Most writing guides recommend that authors write clearly and concisely. This excellent piece of advice is based on the fact that most people lose interest while reading something that is rambling or long-winded. They can get confused, bored, or overwhelmed and find it difficult to quickly identify the main point of the writing. Sifting through a thick forest of text is also likely to make them less receptive to what the author is trying to communicate.
What is Concise Writing?
Concise writing means conveying an idea clearly and fully while using the fewest possible words. Like all good writing, it also involves the use of proper punctuation, grammar, and syntax.
Look at these examples:
Wordy – There are two mountain ash trees which are growing behind this house.
Concise – Two mountain ash trees grow behind this house.
Wordy – The financial situation of Milton Bloom was also a crucial factor in the formation of his character.
Concise – Milton Bloom’s poverty also helped form his character.
As the above examples show, concise writing grabs and holds the reader’s attention. It also makes any kind of writing – text message, email, resume, or term paper – more memorable and impactful.
Unfortunately, brevity is not the norm, especially in academic writing, and learning to write concisely requires extra effort and practice. This article contains tips to help students and academic writers shed wordiness and unwieldy sentences and embrace the pleasures of pithiness.
How to Write Concisely
Rule No. 1 – Discard redundant words and choose more specific ones
Tautologies (phrases or expressions that repeat the same information in different ways) are the obvious culprit here for taking up unnecessary space and distracting readers. Eliminating tautologies and other redundant words makes sentences simple, crisp, and direct.
For example:
I remember a time when color televisions were a new innovation.
I remember a time when color televisions were an innovation.
It is also important to choose a word that precisely expresses the author’s intended meaning. In the English language, words have a denotative meaning (the dictionary definition) and a connotative meaning (the emotional or socially accepted meaning which can be negative or positive.) For instance, the words sweet, luscious, and syrupy have the same denotative meanings but very different connotations. It is important to use a word with the right connotation in order to express meaning precisely and concisely.
Rule No. 2 – Use strong adjectives
All good writers have extensive vocabularies that they draw upon in order to describe something. This ensures that they use the most appropriate word and that all their words fit perfectly into their sentences. This helps cut down on sentence length and contributes to the text’s conciseness. Moreover, good writers never use two words when one will do.
For example:
The speaker then embarked upon a really boring speech.
The speaker then embarked upon a tedious speech.
The soup was very good.
The soup was delicious.
Rule No. 3 – Drop filler words
Filler words are meaningless words that add no value to a sentence. They take up unnecessary space and can be easily removed or replaced for the sake of conciseness. Filler words often inadvertently creep up in academic writing because most people commonly use them while speaking.
For example:
I said that I would have another cup of coffee.
I said I would have another cup of coffee.
I got up on the ladder.
I got on the ladder.
Needless to say, Myra thinks that red doesn’t suit her.
Myra thinks red doesn’t suit her.
Rule No. 4 – Replace passive voice with active voice
The passive voice is inevitably wordier than the active. Look at these examples:
Passive – I was reminded about my 4 o’clock appointment by my secretary.
Active – My secretary reminded me about my 4 o’clock appointment.
Passive – He was followed by the cat wherever he went.
Active – The cat followed him wherever he went.
Passive – The house is cleaned by the maid every day.
Active – The maid cleans the house every day.
Although it is perfectly fine to use the passive voice in moderation, it leads to weak sentence construction and is unsuitable for concise writing. Some writers gravitate toward the passive voice because they think it sounds better or because it softens harsh or unpleasant ideas. The active voice, however, is more suitable for concise writing because it sets a stronger, more direct tone of voice using fewer words.
Rule No. 5 – Eliminate weak qualifiers and intensifiers
Strong, impactful writing has no place for weak qualifiers and intensifiers such as quite, entirely, extremely, definitely, fairly, etc. They should be used sparingly or avoided altogether. Look at these examples:
I found the proposal quite extraordinary.
I found the proposal extraordinary.
The remark, though well meant, was not entirely well received.
The remark, though well meant, was not well received.
This behavior is fairly unique for such a close-knit community.
This behavior is unique for such a close-knit community.
In each of the above examples, the second sentence sounds more forceful in the absence of a weak and superfluous intensifier or qualifier.
