William Strunk wrote a short, valuable essay on the need to omit needless words:



"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."



Here are some examples of wordy and redundant phrases, and ways to shorten them, so that your business writing becomes tighter and clearer.



Don't say: call your attention to the fact that

Say: remind you



Don't say: an example of this is the fact that

Say: for example



Don't say: afford an opportunity

Say: allow



Don't say: due to the fact that

Say: because



Don't say: exhibit a tendency to

Say: tend to



Don't say: for the purpose of

Say: for, to



Don't say: in reference to

Say: about, regarding



Don't say: in view of the fact that

Say: because



Don't say: in the normal course of our procedure

Say: normally



Don't say: in the majority of circumstances

Say: normally



Eliminate redundancies as well. Unnecessary modifiers slow your readers and muddy your writing.




Don't say: at this point in time

Say: now



Don't say: one a.m. in the morning

Say: one a.m.



Don't say: consensus of opinion

Say: consensus



Don't say: may possibly

Say: may



Don't say: mutual cooperation

Say: cooperation



Don't say: end result

Say: result



Don't say: plan in advance

Say: plan



Don't say: final conclusion

Say: conclusion



Don't say: refer back to

Say: refer to



Don't say: reason why

Say: reason that



Don't say: reason why is because

Say: reason is that



Don't say: resume again

Say: resume



Don't say: continue on

Say: continue



Don't say: the month of December

Say: December



Don't say: first originated

Say: originated



Don't say: my personal opinion

Say: my opinion



Don't say: enclosed herewith

Say: enclosed



Don't say: attached hereto

Say: attached




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About the author

Alan Sharpe, executive speech coach and business writing trainer, is author of Speak Like a Leader: 101 Tips for Mastering Your Public Speaking Skills. On-site, online and over the phone, Alan teaches executives and managers how to express themselves clearly, concisely and convincingly using the written and spoken word. Receive a free tip like this each week by subscribing to his weekly newsletter, The Confident Communicator


© 2008 Alan Sharpe.