Wordiness canbecome a problem for writers because too many words can obscure meanings and createawkward sentences. Fortunately, wordiness is easy to reduce so that oneÕswriting becomes much clearer and smoother.
Ways toreduce wordiness:
1. Look for thetwo or three words that carry your meaning, and then see if you can rearrangethem to speak for themselves, cutting out all the little useless wirings.
2. Avoid thepassive voice.
3. Avoid overuseof there is and itis.
4. Beware theuse of and the verb use
5. Cutunnecessary words and phrases.
6. Avoid wordssuch as angle. aspect. factor. and situation. and phrases such as in the caseof, in the line of, in the field of are almost never necessary. They are muchoverused.
7 .Givepreference to one exact word to two or more approximate words.
Wordy | Direct |
this day and age | today |
at this point in time | now |
by means of | by |
8. Avoidredundancy by not using expressions such as visible to the eyes, whichsay the same thing twice.
Redundant | Direct |
advance forward | advance |
continue on | continue |
basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
9. Avoid awkwardand needless repetition.
10. Showpreference to prefer simple, direct expressions to needlessly complex ones.
Exampleexercise in revising to reduce wordiness:
Dead farm-typeanimals are a danger factor in causing the post-flood clearance and waterpollution situation.
Dead animals area serious factor in causing the water pollution situation.
Dead animals area factor in causing the pollution of water.
Dead animalscause water pollution
Dead animalscause polluted water.
Dead animalspollute water.