AI Writing Pattern Fixes#

Paragraph Opener Trap#

Scan first word of each paragraph - if 3+ start with "This/The/It" = robotic Vary with: "Meanwhile", "Consider", "Beyond that", action verbs, specific nouns Lead with action: "Marketing increased" not "The marketing team increased"

Rhythm Monotony Trap#

Avoid same sentence length patterns - mix 5-word punches with 20-word flows Use strategic fragments. For emphasis. For pace breaks. Read aloud test: monotone rhythm = boring

Vague Claim Trap#

Replace adjectives with numbers: "significant growth" → "40% growth" Swap evaluations for evidence: "impressive results" → "cut response time from 3s to 300ms" Delete weasel words: somewhat, fairly, quite, rather, slightly

List Overuse Trap#

Use prose when explaining relationships or building arguments Use bullets only for instructions, features, options Flow test: if bullets feel choppy, try connected sentences

Parallel Structure Breaks#

Match verb forms: "hiking, swimming, reading" not "hiking, swimming, to read" Match sentence patterns: "codes fast, debugs thoroughly, ships daily" Keep same grammatical structure in lists

Transition Word Crutches#

Avoid: Furthermore, Moreover, Additionally, In conclusion Use echo technique: end paragraph with concept X, start next with concept X Pick up last idea and expand naturally

Voice Drift in Long Documents#

Tone drift check: mark every 200 words - same person speaking? Pick 3-5 key phrases and use consistently throughout Don't switch from beginner-friendly to expert jargon mid-document

Word Economy Traps#

Cut phrases: "in order to" → "to", "due to the fact that" → "because" One verb wins: "make improvement" → "improve", "conduct investigation" → "investigate" 80% rule: can you say it in 80% of words? Do it.

Nominalization Trap#

Use verbs not nouns: "implementation of" → "implement" Action over abstraction: "decision-making process" → "decide" Zombie noun test: -tion, -ment, -ness endings often hide better verbs