Interesting Literature

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Unique’ is a strange word. It’s often assumed that there are no true synonyms for unique, because the word literally presupposes that the thing or person described as ‘unique’ is truly one of a kind, rather than simply rare. ‘Unique’, some people declare, is […]

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Additionally’ is a useful word: so useful that a writer can find themselves in danger of overusing it in certain contexts. What viable alternative words are there which can serve as good synonyms for the word additionally? Let’s take a look at the best […]

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The word ‘literary’ can have several meanings. Obviously it’s most familiar as the adjectival form of literature: i.e., it means ‘of or relating to literature’. But it can also be used to refer to somebody’s style (a literary style of writing), or to describe […]

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Beauty is an important subject for many writers, whether describing a person, a landscape, a painting, or even another piece of writing. We talk of ‘beautiful poetry’, a ‘beautiful view’, and ‘beautiful works of art’. But as these examples show, the word ‘beautiful’ can […]

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Excellent’ is such a common word, and we so often want a word that describes something that is really good: a good performance, a fine meal, a splendid person, and so on. And ‘excellent’ is the word people often reach for. But this post […]