From Strunk & White’s Elements of Style: “Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.”
Examples:
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Instead of this . . . |
Say this . . . |
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He was not very often on time. |
He usually came late. |
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She did not think that alphabetizing the emails was a sensible way to use her time. |
She thought that alphabetizing the emails |
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Not all of the barrels had been inspected. |
Some of the barrels had not been inspected. |
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Not coming to work on time is a bad habit. |
Coming to work late is a bad habit. |