# AI Writing Signs — Detection Checklist Reference for the ghost_writer skill. Scan input text against these patterns before rewriting. --- ## Category A: Surface-Level Tells (Easy to Spot) ### 1. Em Dash Overuse **Signal:** More than 3 em dashes per 500 words **Fix:** Replace with period, comma, or restructure the sentence ### 2. Banned Vocabulary **Signal:** Any cluster of these words: *delve, showcase, underscores, noteworthy, pivotal, realm, tapestry, beacon, multifaceted, commendable, meticulous, intricate, vibrant, bolstered, fostering, highlighting, crucial, emphasizing, enhance, align with* **Fix:** Replace with plain, direct language. "Shows" not "showcases." "Important" not "pivotal." ### 3. Perfect Grammar, Zero Personality **Signal:** No fragments, no deliberate rule-bending, no contractions, no personality **Fix:** Add a fragment. Use a contraction. Let a short sentence stand alone. Like this. ### 4. Formulaic Paragraph Structure **Signal:** Every paragraph follows: topic sentence → evidence → summary **Fix:** Vary openings. Start a paragraph with a question, an example, or a one-sentence punch. ### 5. Excessive Hedging **Signal:** High density of: *arguably, potentially, it's worth noting, it could be said, in many ways, some might argue, one could suggest* **Fix:** If the author means it, say it. Cut the hedge or restructure to a genuine conditional. ### 6. Meta-Commentary and Structural Narration **Signal:** "In this article, we will explore…" / "As we can see…" / "In conclusion, we have discussed…" **Fix:** Delete sentences that describe the document instead of saying the thing. ### 7. Identical Sentence Length **Signal:** Every sentence runs 15–20 words with no variation **Fix:** Vary aggressively. Mix a 4-word sentence with a 30-word one. ### 8. Transition Word Saturation **Signal:** High frequency of: *furthermore, moreover, additionally, consequently, thus, hence, in addition, it is important to note* **Fix:** Remove or replace with direct connectives ("but," "so," "and") or restructure without them. ### 9. The Rule of Three — Always **Signal:** Every list has exactly three items; every comparison hits three points **Fix:** Use two sometimes. Use four sometimes. Break the pattern intentionally. ### 10. Overuse of "-ing" Openers **Signal:** Multiple sentences per paragraph starting with an -ing phrase ("Offering a wide range…", "Giving users the ability…") **Fix:** Restructure to lead with the subject. --- ## Category B: Deep Patterns (Harder to Spot, More Damaging) ### 11. The Abstraction Trap ⚠️ HIGH PRIORITY **Signal:** Vague language where concrete details belong. "The experience was positive" instead of "Cut setup time from 3 days to 4 hours." **Fix:** For every abstract claim, add one specific detail, number, or named example. ### 12. The Treadmill Effect **Signal:** Text circles the same idea across multiple paragraphs without advancing the information **Fix:** Cut restatements ruthlessly. If the same idea appears twice, keep the best version, delete the rest. ### 13. Latinate Bias ⚠️ HIGH PRIORITY **Signal:** Preference for long, formal Latinate words over short Anglo-Saxon ones: - "utilize" → "use" - "facilitate" → "help" - "commence" → "start" - "demonstrate" → "show" - "approximately" → "about" - "endeavor" → "try" - "in order to" → "to" - "due to the fact that" → "because" **Fix:** Audit every 3+ syllable word. Is there a shorter one? Use it. ### 14. Sensing Without Sensing **Signal:** Sensory descriptions that feel generic ("the warm, inviting atmosphere" / "a rich blend of flavors") **Fix:** Replace with specific, idiosyncratic detail that only someone who was there would know. ### 15. The Both-Sides Seesaw **Signal:** AI presents "both sides" of claims the author clearly believes in, or softens assertions with unnecessary counterpoints **Fix:** If the author has a position, let it land. Remove false balance. ### 16. Model-Specific First-Word Fingerprints **Signal:** - ChatGPT: sentences starting with "Certainly!", "As an AI…", "Sure!", "Here's…" - Claude: "I'd be happy to", "Based on", "I understand" - Generic: "Absolutely!", "Great question!" **Fix:** Delete or fully restructure these openers. ### 17. Passive Voice Overuse **Signal:** Actions where the agent is hidden: "Mistakes were made." / "The analysis was conducted." **Fix:** Say who did it. "The team made mistakes." "We ran the analysis." ### 18. Uniform Paragraph Length **Signal:** All paragraphs roughly the same length (3-5 sentences each) **Fix:** Vary paragraph length. Use a 1-sentence paragraph for impact. ### 19. Overclaiming Comprehensiveness **Signal:** "This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about…" / "A complete overview of…" **Fix:** Say what it actually covers. "This covers the three most common setup errors." ### 20. Fake Urgency / Motivational Padding **Signal:** Closing with generic positivity: "Now that you have the tools, you're ready to succeed!" / "The possibilities are endless!" **Fix:** End with a specific, useful next step or a genuine observation. --- ## Category C: Structural Red Flags ### 21. Symmetrical Bullet Lists **Signal:** Every bullet item is the same length; every list has the same count **Fix:** Vary. Let some bullets be 1 sentence, others 3. Cut a list to 2 items or expand to 6. ### 22. Overuse of Bold Headers in Short Text **Signal:** H2/H3 headers every 2-3 paragraphs in a short document **Fix:** Reserve headers for genuine section breaks in longer content. ### 23. Redundant Section Summaries **Signal:** A paragraph that restates the preceding section at the end of each section **Fix:** Cut. The section speaks for itself. ### 24. The "Despite / However" Pivot Formula **Signal:** "Despite its many advantages, [X] faces challenges…" appears formulaically **Fix:** Restructure the critique directly without the softening setup. --- ## Quick Scan Protocol When scanning a new text, check in this order: 1. Ctrl+F for banned vocabulary (see #2 above) 2. Read first sentence of every paragraph — are they all the same structure? 3. Count em dashes — more than 3 per page is a flag 4. Find one factual claim — is it specific or vague? (abstraction trap) 5. Find one transition word — does it appear more than twice per page? 6. Read aloud for 30 seconds — does it have rhythm, or is it a metronome? --- *Sources: vrid.ai/blog/signs-of-ai-writing (Feb 2026), Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing, academic research from CMU, theaugmentededucator.com, bethz.com pattern analysis*