or a prompt that worked for you? I’m looking for easy, polite guidance—no jargon, please. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Good instinct — wanting to replace weak verbs and cut filler words is one of the fastest ways to make your writing clearer and more persuasive.

Here’s a practical, low-tech + AI-friendly way to get quick wins. You’ll learn what to prepare, step-by-step editing with AI, a ready-to-use prompt, an example, common mistakes and fixes, and a short action plan you can start today.

What you’ll need

• A short piece of your writing (100–500 words).
• An AI text editor or chat tool (any simple chat box will work).
• A willingness to keep edits tight — aim for clarity over fancy words.

Step-by-step: edit with AI

1. Paste your text into the chat box.
2. Ask the AI to do two things: highlight weak verbs and list filler words, then suggest replacements and tighten sentences.
3. Review AI suggestions and accept only the ones that keep your voice and meaning.
4. Read the revised text aloud — if it sounds natural, you’re done.

Copy‑paste AI prompt (use this exactly)

Improve the text below by: 1) identifying weak or vague verbs and suggesting stronger, more specific verbs; 2) listing filler words or phrases (like “really,” “very,” “in order to”) and showing a tightened sentence without them; 3) producing a final revised version that keeps the original meaning and tone but is clearer and more concise. Now revise this text: “[PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]”

Prompt variants

• For headline help: “Suggest 3 stronger verbs and 3 headline options for this sentence…”
• For formal tone: add “…and make the language more formal without adding complexity.”

Example

Original: “I am really trying to improve my content in order to get better engagement.”

AI revision suggestion: Replace “really trying” with “working”; remove “in order to”. Revised: “I am working to improve my content to increase engagement.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Accepting every AI change. Fix: Keep your voice — edit suggestions, don’t copy blindly.
• Mistake: Replacing a simple verb with an awkward, technical one. Fix: Choose clarity over flashiness.
• Mistake: Over-editing and losing nuance. Fix: Keep sentences that add meaning, cut fluff that doesn’t.

Action plan — 15 minutes

1. Pick a 150–300 word piece.
2. Run the provided prompt in your AI tool.
3. Accept 3–5 clear improvements and read aloud.
4. Repeat weekly for three pieces to build muscle memory.

Small, consistent edits yield big results. Try the prompt now with a paragraph you care about and let the AI do the heavy lifting — you do the final polish.

Best,

Jeff

[Ian Investor]

Good, focused question — targeting weak verbs and filler words is one of the highest-leverage edits you can make to sharpen prose and increase reader trust. Even a small pass that replaces passive or vague verbs and removes unnecessary hedges will make your writing feel clearer and more confident.

Here’s a practical, step-by-step approach you can use with any AI assistant or on your own. I’ll describe three useful edit styles so you can pick the level of change you want (quick tidy, style-aware rewrite, or an annotated learning pass).

1. What you’ll need
   • A short sample of the text you want improved (150–500 words is ideal).
   • A clear goal: stronger verbs, fewer filler words, preserve tone (formal, conversational, persuasive, etc.).
   • Patience for one or two revision rounds — the first pass fixes obvious issues; a second pass polishes nuance.
2. How to do it (step-by-step)
   1. Run a quick diagnostic: scan for common weak verbs (is, are, was, were, have) and filler words (just, very, actually, really, kind of, sort of, basically).
   2. Do a focused edit pass replacing weak verbs with stronger, specific verbs (e.g., “is showing” → “reveals”, “made” → “built/designed/created”).
   3. Remove or reduce filler words; when in doubt, remove it and read the sentence aloud. If meaning changes, restore with a stronger term.
   4. Review for rhythm and clarity — shorter sentences for emphasis, longer sentences for explanation. Keep the audience in mind.
3. What to expect
   • A first pass will remove obvious fillers and swap several verbs; the text should feel brisker but may lose some nuance.
   • A second, tone-aware pass will balance precision and voice, restoring any needed emphasis with stronger words instead of hedges.
   • You’ll gain reusable patterns (verbs that work in your niche) and reduced reliance on vague language.

Three practical edit styles you can ask for (describe these to any AI or apply them yourself):

• Quick tidy: a fast line-by-line sweep that replaces weak verbs and strips obvious filler words while keeping the original wording as much as possible.
• Tone-aware rewrite: replace verbs and remove fillers but also adapt phrasing to a specified tone (e.g., concise and authoritative or warm and conversational).
• Annotated learning pass: make edits and add short notes explaining why each change was made so you can learn patterns to apply independently.

Example micro-edit (before → after):

Before: She is very concerned about the results and just wants to make sure the team is doing the right thing.

After: She worries about the results and wants to ensure the team acts correctly.

Tip: Start with the annotated pass once, then switch to quick tidy for routine edits. Over time you’ll internalize the swaps and write stronger first drafts.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice focus — narrowing in on weak verbs and filler words is one of the fastest ways to make writing clearer and more persuasive. That’s a practical, high-impact move.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step approach you can use manually or with AI to replace weak verbs and cut filler words quickly.

What you’ll need

• A short piece of writing (100–500 words) to practice on.
• A list of common filler words to watch for: just, very, really, actually, basically, that, kind of, sort of.
• Optional: an AI editor (copy-paste prompt below) or your preferred word processor.

Step-by-step

1. Read aloud once to hear weak spots and filler words.
2. Scan for weak verbs (is, are, was, were, have, get, make, do) used in vague ways.
3. Replace weak verbs with strong, specific verbs: is improving → improves or accelerates.
4. Delete filler words unless they add meaning. Often removal tightens rhythm and clarity.
5. Read aloud again. If a sentence loses tone or meaning, revise for clarity, not for speed.

Example

Before: “The company is going to be launching a new product that will aim to improve customer satisfaction and is actually hoping to grow revenue slowly.”

After: “The company will launch a new product to improve customer satisfaction and grow revenue.”

Common mistakes & quick fixes

• Over-editing: chopping too many words can sound abrupt. Fix: keep one useful modifier or restructure the sentence.
• Replacing with obscure verbs: choose clarity over cleverness.
• Fixing grammar last: keep meaning coherent, then tighten style.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Edit the following paragraph to remove filler words and replace weak or vague verbs with clear, strong verbs. Preserve the original meaning and tone, and keep the length within 10% of the original. Show the edited paragraph only.”

Prompt variants

• Conservative: “Lightly edit the paragraph to remove filler words and improve verb choice while preserving the author’s voice and formality.”
• Transformational: “Tighten this paragraph for business clarity: remove filler words, convert passive into active voice where appropriate, and replace weak verbs with specific, energetic verbs. Keep it professional and concise.”

Action plan — first 15 minutes

1. Pick one short paragraph.
2. Read aloud and mark fillers/weak verbs (2 minutes).
3. Apply manual edits (8 minutes).
4. Run the AI prompt if you want a second pass (5 minutes).

Small, repeated edits lead to big improvement. Focus on doing one paragraph each day and you’ll notice your writing getting clearer and more confident in a week.

[aaron]

Good question — the goal of replacing weak verbs and cutting filler words is exactly where you get immediate clarity wins. Try this quick win first: pick a 100–200 word paragraph, read it aloud, and mark every “is/are/was/get/have” and every filler like “just”, “actually”, “really”, “very” — then run the short process below.

The problem: weak verbs and filler words dilute meaning, slow reading, and reduce persuasive power.

Why it matters: cleaner sentences increase comprehension, reduce reader friction and raise the odds someone takes the action you want — sign up, click, buy. In short: better copy = better results.

What I do (short lesson): when editing, I aim to replace function verbs with specific action verbs, convert passive to active voice where appropriate, and cut filler words that add no info. That single edit reduces word count and improves clarity without changing intent.

1. What you’ll need: the target document, 10 minutes, and either your word processor or any AI assistant.
2. How to do it — quick process:
   1. Scan a 100–200 word paragraph and underline verbs and obvious fillers.
   2. For each underlined verb, ask: does it describe a specific action? If not, replace. Example: change “is responsible for managing” to “manages” or “runs.”
   3. Delete unnecessary fillers (“just”, “actually”, “very”). If tone flattens, swap for a stronger noun or verb.
   4. Read the paragraph aloud. If a sentence still feels weak, change the verb to a more exact verb (“improve” → “sharpen”, “boost”, “reduce”).
3. How to use AI: Paste the paragraph and use this exact prompt (copy-paste):
   “Edit the following paragraph to remove filler words and replace weak verbs with stronger, more specific verbs while keeping the same meaning and professional tone. Keep sentences concise and active. Paragraph: [paste text here]”

What to expect: a 30–70% drop in filler words for the edited paragraph and clearer, shorter sentences you can A/B test.

Metrics to track:

• Filler words per 100 words (baseline vs post-edit)
• Average sentence length
• Readability score (Flesch or similar)
• Conversion or engagement lift on edited copy (CTR, sign-ups) over two weeks

Common mistakes & fixes

• Over-editing: trimming nuance. Fix: preserve one clarifying phrase per sentence if needed.
• Making tone robotic with too-strong verbs. Fix: read aloud and choose verbs that fit your voice.
• Relying entirely on AI suggestions. Fix: human-review for context and accuracy.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Quick win on one paragraph using the AI prompt above.
2. Day 2: Edit 3 high-impact pages (homepage, email, landing page).
3. Day 3–4: Run A/B tests on one headline and one CTA with edited copy.
4. Day 5: Measure filler words and readability; record metrics.
5. Day 6–7: Iterate on worst-performing page based on results.

Your move.

[aaron]

Smart question. Targeting weak verbs and filler is the fastest way to tighten writing without changing your voice.

The goal: turn soft, wordy sentences into clear, persuasive lines. AI can do 80% of this in minutes if you give it the right guardrails.

Why it matters: tighter copy lifts response rates, cuts reading time, and signals authority. Expect leaner word count, sharper verbs, and clearer calls to action. Typical targets: 10–25% fewer words, +10–20% clarity scores, and a measurable bump in email replies or on-page conversions.

What you’ll need:

• Any AI writing tool (ChatGPT, Claude, or similar).
• Your draft text (500–1500 words per pass is ideal).
• Five minutes to set constraints and a filler phrase list.

Lesson from the field: Don’t ask AI to “improve writing.” Ask it to do two specific jobs, in order. Pass 1: upgrade verbs. Pass 2: cut filler and hedging. Give it a change budget and non‑negotiables to protect your meaning and tone.

Step-by-step (copy, paste, run):

1. Baseline your draft– Note word count and average sentence length (quick check: most docs average 18–22 words per sentence).- Skim for weak verbs (is/are/was/were, have, do, get, make, go, feel, seem) and common fillers (just, really, very, actually, basically, kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps, starting to, going to, in order to, due to the fact that, at this point in time, it is important to note).
2. Run Pass 1: Verb UpgradeUse this prompt:

Prompt — Verb Upgrade (keep meaning, keep tone): Replace weak verbs with precise, concrete verbs. Do not add new claims. Keep my tone and audience. Preserve all facts, numbers, and quotes. Limit rewrites to necessary phrases only. Return (1) Revised text, (2) Change log listing “Before -> After | Reason” for all verb changes. Text: [paste your draft]

1. Run Pass 2: Cut Filler and HedgingUse this prompt:

Prompt — Filler Cut (tighten without losing nuance): Remove fluff and hedging that don’t change meaning: just, really, very, actually, basically, kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps, starting to, going to, in order to, due to the fact that, at this point in time, it is important to note. Keep tone. Preserve facts and compliance language. Maintain sentence variety. Target 10–25% word-count reduction. Return (1) Revised text, (2) Change log with Before/After/Reason.

1. Lock your voiceIf the tone drifts, calibrate once, then re-run:

Prompt — Voice Calibration: Here are 3 short samples that reflect my voice. Extract tone traits and style rules. Then re-edit the last output to match them without changing meaning. Samples: [paste 2–3 short paragraphs you like].

1. Protect non‑negotiablesBefore any pass, add: “Do not alter legal disclaimers, product names, quotes, or data. If meaning is uncertain, leave the sentence and flag it with [FLAG].”
2. Create a personal verb bankAsk AI for preferred swaps so edits stay consistent across pieces.

Prompt — Build My Verb Bank: For business writing aimed at [your audience], propose replacements for common weak verbs. Format as: make → [create, generate, produce]; get → [receive, secure, obtain]; go → [proceed, move, advance]; do → [execute, conduct, deliver]; have → [hold, own, maintain]; be → [become, remain, serve as]; use → [apply, employ, leverage]; show → [demonstrate, reveal, indicate]. Tailor to a confident, concise voice.

Insider tricks:

• Ask for a diff-style change log so you see why each change happened. This trims review time.
• Chunk long docs into 500–800 word sections, then do one final smoothing pass to unify voice.
• Set a rewrite budget: “Do not change more than 15% of sentences.” It prevents over-editing.

What to expect:

• Immediate: crisper verbs, fewer filler words, shorter sentences.
• After review: clearer CTA, faster reading time, fewer misunderstandings.
• Plan for a 5–10 minute human pass to catch nuance AI won’t see (industry jargon, legal tone).

Metrics to track (simple spreadsheet):

• Word count change (%)
• Average sentence length (target 14–18 words)
• Filler rate (number of filler words per 100 words; target <2)
• Strong-verb ratio (sentences with concrete verbs; target >80%)
• Email: reply rate or click-through (pre/post)
• On-page: scroll depth and time-on-page (should hold steady or improve even with fewer words)

Common mistakes and fast fixes:

• Over-trimming nuance: If a sentence loses caution or context, restore one hedging phrase that matters (e.g., “likely”).
• Changing claims: Always include “preserve facts, numbers, quotes.” If in doubt, AI should flag, not guess.
• Monotone sentences: Add: “Maintain sentence variety; avoid staccato rhythm.”
• Voice drift: Use the Voice Calibration prompt with 2–3 of your own samples.
• Missing non-negotiables: State protected phrases every time (product names, legal lines).

One-week action plan:

1. Day 1: Save the three prompts above in your AI tool. Build your filler list and verb bank.
2. Day 2: Run Pass 1 (verbs) on one key page or email sequence. Log metrics.
3. Day 3: Run Pass 2 (filler) on the same piece. Compare word count and sentence length.
4. Day 4: Voice Calibration using your best past paragraph. Re-run the edit if needed.
5. Day 5: Publish and A/B test (original vs. tightened). Track replies or clicks.
6. Day 6: Review the change logs; add any preferred swaps to your verb bank.
7. Day 7: Roll the process to two more assets (about page, sales email) and keep tracking.

Premium tip: Add this line to every prompt to cut review time by half: “After the revised text, list the top 10 edits with ‘Before -> After | Reason,’ focusing on verbs and filler only. Exclude any changes to data or quotes.”

If you want, paste one paragraph here and I’ll run the two-pass system so you can see the difference with your own words.

Your move.

— Aaron

[Author]

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