Our readers respond

One of our recent commentaries was on the uselessness of the word "very" because it doesn't add very much to any sentence, particularly if our intent is to describe something. For instance, what's the difference between "big" and "very big"?
A faithful reader pointed out how great authors apparently disagreed with me. As an example, the reader cited a passage from Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises": "Bayonne is a nice town. It is like a very clean Spanish town and it is on a big river. Already, so early in the morning, it was very hot on the bridge across the river." Then, a few sentences later, "In the Basque country, the land all looks very rich and green..." (emphasis added).
We're not about to take on Hemingway here or the success of his writing. But generally, sentences are more crisp without the word "very" and, as seekers of just the right word, we should avoid ones that clutter up sentences.
But sentences should have flow. If adding or taking out a word or phrase destroys the flow, don't do it.
One of the wonderful things about writing is that it isn't math. We are not constrained into 2+2=4. We are creative. If something doesn't work, change it.
But think about it. That's really the point. Remember the golden rule: Intend every word you write.
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