Be Concise

You need to get to the point as soon as possible.

To do that you need to set a tone

You don’t want to overstate, but you don’t want to overuse qualifiers either

Wordy: This rather serious breach of etiquette may possibly shake the very foundation of the corporate world.

Concise: This serious break of etiquette will shake the foundation of the corporate world.

If you need to emphasize you need to look for stronger adjectives and verbs.

Weak: Novak is a very good pianist.

Strong: Novak is a virtuoso pianist.

Or

Novak plays beautifully.

Don’t write a sentence that gets you no where

Don’t ask a question to only answer it

Don’t merely copy the essay’s directions

Don’t write a whole sentence only to announce that you’re changing the subject

Don’t define rhetorical terms

Don’t repeat your ideas using other words

If you have something to say, then say it

Use transitions

Cross out wasted sentences

Avoid unnecessary phrases such as: “I believe,” “I feel,” and “in my opinion.”

Weak: I am of the opinion that air pollution is a more serious problem than the government has led us to believe.

Forceful: Air pollution is a more serious problem than the government has revealed.

Put the subject before the action!!

Don’t open a sentence with there is, there are, or it is.

Don’t distance yourself from the position.

Don’t ramble

Choose specific, descriptive words

Don’t make the reader guess what you mean

Weak: Brown is highly educated.

Forceful; Brown has a master’s degree in business administration.

Weak: She is a great communicator.

Forceful: she speaks persuasively.

Avoid specialized vocabulary only used by a certain group.

Avoid complex and inflated vocabulary that do not fit the tone

Weak: The International banks are cognizant of the new law’s significance.

Forceful: The international banks are aware of the new law’s significance.

Avoid needless qualifiers

1. She is a fairly excellent student.

2. Ferrara seems to be sort of a slow worker.

3. You yourself are the very best person to decide what you should do for a living.

4. Needless to say, children should be taught to cooperate at home and in school.

5. The travel agent does not recommend the trip to Tripoli because it is possible that one may be hurt.