›
Strategies for Reducing Wordiness
Strategies for Reducing Wordiness
›WHAT IS WORDINESS?
Wordiness means “using more [words] than necessary to express thought”
›What causes wordiness?
›Most people write wordy sentences and paragraphs when they are writing early drafts.
›Many people write wordy papers because they are trying to make their ideas sound important by using long words and intricate sentences.
›When a writer can't find the "perfect" word, s/he often ends up putting a long phrase in its place. Finally, passive sentences and other constructions that hide the subject are often wordy.
›Patterns of Wordiness
-Omit
›Avoid overusing “it is,” “there is,” and “there are” (weak expletives) at the beginning of sentences
›Omit "this" from the beginning of a sentence by joining it to the preceding sentence with a comma.
›Omit "which" or "that" altogether when possible.
-Change
›Change "which" or "that" constructions to an "-ing" word.
›Change "is" or "was" when they occur alone to a strong verb.
-Replace
›Replace passive verbs with active verbs. In passive constructions, the subject of the sentence is being acted upon; in active constructions, the subject is the actor.
›Replace "is," "are," "was," "were," or "have + an -ing word" to a simple present or past tense verb.
›Replace "should," "would," or "could" with strong verbs.
-Others
›Substitute strong verbs for "-tion" and "-sion" words whenever possible.
›Combine two closely related short sentences by omitting part of one.
›Strategies for Editing:
›Read the Paper Out Loud: The single best technique to help you become a better editor is to read the paper out loud with a pencil in hand.
›Verbalize: If you have a long, wordy sentence or paragraph that you are having difficulty rephrasing, ask yourself, what is the most important point in this sentence? Try verbalizing your thoughts and write down a shorter response.
›Use "Find" on the Computer: By using this function you can search for repetitive phrases such as "however," "in addition to," "another," or words that you might overuse when writing about a specific historical topic (e.g., "Protestant" or "Catholic" in a paper on the Reformation).
Sources：
