Avoid Very

Very:

Adverb- used for emphasis

Adjective- actual; precise

It was a very peaceful day at the lake when we saw a very large monster creeping through the water. We could see its very shiny and very sharp teeth ready to chomp through our very soft skin. We couldn’t believe it; it was very unexpected. We tried to run off the dock but the monster was very fast and wiggled its way up the very thin dock. We turned around very quickly and found ourselves very scared and very upset. Here it came, the very judgmental and very harsh grammar monster.

Sounds lazy, huh? Pick up a thesaurus, you dumby! Here’s how it sounds with a little more effort.

It was a peaceful day at the lake when we saw a gigantic monster creeping through the water. We could see its gleaming and razor-sharp teeth ready to chomp through our delicate skin. We couldn’t believe it; it was surprising. We tried to run off the dock, but the monster was swift and wiggled its way up the narrow dock. We turned around hastily and found ourselves shivering in our own skin. Here it came, the judgmental and rigid grammar monster.