[publius_0xf3]

>One of the best writing tips I've ever gotten was to avoid using demonstrative pronouns. Instead of saying “this” or “that,” you should add a noun to spell out exactly what you’re referring to, even if you’ve just mentioned it.

This piece of advice is maybe the only thing I remember from my college English class. A naked "this" or "that" now feels shamefully lazy to me.

[KineticLensman]

Totally agree! The worst example is a paragraph that starts with ‘this’. The author might remember what ‘this’ means at the time of writing, but other readers have to then insert themselves into the author’s stream of consciousness. ‘This’ paragraphs also make no sense when extracted from the main report, or to readers who are dipping in and out

[mike-the-mikado]

'This' paragraphs are fragile to editing. Ensuring that your text is robust to updates (e.g. insertion of an extra paragraph) is good practice.

[layer8]

This is good advice.

[wodenokoto]

“This piece of advice”, I guess it’s good advice just don’t overdo it?