TYPICAL ERROR 'Be quiet or you will wake Tom,' she said.
CORRECTION 'Be quiet or you will wake Tom,' she whispered.
EXPLANATION Words such as said, got and nice are not very descriptive but, because they are vague and cover a wide range of meanings, they are convenient and are used very often. Consequently, apart from their lack of descriptive power, they become monotonous. There are literally hundreds of alternatives that could be used in preference to some of these words: for example, words like giggled, sniggered or whispered paint much more vivid pictures in our minds than does the word said.
For each of these words, choose the best two synonyms.