We've improved Hemingway's weakener feedback. The editor now finds five extra types of weakeners, catches passive voice more accurately, and gives you more control over which adverbs are highlighted.
More ways to spot weak writing
Weak writing can come from an unnecessary phrase, an indirect construction, or a general verb that does too much work. Hemingway now looks for five more types of weakeners:
- Intensifiers are words like "very" or "really" that add emphasis but lack precision. Often, they can be omitted or replaced with a stronger, more specific word. For example, you could change “very tired” to “exhausted.” Editor Plus users get AI suggestions for fixing intensifiers.
- Weak verb use occurs when a general verb like "walked" relies on an adverb like "quietly" to describe how the action is performed. Instead of "walked quietly," you can choose a more precise verb like "crept."
- Fillers are phrases such as “of course” or “it is worth noting”, which add little meaning. They can often be removed.
- Hidden actions use longer noun phrases instead of direct verbs. Instead of “Make a decision”, say “decide.”
- Negative or indirect phrases express simple ideas in a roundabout way. Replace them with more direct wording: “not uncommon” can become “common,” while “with the exception of” can become “except for.”
These are focused checks, not universal rules. As always, Hemingway will flag it, but you decide whether the suggestion fits your prose.
Better passive voice detection
Hemingway now sees more common passive structures. This includes negation, intervening modifiers, longer auxiliary chains, and forms using “get.” For example, it can now spot the passive voice in “The proposal has been carefully reviewed.”
It is also more selective. “Thailand is known for its food traditions” describes a reputation, while “To get started...” uses a common idiom. The updated detector no longer flags these state descriptions and expressions.
A more thoughtful approach to adverbs
Questioning an adverb can often improve a sentence. “Walked quietly” may become the shorter, more vivid “crept,” “sneaked,” or “tiptoed,” depending on the context.
But an adverb is a grammatical category, not automatically a writing problem. Adverbs can add meaning, precision, rhythm, or voice. Consider:
The road was partially blocked.
Deleting “partially” changes the claim to “The road was blocked.” Similarly, we can't always swap in a stronger verb, like "The road was obstructed." Doing so may change the meaning; it may suggest the road is completely blocked or only partially blocked.
So, we're changing our approach: Hemingway will no longer flag all adverbs. Instead, it flags the adverbs we know are harming your writing: intensifiers and adverbs used with weak verbs.
If you want us to keep flagging all adverbs, you can turn it back on. Hit "View details" under the "weakeners" category in the right sidebar, and then click the closed-eye icon to turn it back on.
Try Hemingway Editor Plus
This new highlighting is available to everyone, whether you are on a paid plan or not. When a safe, direct fix is available, Hemingway can offer it.
Upgrade to Hemingway Editor Plus to add AI-powered Fix It suggestions. These help with issues that lack a simple fix. Editor Plus can rewrite a sentence to fix passive voice, broad adverbs, and intensifiers.
Plus, you get lots of other goodies to check grammar, simplify sentences, and adjust tone and style.
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