20+ Words to Avoid Writing in Your Essay 1) Contractions. ... 2) Idioms. ... 3-5) “So on,” “etc,” “and so forth“ ... 6) Clichés. ... 7-11) “Thing,” “stuff,” “good,” “bad,” “big“ ... 12) Slang, jargon, teen speak. ... 13) Rhetorical questions. ... 14-17) “In terms of,” “needless to say,” “in conclusion,” “it goes without saying“ More items... Mar 13, 2018