Un-clutter Cluttered Sentences
Concise sentences are more powerful than cluttered ones.
Sentences should never be cluttered with unnecessary words. This is the cornerstone of effective writing. If you include unnecessary words, your message could get lost in the clutter. Remove words whenever possible; your reader will thank you. .
A few common expressions revised:
I have an outgoing personality.
I am outgoing.
I found the insurance settlement to be very reasonable.
The insurance settlement was reasonable.
I am happy that I went to the dentist.
I am happy I went to the dentist.
What I like about my cell phone is the ringtone.
I like the ringtone on my cell phone.
For some reason, I just don’t like credit cards.
I don’t like credit cards.
As the night comes to an end, I would like to announce the winners of the contest.
The winners of tonight’s contest are:
The fact that I won money made me very happy.
I am happy I won money.
I would like to thank you for the loan.
Thank you for the loan.
Can you offer any legal advice to me?
Can you offer any legal advice?
Listen to what I have to say.
Listen to me.
This is a boy who needs your help.
The boy needs your help.
She spoke in a rude manner.
She spoke rudely.
His brother is a nice guy.
His brother is nice.
My brother has a skin condition that causes him to get acne.
My brother is acne prone.
Take your medication on a daily basis.
Take your medication daily.
It is a good idea for everyone to have life insurance.
Everyone should have life insurance.
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August 1st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Great reminders…
August 1st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
This is very good advice. I am one who uses unneeded words. For me proofreading is a must.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I tend to be redundant at times. Thanks for the reminder.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Great advice. Thanks
August 19th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Nice concise advice. It’s simple really. “Omit needles words” (Strunk and White), make mistakes and recognise them, try keeping sentences short, practice with your own style while not letting grammar stifle it, and write – just write.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I think it’s possible to be too concise. I try to use fewer words, but what you’re advising might be a bit much.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Very interesting. I like it! ~G
December 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
is this supposed to be a joke? You’re so concise that your writing completely lacks personality–or interest. Maybe you should just stick to texting, and not try to give writing advice.
January 17th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
succinct is best
December 3rd, 2011 at 7:35 am
brilliantly explained