Knight Piésold Stakeholder Engagement

and SEIA/SEAP Training

Toolkit: Taboo Words

Taboo Words

The following list contains a number of words and phrases to avoid or use very carefully
when writing reports. Some of the words/phrases are poor grammatical choices, others
carry or convey emotional content, which can sway readers’ opinions of the report
outside of the report’s factual content. Other words/phrases imply levels of certainty or
compliance to which it may be impossible or impractical to commit. The list is not
inclusive; update it freely as you come across additional words or phrases to avoid, and
please share it with others in your office and in the Knight Piésold global group.

TABOO SUBSTITUTE

Words of Conviction
guarantee, certify, warrant, pledge, swear, believe, judge, indicate, estimate, assess,
know, insure, assure, you can, possible, derive, infer, find, so that, may
will

Words of Performance
supervise, control, oversee, direct, manage, review, monitor, audit, exploration,
prescribe, regulate, inspect, investigate, reconnaissance, confirm, guide, estimate,
examine, ascertain, agent evaluate, guidance, compaction test guide,
observe, study, look over, take density tests

Words of Extremes
all, always, entirely, final, completely, many, most, the majority of, probable,
evenly, non, non-, never, nothing, generally, seldom, rarely, scarcely, more,
maximum, minimum, extreme, at least, at less, minority, majority, reduce, limit, limit
all times, must, shall, no less than, the potential for, improve performance,
thorough preponderance, prevalence, usually

Words of Finite Evaluation

safe, satisfactory, superior, approved,
equal, necessary, critical, essential,
suitable, required, inevitable, obvious,
proper, sound, stable, sufficient, thorough,
--and the negatives of these
recommended, favored, we like,
meritorious, popular, indicated, advised,
considered, might or may be, apparent

Page 1
 Knight Piésold Stakeholder Engagement
and SEIA/SEAP Training

Toolkit: Taboo Words

Words that Evoke Emotion

pollution, dirty, toxic elevated concentrations of
pollutant parameter of concern
degrade, degradation, deleterious alter, increase concentrations of
contaminant parameter
seepage discharge, unplanned release
spill unplanned release
problem issue, concern
upset unplanned event
terrible, awful, bad, negative adverse effects
unacceptable, acceptable within/exceeding limits or expectations
destroy, annihilate, eradicate, exterminate get rid of, eliminate

Words that Add Little (and may add liability)

very, really, actually, in fact, on the other DELETE them and you will usually loose
hand, incidentally, very much, detailed, no meaning at all
optimum, optimal, optimally

Double Negatives
not uncommon common
not insignificant significant
not unusual ordinary

Page 2