Equipping Professionals to be Effective Communicators
Equipping Professionals to be Effective Communicators
Equipping Professionals to be Effective Communicators
Equipping Professionals to be Effective Communicators

Communication Tip #76

Is this correct or incorrect usage? Chris had us literally cracking up.” “That sunset literally blew my mind.” “She was literally a limp dish rag after that run.”

(All three are incorrect.)

Literally means actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy. So, eliminate the word literally and use it only to emphasize the truth—especially if that truth is usually conveyed as a cliché:

For example:

  • “When John finished planting the moss, he literally had what he always wanted: a green thumb.”

“The miniature house in the museum was literally made of money.

The Verbal Edge is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and St. Petersburg, Florida in the Tampa Bay Area. Engage your listeners and make a difference in how and what you communicate. Take a powerful step toward positive, practical, and life-changing communications by contacting corporate communications skills consultant Elizabeth MacDonald. Contact The Verbal Edge. 260-433-3734 or Elizabeth@TheVerbalEdge.com.