Concise Writing

Lilibeth Quintana Burgos

¿What is it? When writing, it is important to keep your

messages concise. What does concise mean? “go straight to the point”. As a reader, we don’t need to have to wade through a four line sentence in order to figure out what you mean.

Concise writing is respectful of the reader’s time.

If you want me to meet you for lunch, send me an e-mail that says:

“Lily, would you like to meet me for dinner today at night?”

This first example tells me exactly what the writer wants, and I don’t have to request further clarification to answer the request.

“Lily, I am getting hungry. I was wondering

if you were hungry too. When people are hungry, that is a sign that they need to eat. Since we might both be hungry, I was perhaps wondering if you might care to join me for a meal in the near future?”

The second example is long and hard to follow. I refer to this as a blah, blah, blah message. The writer doesn’t just come out and ask the question. Maybe I will have to seek further clarification in order to answer.

When you write an e-mail request, stop and

read it before you press send. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is my request direct and to the point?Are there extra words in the request?Is there a more direct way to phrase the

request?Can the reader answer the question without

having to request clarification?

Vague generalitiesGeneralization is: broad statement without specific detail.an extension of the concept to less-specific criteria.a foundational element of logic and human reasoning.

Vague generalities are general statements which are not detailed. (obvious statements)

E.g. All animals that have feathers are birds.

Idle words In speaking , we allow ourselves many extra

words. This habit often carries over into writing. As you edit, test each word to see whether you can eliminate it. If the meaning of the sentence does not change, leave it out.

Automatic and other wordy phrases: phrases that contribute nothing to a discussion. They appear at the beginnings of sentences. If you find a wordy phrase, remove it and reread the passage.

Wordy Phrase Concise wording

At this point in time Now,then

Do to the fact that because

In spite of the fact that Even though

In case if

in any case anyway

In the final analysis finally

Communicate to/with tell

Useless modifiers: such us obviously,

absolutely, fortunately, hopefully, really and

totally .They make a sentence sound forceful.

Redundancy Public spealerks are often advised “Tell them

what you’re going to say; say it; then tell them whatyou said.”

In speaking ,repetition helps listeners understand. When you write, try to make your point once, concisely.

Needless repetition is called Redundancy.

Redundant phrases

First ever

Full and complete

Past history

Red in color

Final result

Personal opinion

Each and every

Elliptical constructions  Some special clauses in English, in which

certain words are omitted. They help avoid

unneeded repetition.

Mary couldn’t complete the course, but I don’t

know why (she couldn’t complete the course).

Mike has two children, and Joe has five (Joe

has five children).

Euphemism An inoffensive word or phrase that is

replacing one considered harsh or indelicate. Our conversations are full of euphemisms,specially when we are talking about money, death and sex.

My grandmother passed away last week (died)

The newspaper said the president was tired and emotional. (drunk)

What it Says What it Means

Adult entertainment Pornography

Batting for the other side Homosexual

Between jobs Unemployed

Bun in the oven Pregnant

Comfort women Prostitute

Disinformation Lie

Do your business Defecate

Full bodied Obese

Indisposed Sick

Conclusion To help the reader understand what you write, make your

writing direct (expressing ideas plainly) and concise

(using few unnecessary words). It will help you avoid

being imprecise and wordy.

ExercisesAt this point in time we can't ascertain the reason as to why the screen door was left open.

We don't know why the screen door was left open.

My sister, who is employed as a nutritionist at the University of Michigan, recommends the daily intake of megadoses of Vitamin C.

My sister, a nutritionist at the University of Michigan, recommends daily megadoses of Vitamin C.

THANKS…