# AI Writing Tropes to Avoid
Use sparingly once, never as a repeated pattern. Main failure mode: accumulation.
## Diction
Avoid inflated adverbs: quietly, deeply, fundamentally, remarkably, arguably.
Avoid AI-default verbs/adjectives: delve, certainly, utilize, leverage, robust, streamline, harness.
Avoid grandiose abstractions: tapestry, landscape, paradigm, synergy, ecosystem, framework.
Avoid pompous copulas: serves as, stands as, marks, represents when is/are works.
## Sentence patterns
Avoid negative-reframe formulas: not X but Y; X isn't Y; X -- not Y.
Avoid countdown reveals: Not X. Not Y. Just Z.
Avoid rhetorical self-Q&A: The result? A mess.
Avoid repeated openings: They assume... They assume...
Avoid repeated tricolons / stacked rule-of-three structures.
Avoid filler transitions: It's worth noting, importantly, interestingly, notably.
Avoid fake-analysis participles: highlighting, underscoring, reflecting, contributing.
Avoid false ranges: from X to Y where no real spectrum exists.
## Paragraph patterns
Avoid fragment spam for emphasis.
Avoid prose-listicles: The first..., The second..., The third...
## Tone
Avoid suspense bait: Here's the kicker / thing / deal / where it gets interesting.
Avoid patronizing analogy defaults: Think of it as..., It's like...
Avoid futurist invitation boilerplate: Imagine a world where...
Avoid performative honesty: and yes..., this is not a rant...
Avoid assertion-as-proof: the truth is simple, history is clear.
Avoid stakes inflation: redefine everything, next era, fundamentally reshape.
Avoid teacher voice: Let's break this down / unpack / explore / dive in.
Avoid vague authority: experts, observers, reports, publications without names.
Avoid invented pseudo-terms: supervision paradox, acceleration trap, workload creep.
## Formatting
Avoid em-dash overuse.
Avoid bold-first bullets.
Avoid decorative Unicode when ASCII works.
## Composition
Avoid recursive summaries.
Avoid one metaphor repeated throughout.
Avoid analogy stacking via tech-history name-dropping.
Avoid thesis dilution via repeated restatement.
Avoid duplicated paragraphs/sections.
Avoid signposted conclusions: In conclusion, To sum up, In summary.
Avoid formulaic concession-resolve: Despite these challenges...
## Prefer
Plain words. Direct claims. Named sources. Specific mechanisms. Varied cadence. Natural paragraphing. Minimal scaffolding. Fewer rhetorical tricks.
## Quick scan
Search for: quietly, delve, landscape, not X but Y, The X?, Here's the, Let's, Imagine, experts say, em dash, bold bullets, In conclusion.