When are words such as "very" "just" "quite" "suddenly" acceptable?

When they're necessary?

In dialogue only if it fits the character. One of my profs called very, quite, and rather "weasel words", and how often do we hear presumably educated individuals say, "very unique" as an example?

Exir said:

So when is their use acceptable?

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In narrative, only if you cannot come up with a better way.

In dialog, follow donroc's advice.

In first person, conversational style. In dialogue.

In narrative: unless you can't find a better way to say "suddenly, he was just quite very sorry."

When I researched the characters I am working on, I found they used the word "pretty" a lot. As in: "Hey, that's pretty good," or "That was a pretty bad fall," or "It's raining pretty hard out there." Since those words are used often in actual vernacular, I wouldn't hesitate to use them in dialog, if the character was being evasive, or if those words were common to him or her. I don't believe I would use them in any writing I would add as an author. Maybe, maybe not. Weasel words are a no-no in technical and business writing. I go by Hemingway. He uses them but sparingly.

"Gradually, the killer sprang out of the closet."

They are always very suitable, especially when I just suddenly use them. Quite.

When you delete them and your sentence is actually worse, they're a good choice. But those situations are rare.

"Suddenly, I was quite sure he was very homicidal." = fatty
"I was sure he was homicidal." = better

You can use them whenever you want, but try the sentence pared down first to make sure they don't come off as lard.

It also depends on how they're being used.

Just can mean a number of things: It just started raining. It just is not done! Just do the dishes!

As others have said, I would use them in dialogue, but rarely in narration. There are frequently more descriptive words available that can provide a clearer idea.

Here's an example:

It was just another very dark and stormy night. Quite suddenly a shot rang out!

It was a rather loud shot, which upset my very pregnant wife.

Fortunately, it missed you!!!

I just wanted to say that I would be very concerned if such words suddenly became quite acceptable, she said, nose in air.

Not all in the same paragraph, anyhowl.

Now come on, you know he shot out of the closet!

rugcat said:

"Gradually, the killer sprang out of the closet."

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Personally, I do use suddenly, but only very occasionally. I use just sometimes too. With very, a couple of my characters say it all of the time via dialogue and thoughts.

>When are words such as "very" "just" "quite" "suddenly" acceptable? "very" "just" "quite" "suddenly" acceptable?

A colloquial speech, okay.

I find 'suddenly' repetitive since while I'm reading, one sentence follows another: 'he slithered out of the closet' reads as an immediate act.

The old butler's reply, 'Very good, sir' or 'Quite so, sir' are cliche though they works in some areas. As an extension of a description they feel weak.

Best thread evah!

When they're not redundant.

If you have the knife-wielding maniac springing out of the closet—or bursting, or lunging—the verb has an understood "suddenly" in it. If you write that the maniac suddenly burst out of the closet, you have, in effect, an extra "suddenly," which has nothing to do but shuffle its feet and look sheepish. Very suddenly, of course, is right out. It adds another useless word. You don't want words that aren't pulling their weight.

Dialogue, as others have noted, is different. So is first person narration, or anything else where you need to catch the rhythm of a character's speech. And, y'know, you might come across a description that works better with "very" in it. These words aren't inherently bad. It's just (there's one!) that they're often pointless.

Izunya