2. Writing clearly and concisely means
choosing your words deliberately,
constructing your sentences carefully,
and using grammar properly. By writing
clearly and concisely, you will get
straight to your point in a way your
audience can easily comprehend.
3. In order to succeed in your
communication task, you need to keep
your audience’s attention. Writing
clearly and concisely is one way to
capture and retain their interest.
Rambling on, conversely, may lose your
audience’s attention.
4. 1. Eliminate unnecessary determiners and modifiers
Writers sometimes clog up their prose with one or
more extra words or phrases that seem to determine
narrowly or to modify the meaning of a noun but
don't actually add to the meaning of the sentence.
Although such words and phrases can be meaningful
in the appropriate context, they are often used as
"filler" and can easily be eliminated.
5. WORDY
• Any particular type of dessert is fine with me.
• Balancing the budget by Friday is an impossibility without
some kind of extra help.
MORE C ONCISE
• Any dessert is fine with me.
• Balancing the budget by Friday is impossible without extra
help
6. Elaborate word Simple word
ascertain
commence
constitute
fabricate
initiate
terminate
transmit
utilize
find out
begin
make up
build
begin
end
send
use
Use simple words
7. • Excessive detail
• Before: I received and read the email you sent
yesterday about the report you’re writing for the
project. I agree it needs a thorough, close edit from
someone familiar with your audience.
• After: I received your email about the project report
and agree it needs an expert edit.
Eliminate unnecessary words
8. • Extra determiners and modifiers
• Before: Basically, the first widget pretty
much surpassed the second one
in overall performance.
• After: The first widget performed better
than the second.
9. • Repetitive words
• Before: The engineer considered the
second monitor an unneeded luxury.
• After: The engineer considered the second
monitor a luxury.
10. Avoid
kind of
sort of
type of
specific
really
basically
for all intents and purposes
particular
definitely
actually
generally
individual
11. WORDY
• For all intents and purposes, American industrial productivity
generally depends on certain factors that are really more
psychological in kind than of any given technological aspect.
MORE CONCISE
• American industrial productivity depends more on psychological
than on technological factors.
12. Change phrases into single words
WORDY
• The employee with ambition...
• The department showing the best performance...
• Jeff Converse, our chief of consulting, suggested at our last board
meeting the installation of microfilm equipment in the department of data
processing.
MORE CONCISE
• The ambitious employee... •
The best-performing department...
• At our last board meeting, Chief Consultant Jeff Converse suggested that
we install microfilm equipment in the data processing department.
13. Avoid overusing expletives at the beginning of
sentences
WORDY
• It is the governor who signs or vetoes bills.
• There are four rules that should be observed: ...
• There was a big explosion, which shook the windows, and people
ran into the street.
MORE C ONCISE
• The governor signs or vetoes bills.
• Four rules should be observed:...
• A big explosion shook the windows, and people ran into the
street
14. Use active rather than passive verbs
WORDY
• An account was opened by Mrs. Simms. • Your figures
were checked by the research department.
MORE CONCISE
• Mrs. Simms opened an account.
• The research department checked your figures.
15. Reword unnecessary infinitive phrases
WORDY
• The function of this department is the collection of accounts.
• The current focus of the medical profession is disease prevention.
MORE CONCISE
This department collects accounts.
The medical profession currently focuses on disease prevention.
16. WORDY
• At this/that point in time...
• In accordance with your request...
MORE C ONCISE
• Now/then...
As you requested...
17. WORDY
• It is possible that nothing will come of these preparations.
• She has the ability to influence the outcome.
• It is necessary that we take a stand on this pressing issue.
MORE CONCISE
• Nothing may come of these preparations.
• She can influence the outcome
• We must take a stand on this pressing issue.
