Another way to say this is “Don’t hedge.” Phrases such as “I think that,” “I assume,” “I believe,” and “It’s possible that” tell the reader that you are not confident in what you are saying. If you are not confident in your ideas, your reader will not be confident in your authority to make whatever statement you are making.
On the other hand, if you have a good reason for your idea, state the idea with confidence. Consider this sentence:
“I think cantaloupe is good for your health.”
As a reader, I can say, “Do you think so, or do you know so? If that is only your opinion, I can ignore it.” To encourage the reader to believe you, you can write, instead,
“Cantaloupe is good for your health.”
Confident writing is stronger, more active, more believable, and more likely to get the reader response you desire.
This is the strategy for day 15 in 300 Days of Better Writing, available at Hostile Editing in PDF, Kindle, and paperback formats.
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