Transcript Avoiding Wordiness - Danika Taylor Rockett

Writing Concisely:
Methods for Eliminating
Wordiness
Danika Rockett
WRIT 300
Summer 09
Some Points to Consider
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Cutting or shortening unnecessary words and
phrases
Avoid nominalizations (nouns made from
verbs)
Change that, who, and which clauses into
phrases
Avoid expletives at the beginning of sentences
Use active voice
Omit obvious words
Omit repetitive wording
1. Cutting or shortening empty
words and phrases

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.
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 Concise
 Any dessert is fine with me.
 Balancing the budget by Friday is impossible without extra help.
(LBH p. 531)
1. Cutting or shortening empty
words and phrases
Here's a list of some words and phrases that can often be pruned
away to make sentences clearer:
kind of
sort of
generally
nature of
type of
really
particular
thing
basically
very
specific
due to the fact that
definitely
actually
for all intents and purposes
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.
(LBH p. 531-532)
More examples
Wordy
 At this point in time, I am basically failing the class due
to the fact that I have too many tardies and absences.
 For the most part, I kind of enjoy watching soccer.
 Despite the fact that I studied for the exam, I basically
failed.
More Concise
 I am currently failing the class because I have too
many tardies and absences.
 I mostly enjoy watching soccer.
 Although I studied for the exam, I failed.
2. Nominalizations
A nominalization occurs when we take a verb (for
example, “install”) and turn it into a noun form
(“installation”). The –tion suffix is a clue.
 Bad Nominalization: We conducted an investigation
of the funding.
 Good Sentence: We investigated the funding.
 Bad Nominalization: Our intention is to perform an
audit of the records of the program.
 Good Sentence: We intend to audit the records of the
program. (even better: We will audit the program's
records.)
 Bad Nominalization: We had a discussion
concerning a tax cut.
 Good Sentence: We discussed a tax cut.
(LBH pp. 385; 530)
3. Change unnecessary that, who,
and which clauses into phrases
Using a clause to convey meaning that could be presented in a
phrase or even a word contributes to wordiness. Convert
modifying clauses into phrases or single words when possible.
Wordy
 The report, which was released recently...
 All applicants who are interested in the job must...
 The system that is most efficient and accurate...
More Concise
 The recently released report...
 All job applicants must...
 The most efficient and accurate system...
(LBH p. 534, 39d)
4. Avoid overusing expletives at the
beginning of sentences
Expletives are phrases with the following structures:
There is/was, There are/were, It is/was
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.
 It was Roger who signed the check.
More Concise
 The governor signs or vetoes bills.
 Four rules should be observed:...
 A big explosion shook the windows, and people ran into the street.
 Roger signed the check.
(LBH p. 534, 39e)
5. Use active voice rather than
passive voice
Passive voice takes focus off of the subject. Use passive voice
only when necessary.
The ball was hit by the boy.
The boy hit the ball.
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.
(LBH 302-304)
6. Omit words that explain the
obvious or provide excessive detail
Always consider your readers as you draft and revise your writing. If you find
passages that explain or describe in detail what would already be obvious to
readers, delete or reword them.
Wordy
 It goes without saying that we are acquainted with your policy on filing tax returns,
and we have every intention of complying with the regulations that you have
mentioned.
 Imagine a mental picture of someone engaged in the intellectual activity of trying to
learn what the rules are for how to play the game of chess.
 Baseball, one of our oldest and most popular outdoor summer sports in terms of total
attendance at ball parks and viewing on television, has the kind of rhythm of play on
the field that alternates between times when players passively wait with no action
taking place between the pitches to the batter and then times when they explode into
action as the batter hits a pitched ball to one of the players and the player fields it.
More Concise
 We intend to comply with the tax-return regulations that you have mentioned.
 Imagine someone trying to learn the rules of chess.
 Baseball has a rhythm that alternates between waiting and explosive action.
7. Omit repetitive wording
(LBH pp. 532-534)
Watch for phrases or longer passages in your writing in which you repeat words
with similar meanings. Below are some general examples of unnecessary
repetition contrasted with more concise versions, followed by lists and
examples of specific redundant word pairs and categories.
Wordy
 Many unskilled workers without training in a particular job are unemployed
and do not have any work.
 The supply manager considered the correcting typewriter an unneeded
luxury.
More Concise
 Many unskilled workers are unemployed.
 The supply manager considered the correcting typewriter a luxury.
7. Omit repetitive wording:
Redundant pairs
Many pairs of words imply each other. Finish implies
complete, so the phrase completely finish is redundant
in most cases. So are many other pairs of words:
past memories
basic fundamentals
future plans
final outcome
unexpected surprise
various differences
true facts
terrible tragedy
free gift
sudden crisis
More examples in LBH p. 533.
each individual
important essentials
end result
past history
very unique
9. Omit repetitive wording:
Redundant categories
Specific words imply their general categories, so we usually don't have to state both. We
know that a period is a segment of time, that pink is a color, that shiny is an
appearance. In each of the following phrases, the general category term can be
dropped, leaving just the specific descriptive word:
large in size
round in shape
of cheap quality
unusual in nature
in a confused state
often times
at an early time
honest in character
extreme in degree
heavy in weight
of a bright color
period in time
of an uncertain condition
of a strange type
Wordy
 During that period in time, many car buyers preferred cars that were pink in color and
shiny in appearance.
 The microscope revealed a group of organisms that were round in shape and
peculiar in nature.
More Concise
 During that period, many car buyers preferred pink, shiny cars.
 The microscope revealed a group of peculiar, round organisms.