《中式英语之鉴》读书笔记（二）

会飞的大象

Intensifiers
a. Weak verbs + intensifiers
Extremely important = essential / vital / indispensable / crucial
They absolutely wanted to = they were determined to / have resolved to / were bent on / insist upon
b. Strong verbs + intensifiers
If there is serious chaos - disturbances occurred in Hong Kong
strongly demanded
must be firmly banned
c. Common redundant intensifiers
active / actively
effective / effectively
actual (true, real) / actually (truly, really)
successful / successfully
d. Enhance intensity
historical experience has convincingly proved that...
Do not use very, really, truly, actually, etc.
Use enormous, huge, gigantic, or massive large instead of very large
Use urgent, danger, crisis, disaster, fatal, grave, overriding, prime, paramount, as well as essential, which will weaken its intensity if commonly used in the text.

Qualifiers
a. Quite, rather, relatively, reasonably, comparatively ....
It is quite important to create suitable conditions
b. Perhaps, maybe, possibly

Clichés
Too much emphasis means very little emphasis.

Redundant Twins
help and assistance
stir up and incite
views and opinions
prudent and cautious
sentiments and feelings
fair and equitable
encourage and promote
firmly and resolutely
discuss and debate
ceaselessly and unremittingly