General and abstract nouns and modifiers are especially risky. They encourage the reader to form his or her own picture from your document -- a picture that is not based on a precise and concrete reality.
Consider the following sentence:
"The M5 projector is designed for optimum adaptability and portability."
What do you visualize? Can the M5 be carried up Mount Everest, or is its "adaptability and portability" relative to a weight of 175 pounds?
Generalized and abstract terms are dangerous in organizations because they cause readers -- clients, bosses, and colleagues -- to set their own expectations, The sentence above represents the kind of fog that causes misunderstandings and litigation.
Compare it to this revised version:
"The M5 projector adapts to any U. S. or European power source, and at three pounds can easily be carried in a briefcase."
The solution here is to always put yourself into the reader's place as you write, asking, "Can you give me an example of what you mean?" As the old saying goes, "Don't tell 'em, show 'em."
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