We’ve all encountered writing that repeats, uses more words than necessary, and seems to do everything but get to the point. It’s annoying. Yet, haven’t we all embellished school essays to appease an arbitrary word count?

Concise communication is the opposite: It’s brief and direct. And it’s mainly a matter of diction (word choice) and eliminating those clunky and burdensome word choices. By writing concisely, we can promote clarity and reader engagement.

Verbose writing, however, clutters sentences and obstructs meaning. It disengages readers and, at its worst, frustrates them. Plus, it feels hollow, like eating empty calorie foods—packing a great number of calories but lacking nutrition.

Concise writing aims to deliver information economically and efficiently without sacrificing clarity or undermining the complexity of a message. But let’s be clear: Sentences and paragraphs can be considered lengthy and detailed, yet deliver information economically, with clarity and precision, in a manner that is appropriate for both the context and the audience. Yet a shorter sentence can be riddled with superfluous words and phrases that obscure its meaning.

Below are benefits and specific methods for writing concisely. You may encounter a few unfamiliar terms, such as passive voice; don’t worry—they’re defined and accompanied by examples and a glossary at the end. Terms like this empower us to discuss our writing with precision. Additionally, at the end, I’ve included general strategies to help you write concisely.

1. Benefits of Writing Concisely
2. Combine Sentences
3. Replace Wordy Expressions
4. Revise Expletive Constructions
5. Reduce Clauses to Phrases
6. Reduce Phrases to Words
7. Revise Unnecessary Passive Voice
8. Eliminate To-Be Constructions
9. Eliminate the 1st Person
10. Eliminate Repetition & Redundancy
11. Eliminate Unnecessary Details
12. General Strategies
13. Glossary of Grammatical Terms

Benefits of Writing Concisely

Decluttering your language has numerous benefits:

1. Increased Clarity: By revising for concision, the core message becomes clearer and more apparent to the reader. Wordy language can confuse or distract the audience.
2. Improved Readability: Writing free from cumbersome verbiage is easier to read and comprehend, enabling readers to navigate the text smoothly without getting bogged down by unwarranted words. Concise writing keeps the reader engaged and prevents them from becoming overwhelmed or disinterested.
3. Enhanced Impact: Concise writing focuses on the key ideas, allowing them to stand out and have a more significant impact on the reader. When unnecessary language is eliminated, important information is emphasized, making it more memorable and persuasive.
4. Time Efficiency: Concise writing saves time for both the writer and the reader. By eliminating long-winded language, writers can convey their message more efficiently, reducing the time required to draft and revise the content. Similarly, readers can grasp the main points quickly, making their reading experience more efficient.
5. Improved Professionalism: Concise writing is often associated with professionalism and efficiency. In business or academic contexts, brevity is valued as it demonstrates respect for the reader’s time and attention. By removing clunky language, your writing appears more polished and professional.

Combine Sentences

Combining two sentences into one can be an effective way to write more concisely, especially when the two sentences contain related ideas. By combining them, you can eliminate unnecessary repetition and create a stronger, more streamlined statement. This technique is also called sentence combining or consolidation. However, ensure that the resulting combined sentence remains clear and grammatically correct.

Separate	Combined
Penguins are flightless birds. They have flippers that evolved from wings.	Penguins are flightless birds with flippers that evolved from wings.
Sloths are among the slowest mammals on earth. They move at 0.24 to 04. Kilometers per hour.	Sloths are among the slowest mammals on earth, moving at speeds of 0.24 to 0.4 Kilometers per hour.
Alpacas make great farm animals and pets. Alpacas have a curious and gentle nature.	Alpacas are great farm animals and pets because of their curious and gentle nature.

Replace Wordy Expressions

The number of wordy expressions seems endless. And they’re cumbersome.  Most of them can be replaced with a single word that expresses the same meaning—far more efficiently. It allows your readers to give more attention to the content and focus less on wasteful words and redundancies.

Wordy	Concise
in order to	to
prior to	before
is able to	can
due to the fact that	because
despite the fact that	although
in the event that	if
with regard to	about
at this point in time	now
at that point in time	then
each and everyone	every one
in a situation in which	when
in this day and age	today

Revise Expletive Constructions

Expletive constructions include sentences that begin with there is/was and there are/were, such as “There are eight parts of speech in English.” They are called expletive constructions because the word there functions as a placeholder or introductory element rather than serving a substantive purpose.

The word expletive derives from the Latin term expletivus, meaning “to fill out” or “to complete.” In the case of expletive constructions, the word there fills out the sentence structure and introduces the subject or complement.

A subject is the actor, agent, or performer of an action in a sentence (e.g., “Isabel eats tacos”).

A complement completes the meaning of a verb (e.g., “Isabel eats tacos”).

Expletive constructions can help shift the focus of the sentence to the subject or complement that follows the verb (are, is, were, was). In other words, the subject or complement is delayed to emphasize the presence or existence of something (e.g., “There is indeed a UFO in the sky”).

However, its overuse and misuse generate weak verbiage, repetitive sentence structures, and wordy writing. Revise expletive constructions by eliminating the expletive and rearranging the sentence so the subject comes first. It achieves a more direct form of expression by not delaying the essence of the message.

Expletive Construction	Revised
There are eight parts of speech in English.	English has eight parts of speech.
There is a chipmunk running around the classroom!	A chipmunk is running around the classroom!
There were many errors in the document.	The document had many errors.
There was a spider on my desk.	A spider was on my desk.

Reduce Clauses to Phrases

Sometimes clauses can be reduced to phrases to eliminate unnecessary words and simplify the sentence structure. This approach conveys the same meaning but in a simplified manner, making your writing more efficient and impactful.

A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence or be part of a larger sentence (e.g., “Isabel wants spicy tacos”, or “because Isabel wants spicy tacos…”)

A phrase is a group of words that (1) do not have a subject and a verb combination (2) cannot stand alone as a complete sentence (e.g., spicy tacos).

Usually, a specific type of clause, relative clauses, can be reduced to a phrase. Relative clauses begin with relative pronouns (e.g., who, which, and that) and describe the sentence’s subject. Relative pronouns and their accompanying verbs (e.g., is/was, are/were) can be eliminated.

Original	Reduced
The butterflies that are fluttering	The fluttering butterflies
A bumblebee, which was green and black	A green and black bumblebee
The gardener who was blind	The blind gardener

Reduce Phrases to Words

Sometimes, a phrase can be reduced to a single word. This method is similar to reducing clauses into phrases, resulting in a more succinct structure. However, this method also often eliminates both unnecessary functional and content words.

Content words are nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs (e.g., paper, white, write, clear).

Function words don’t carry much meaning by themselves; they help string words and phrases together to create coherent expressions (e.g., because, of, the, and).

Original	Reduced
A syringe the color of yellow	A yellow syringe
That man working in Congress	That congressman
His sedan hit my minivan by accident.	His sedan accidentally hit my minivan.
The nurse provides assistance to the doctor.	The nurse helps the doctor.

Revise Unnecessary Passive Voice

The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb. In other words, the subject is the recipient of the action rather than the performer. Passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb to be followed by the past participle of the main verb (e.g., eaten, bitten, thrown).

For example, in the sentence “The cake was eaten by the children,” the cake is the subject and is being acted upon by the verb was eaten. This sentence is in the passive voice. In contrast, the sentence “The children ate the cake” is in the active voice, where the children are the subject and are performing the action of eating.

Passive voice can be useful in certain situations, such as when the performer of an action is unknown or unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action rather than the performer. In fact, you can often “hide” the performer of an action in the passive voice; for example, “Mistakes were made” is passive and doesn’t reveal who made the mistakes (and it’s still passive voice to say “Mistakes were made by politicians—the active voice would be “Politicians made mistakes.”)

However, the overuse of passive voice can make writing monotonous, indirect, and unclear. By revising unnecessarily passive sentences into the active voice, you eliminate ambiguity and create a clearer, more direct, and engaging message.

Passive Voice	Active Voice
Isabel was hugged by Dillon.	Dillon hugged Isabel.
The draft was reviewed by the editor.	The editor reviewed the draft.
The grammar was checked by the copyeditor.	The copyeditor checked the grammar.
The formatting was refined by the proofreader.	The proofreader refined the formatting.

Eliminate To-Be Constructions

By simply removing the unnecessary use of to be from sentences, you can reduce your word count, shorten the reading time, and sharpen your message. And the message’s meaning usually doesn’t change.

However, people often use the to-be construction, such as seems to be, to add a sense of emphasis or to express a stronger belief or opinion. While the meaning is generally the same, there can be slight differences in usage and nuance between seems to be and seems. In most cases, though, the meaning is far more direct and confident when the to be is eliminated.

Common uses of this construction include look to be, appear to be, and seem to be.

Wordy	Concise
That planet looks to be like Earth.	That planet looks like Earth.
The galaxy appears to be greenish-blue.	The galaxy appears greenish blue.
This star seems to be larger than our sun.	This star seems larger than our sun.

Eliminate the 1st Person

Eliminating the use of the first person (referring to oneself as “I” or “we”) can contribute to a more concise writing style in two primary ways.

First, it reduces unnecessary self-reference. By removing instances of “I” or “we,” you eliminate explicit mentions of yourself or your organization. This can help focus the reader’s attention on the main subject or message, making the writing more direct and streamlined.

Second, it eliminates redundancy. Often, the first person is used redundantly when the context already implies the writer or speaker. By removing such redundancy, you can eliminate unnecessary words that take up space, time, and energy for writers and readers.

Common occurrences of the redundant first person often begin with the following: I believe, I think, I feel, or in my opinion, such as in “I believe the data is skewed.”

However, there are appropriate uses of the first person: Use I think and I believe to emphasize uncertainty about a situation or circumstance (e.g., “I think you may have left your keys in the house”), but eliminate those I think/I believe expressions when stating opinions, observations, or assertions. This not only makes your message concise but forms a firm and direct statement.

Furthermore, the first person is typically considered informal and inappropriate for academic discourse, such as research papers and journal articles—but it may be completely appropriate for the tone of a persuasive essay or personal narrative.

Redundant	Concise
I believe the budget is fair.	The budget is fair.
I think property taxes suck.	Property taxes suck.
I feel that the state should prioritize education reform.	The state should prioritize education reform.
In my opinion, the Boston mayor is awesome!	The Boston mayor is awesome!

Eliminate Repetition & Redundancy

Reducing the repetition and tautologies can significantly enhance conciseness. Tautologies are phrases and expressions that are needlessly repetitive or redundant because they restate the same idea or concept using different words or phrases.

Conversely, intentional repetition, when used purposefully and strategically, can offer several benefits in communication: persuasion, clarity, emphasis, flow, rhythm, reinforcement, and memorability. Unintentional repetition, however, is usually redundant and lacks purpose, deteriorating the strength of the message.

You identify and eliminate unnecessary repetition in several ways:

1. Identify redundant/synonymous words or phrases: Avoid using words and phrases that repeat the same meaning or provide unnecessary emphasis. Choose one that best captures the intended meaning and discard the rest.
2. Use specific language: Choose precise words that convey your intended meaning without the need for additional clarifications or repetitions.
3. Remove unnecessary qualifiers or modifiers: Evaluate adjectives and adverbs in your writing and determine if they add meaningful information. Remove those that are redundant or don’t significantly contribute to the overall message.
4. Combine sentences with similar meanings: Look for sentences or phrases that convey the same idea and merge them to eliminate unnecessary repetition. (Similar to Sentence Combining)

Repetitive	Concise
whole entire	entire
past experiences	experiences
completely finished	finished
a new and novel innovation	innovation
a round and circularly shaped book	a circularly shaped book
Isabel shouted loudly at Dillon.	Isabel shouted at Dillon.
The final software update will be released in 2023 for the last time.	The final software update will be released in 2023.
Ashley spoke in a very soft whisper into Joe’s ear.	Ashley whispered softly into Joe’s ear.
The rocket launched really quickly. It emitted an absolutely crazy amount of smoke and fire.	The rocket launched quickly, emitting a crazy amount of smoke and fire.

Eliminate Unnecessary Details

Readers don’t want to sort through rambling and excessive details. They weaken and conceal a sentence’s main idea. The details you include, however, are heavily dependent upon multiple factors, such as your context, audience, purpose, genre, and writing style. Determine these factors so you can effectively mark details for deletion.

The last example in the table below is a wonderful instance of how to pad an essay, causing your instructor to burn your paper, regardless of how desperate you were to reach the word count.

Unnecessary Details	Concise
Haleigh was at the coffee shop at around 9 A.M. on Saturday, buying an eight-dollar cup of coffee, when the coffee machine behind the counter exploded wet coffee beans onto the yellow walls, white floors, and clear windows.	Haleigh was at the coffee shop when the shop’s coffee machine exploded wet coffee beans onto the walls, floors, and windows.
The eLearning courses, which are extensively researched, meticulously planned, and expertly designed by the highly qualified and experienced product training team, are readily accessible and conveniently available online on the password-protected training website for all customers to safely access and engage with at their own pace and ease.	The eLearning courses, designed by the product training team, are available on the password-protected training site for all customers.
According to the weather forecast provided by the highly reputable and technologically advanced meteorological station, tomorrow, specifically on the anticipated date that falls within the standard 24-hour time frame, there is a high probability that precipitation, in the form of raindrops descending from the atmosphere, will occur, thereby moistening the Earth’s surface and potentially affecting outdoor activities.	Tomorrow it will rain.

General Strategies

Though I have shared ten concrete methods for writing concisely, an abundance of strategies exists for improving concision:

1. Read your writing aloud to identify potential areas for improvement.
2. Use editing tools and software to assist in identifying wordiness.
3. Seek feedback from others, such as an instructor or writing center.
4. Share your writing with trusted peers or mentors for constructive criticism.
5. Join writing groups or communities to receive feedback from a wider audience.
6. Read concise writing examples from renowned authors and publications.
7. Analyze how experts convey ideas in a clear and concise manner.
8. Learn from their techniques and apply them in your own writing.

Glossary of Grammatical Terms

Term	Definition
1st Person	When a writer or speaker refers to themselves via the pronouns I and we. It contrasts with the 2nd Person (you) and 3rd Person (they).
Active Voice	In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. It emphasizes the “doer” of the action. (e.g., “Paige hit the ball.”)
Adjective	A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun by providing additional information about its qualities, characteristics, or attributes (e.g., amazing, red, strange)
Adverb	A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, providing information about the manner, place, time, degree, or frequency of the action or quality being described (e.g., happily, soon, far)
Clause	A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (verb) and functions as a unit within a sentence. It can express a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence or be part of a larger sentence structure (e.g., “Gigi created the course“; “when she submitted the application“).
Complement	A word or phrase that completes the meaning of a verb, adjective, or noun within a sentence. It provides additional information or adds necessary details to the subject or object of a sentence (e.g., “He ate the pizza.”)
Content Word	Words, including nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adjectives, which carry substantial meaning independent of other words (e.g., curriculum, purple, implode, immediately)
Expletive Construction	Phrases like “there are” and “it is” do not contribute significantly to the meaning of a sentence and instead serve as placeholders that delay the subject or complement. (e.g., “There are ten lamps in my room.”)
Function Word	Function words, also known as grammatical or structure words, serve as connectors or markers in a sentence and do not carry substantial meaning without content words (e.g., in, or, wow, will, an, because, mine).
Noun	A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., novella, courage, Boston)
Passive Voice	In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. It emphasizes the object or the receiver of the action rather than the doer. (e.g., “The ball was hit by Paige.”)
Phrase	A group of words that function as a unit but lack the combination of a subject and verb, though they may contain one or the other (e.g., sweet jelly doughnuts; in the forest; will have been eaten)
Relative Clause	A type of dependent clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It starts with a relative pronoun (such as who, which, or that) and functions as an adjective, modifying the noun or pronoun it relates to (e.g., which is fascinating; that I despise; whom I love)
Relative Pronoun	A pronoun that introduces a relative clause It connects the clause to a noun or pronoun in the main clause and functions as a link between the two. They help establish the relationship between the main clause and the relative clause, indicating the subject or object being referred to. (e.g., who, whose, whom, which, that)
Subject	The part of a sentence that typically performs the action (and usually comes before the verb/complement); (e.g., “Yukun loves spicy food.”)
Tautology	A form of expression where the meaning is restated in different words or phrases, resulting in unnecessary repetition (e.g., empty void)
Verb	A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being (e.g., is, sing, has)