{"id":60,"date":"2021-03-17T12:44:31","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T12:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/eliminating-wordiness\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T21:07:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T21:07:47","slug":"eliminating-wordiness","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/eliminating-wordiness\/","title":{"raw":"Eliminating Wordiness","rendered":"Eliminating Wordiness"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nAfter this section, you should be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Explain why concise writing is important in professional communication.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify common causes of wordy writing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Apply the six methods listed below to make a piece of writing more concise.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>The Basics<\/h2>\r\nIn your classes, you are probably used to trying to stretch out your writing to reach that 1,000-word goal for an essay. This is a habit you want to <em>avoid<\/em> in professional communication because professional audiences\u2014 employees, clients, supervisors, etc.\u2014prefer\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">clear and, most importantly,\u00a0<strong>concise writing<\/strong><\/span>. For our purposes, [pb_glossary id=\"247\"]<strong>conciseness<\/strong> [\/pb_glossary]means using the fewest words possible to achieve the goal of communication.\r\n\r\nWhat is the goal of communication? It is to ensure that your reader understands your intended meaning. If you were given a choice between reading a 500-word article and a 250-word article that both say the same thing, which one would you prefer to read?\r\n\r\nTo be clear, there is nothing grammatically wrong with all the examples we will cover below. However, having perfect grammar doesn't mean a message is exceptionally well-written, either. The issue here is a matter of style. The techniques listed below will keep readers focused on your message and help them interpret what you are saying more easily.\r\n\r\nSo, how do we make our writing more <strong>concise<\/strong>? Here are a few basic steps you can follow.\r\n<h2>1. Mass-delete Whatever Doesn\u2019t Belong<\/h2>\r\nThe first practical step towards trimming your document is a large-scale purge of whatever doesn\u2019t contribute to your goal. Such a purge is vital because you don\u2019t want to waste time proof-editing anything you\u2019ll delete. However, this action is probably the most difficult because it involves deleting large swaths of writing that may have taken some time and effort to compose.\r\n\r\nA good rule is that if the content could potentially sidetrack readers whose understanding of the topic would be unaffected (at best) or (at worst) overwhelmed by its inclusion, those sentences, paragraphs, and even whole sections must go. Highlight, delete, and don\u2019t look back.\r\n<h2>2. Delete Long Lead-ins<\/h2>\r\nThe next-biggest savings in writing space come from deleting <strong>lead-ins. [pb_glossary id=\"248\"]Lead-ins[\/pb_glossary] <\/strong>are the groups of words that you wrote to gear up towards your main point. In ordinary speech, we use <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> as something like throat-clearing exercises. In writing, however, these are useless at best because they state the obvious. At worst, <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> immediately upset the reader by signaling that the rest of the message will contain some time-wasting text.\r\n\r\nTake the following examples:\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>I\u2019m Jerry Mulligan and I\u2019m writing this email to ask you to please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You may be interested to know that\u00a0you can now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>To conclude this memo,\u00a0we recommend a cautious approach to using emojis when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so first themselves.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThey're all a bit long-winded, aren't they? Can you identify the <strong>lead-ins<\/strong>?\r\n\r\nIf not, here are the same examples with the <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> highlighted.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>I<\/strong><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\">\u2019<\/span>m Jerry Mulligan and I\u2019m writing this email to ask you to<\/strong><\/span> please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>may be interested to know that\u00a0you can<\/strong><\/span> now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>To conclude this memo<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">,<\/span>\u00a0we recommend a cautious approach to using emojis when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so first themselves.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThese <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> are unnecessary.\r\n\r\nIn the first example, the recipient sees the sender's name before opening their email. It\u2019s, therefore, redundant for the sender to introduce themselves by name and say that they wrote this email. Likewise, in the third example, the reader can see that this is the conclusion if it\u2019s the last paragraph, especially if it comes below the heading \u201cConclusion.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn each case, the sentence begins after these <strong>lead-in<\/strong> expressions, and the reader misses nothing in their absence. Here's how they look with their <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> removed.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You can now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We recommend using emojis cautiously when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so themselves.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAll three examples are improved by having their <strong>lead-in<\/strong> removed. If your writing has similar long <strong>lead-ins<\/strong>, delete them.\r\n<h2>3. Pare Down Unnecessarily Wordy Phrases<\/h2>\r\nWe habitually use long stock phrases in our writing and speech because they sound fancy. However, length does not grant respectability. These phrases look ridiculously cumbersome when seen next to their more <strong>concise<\/strong> equivalent words and phrases, as shown in Table 1 below. Unless you have good reason to do otherwise, always replace the wordy phrases with <strong>concise<\/strong> ones in your writing.\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Table 1: Replace Unnecessary Wordy Phrases with Concise Equivalents<\/h3>\r\n<table class=\" aligncenter\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Replace These Wordy Phrases<\/th>\r\n<th>With These Concise Equivalents<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>due to the fact that\r\n\r\nnot later than July 7\r\n\r\nat this present moment in time<\/td>\r\n<td>because\r\n\r\nby July 7\r\n\r\nnow<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in any way, shape, or form<\/td>\r\n<td>in any way<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>pursuant to your request<\/td>\r\n<td>as requested<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>thanking you in advance<\/td>\r\n<td>thank you<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in addition to the above<\/td>\r\n<td>also<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in spite of the fact that<\/td>\r\n<td>even though \/ although<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in view of the fact that<\/td>\r\n<td>because \/ since<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>are of the opinion that<\/td>\r\n<td>believe that \/ think that<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>afford an opportunity<\/td>\r\n<td>allow<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>despite the fact that<\/td>\r\n<td>though<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>during the time that<\/td>\r\n<td>while<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>on a weekly basis<\/td>\r\n<td>weekly<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>at a later date\/time<\/td>\r\n<td>later<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>until such time as<\/td>\r\n<td>until<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in the near future<\/td>\r\n<td>soon<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fully cognizant of<\/td>\r\n<td>aware of<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in the event that<\/td>\r\n<td>if<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>for the period of<\/td>\r\n<td>for<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>attached hereto<\/td>\r\n<td>attached<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>each and every<\/td>\r\n<td>all<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in as much as<\/td>\r\n<td>because \/ since<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>more or less<\/td>\r\n<td>about<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>feel free to<\/td>\r\n<td>please<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nAgain, if you use the words and phrases in the second column instead of those in the first, the reader misses nothing. <span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>Concise<\/strong> writing is also<\/span> more accessible to readers learning English as an additional language.\r\n<h2>4. Delete Redundant Words<\/h2>\r\nOur writing and speech are also filled with redundant words in stock expressions. These prefabricated phrases aren\u2019t so bad when spoken because talk is cheap. In writing, however, which should be considered expensive, they make the author look like an irresponsibly heavy spender. Be on the lookout for the expressions below so that you are in command of your language.\r\n\r\nDelete the crossed-out words in red if they appear in combination with those in blue:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>absolutely<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">essential<\/span> (you can\u2019t get any more essential than essential)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>future<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">plans<\/span> (are you going to make plans about the past? plans are always future)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">small\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>in size<\/del>\u00a0<\/span>(the context will determine that you mean small in size, quantity, etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">refer\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>back<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">to <\/span>(\"back\" doesn't help the verb \"refer\" in anyway, so cut it)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>in order<\/del><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">to<\/span> (only use \u201cin order\u201d if it helps distinguish an infinitive phrase, which begins with \u201cto,\u201d from the preposition \u201cto\u201d appearing close to it)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">each<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">\u00a0<\/span><del>and every<\/del><\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>each and<\/del><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">every<\/span> (or just \u201call,\u201d as we saw in\u00a0the table\u00a0above)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">repeat\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>again<\/del><\/span>\u00a0(is this d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu?)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>5. Delete Filler Expressions and Words<\/h2>\r\nSuppose you audio-record your conversations and transcribe just the words themselves. In that case, you\u2019ll find many filler words and expressions that you could remove without harming the meaning of your sentences. A few common ones that appear at the beginning of sentences are \u201cThere is,\u201d \u201cThere are,\u201d and \u201cIt is,\u201d which must be followed by a [pb_glossary id=\"1907\"]clause [\/pb_glossary]starting with the pronoun \"that\" or \"who.\" Consider the following examples:\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><em>1.<\/em><del>There are<\/del>\u00a0many\u00a0<del>who<\/del>\u00a0want to take your place.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Many want to take your place.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><em>2.\u00a0<\/em><del>There is<\/del>\u00a0nothing you can do about it.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>You can do nothing about it.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><em>3.\u00a0<\/em><del>It is<\/del>\u00a0the software\u00a0<del>that<\/del>\u00a0keeps making the error.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>The software keeps erring.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nIn the first and third cases, you can delete \u201cThere are\u201d and \u201cIt is,\u201d as well as the relative pronouns \u201cwho\u201d and \u201cthat\u201d respectively, leaving the sentence perfectly fine without them. In the second case, deleting \u201cThere is\u201d requires slightly reorganizing the word order, but otherwise requires no additional words to say the same thing. In each case, you save two or three words that don\u2019t need to be there.\r\n\r\nOther common filler words include the articles \"a,\" \"an,\" and \"the,\" especially in combination with the [pb_glossary id=\"231\"]preposition[\/pb_glossary]\u00a0<em>of<\/em>. You can eliminate many instances of \"<em>of the\"<\/em>\u00a0simply by deleting them and flipping the order of the nouns on either side of them.\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>technology\u00a0<del>of the<\/del>\u00a0future<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>future technology<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nYou can\u2019t do this in all cases (e.g., changing \u201cfirst of the month\u201d to \u201cmonth first\u201d makes no sense). When proofreading, however, just look for instances where you <em>can<\/em>.\r\n\r\nThe definite article, the preceding plural nouns, is also an easy target. Try deleting the article to see if the sentence still makes sense without it.\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><del>The<\/del>\u00a0shareholders unanimously supported the initiative.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Shareholders unanimously supported the initiative.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nThough the above excess words seem insignificant on their own, they bulk up the total word count unnecessarily when used in combination throughout a large document.\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><del>Basically<\/del>, you can\u2019t\u00a0<del>really<\/del>\u00a0do much to\u00a0<del>fully<\/del>\u00a0eliminate bad ideas because they\u2019re\u00a0<del>quite<\/del>\u00a0common.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>You can\u2019t do much to eliminate bad ideas because they\u2019re so common.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2>6. Favor Short, Plain Words and Revise Jargon or Bureaucratic Expressions<\/h2>\r\nIf you pretend that every letter in each word you write costs money from your pocket, you will do what readers prefer: use shorter words. The beauty of [pb_glossary id=\"250\"]<strong>plain words<\/strong>[\/pb_glossary] is that they are more understandable and draw less attention to themselves than big, fancy words while still getting the point across. This is especially true when you are writing reports, which are often filled with unnecessary [pb_glossary id=\"249\"]<strong>jargon<\/strong>[\/pb_glossary]. Choosing shorter words is easy because they are usually the first that comes to mind, so writing in plain language saves you time.\r\n\r\nYou would use <strong>jargon<\/strong> for precision when appropriate for your audience\u2019s needs and your own. You would use the word \u201cphotosynthesis,\u201d for instance, if (1) you needed to refer to the process by which plants convert solar energy into sugars and (2) you know your audience knows what the word means. In this case, using the <strong>jargon<\/strong> saves word space because it\u2019s the most precise term for a process that otherwise needs several words.\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">However, using\u00a0<\/span><strong>jargon<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> merely to extend the number of words<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> is a desperate-looking move that your instructors and professional audiences will see as wasting time due to a lack of quality ideas.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSimplifying language is more effective in business writing. Table 2 shows examples of commonly used, complicated, or bureaucratic expressions and their simpler alternatives.\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Table 2: Plain and Simple Language<\/h3>\r\n<table class=\" aligncenter\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Complicated or Bureaucratic Expression<\/th>\r\n<th>Simpler Alternative<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>in lieu of\r\n\r\nwhereas\r\n\r\nsolicit<\/td>\r\n<td>instead of\r\n\r\nbecause\r\n\r\nask for<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>apparent<\/td>\r\n<td>clear<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>as per your request<\/td>\r\n<td>as you requested<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>commence<\/td>\r\n<td>begin, start<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>consolidate<\/td>\r\n<td>combine<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>ascertain<\/td>\r\n<td>find out<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>demonstrate<\/td>\r\n<td>show<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>disseminate<\/td>\r\n<td>distribute, send<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>endeavour<\/td>\r\n<td>try<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>erroneous<\/td>\r\n<td>wrong<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>expedite<\/td>\r\n<td>speed up<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>facilitate<\/td>\r\n<td>help<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>implement<\/td>\r\n<td>carry out<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>inception<\/td>\r\n<td>start<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>leverage<\/td>\r\n<td>use<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>optimize<\/td>\r\n<td>perfect<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>terminate<\/td>\r\n<td>end<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>proximity<\/td>\r\n<td>near<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>finalize<\/td>\r\n<td>about<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>subsequent<\/td>\r\n<td>complete<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>utilize<\/td>\r\n<td>use<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Source:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\">Brockway (2015)<\/a><\/p>\r\nThe longer words in the above table tend to come from the Greek and Latin side of the English language, whereas the shorter words come from the Anglo-Saxon (Germanic) side. When toddlers begin speaking English, they use Anglo-Saxon-derived words because they\u2019re easier to master and recognize them as plain, simple words throughout their adult lives.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #1: Identify the Filler<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nRead the sample email below. Click on words or phrases that are filler or redundant and could easily be removed without losing the sentence's meaning. For example, if a sentence reads:\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Due to the fact that this project is absolutely essential, we must fix the problem immediately<\/div>\r\nYou would click on the words \"Due to the fact that\" and \"absolutely.\"\r\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\r\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code>[h5p id=\"24\"]<\/code><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #2: Fix the Filler<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nNow that you have identified the filler words and phrases in the sentence. How could you simplify the language? Below is the same email. Try to write your own, simplified version. Then compare it to the possible version below.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nDear Hiring Committee,\r\n\r\nI am Cassandra Thompson and I am writing this letter to ask you to please consider my application for any future openings at your company in the near future. Your company's community first model aligns with my own future plans to work in community development after I graduate from college. Personally, I believe community engagement is absolutely essential in order for a business to succeed. This believe is due to the work I did as an intern for Senator Caufield's local office. I was in charge of the running the front desk during the time that I worked there. I was often the first person constituents met, so I have a lot of experience conversing with new people. I also have experience disseminating information to news outlets, consolidating constituent questions, and demonstrating a professional demeanor. I hope that you will consider my application, as I know I can improve the quality of your company's interactions with the community.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">Cassandra Thompson\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\r\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code>[h5p id=\"25\"]<\/code><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Clear and concise writing is key in professional communication. Always remove unnecessary wording and trim back when possible to ensure your ideas are communicated.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A few words here and there may not seem like a big difference, but the entire multi-page report could make a massive difference in how well your reader understands your message.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nNow that you are finished with this chapter, you can either click on one of the other sentence-level issues and learn about them or continue to the next required chapter.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Go To Another Topic<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/sentence-fragments\/\">Sentence Fragments<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/run-on-sentences\/\">Run-On Sentences<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/verb-tense\/\">Verb Tense<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/punctuation\/\">Punctuation<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/h2>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nBrockway,\u00a0L. (2015, November 3).\u00a0<em>24 complex words\u2014and their simpler alternatives<\/em>. PR Daily.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\"><span class=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\">https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/<\/span><\/a>\r\n<h2>Attributions<\/h2>\r\nThis chapter is adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/fashbuscomm\/chapter\/5-1-substantial-revisions\/\">Business Communications for Fashion<\/a> (on <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/\">openpress.usask.ca<\/a>) by Anna Cappuccitti. It is licensed under a <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>After this section, you should be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain why concise writing is important in professional communication.<\/li>\n<li>Identify common causes of wordy writing.<\/li>\n<li>Apply the six methods listed below to make a piece of writing more concise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Basics<\/h2>\n<p>In your classes, you are probably used to trying to stretch out your writing to reach that 1,000-word goal for an essay. This is a habit you want to <em>avoid<\/em> in professional communication because professional audiences\u2014 employees, clients, supervisors, etc.\u2014prefer\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">clear and, most importantly,\u00a0<strong>concise writing<\/strong><\/span>. For our purposes, <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_247\"><strong>conciseness<\/strong> <\/a>means using the fewest words possible to achieve the goal of communication.<\/p>\n<p>What is the goal of communication? It is to ensure that your reader understands your intended meaning. If you were given a choice between reading a 500-word article and a 250-word article that both say the same thing, which one would you prefer to read?<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, there is nothing grammatically wrong with all the examples we will cover below. However, having perfect grammar doesn&#8217;t mean a message is exceptionally well-written, either. The issue here is a matter of style. The techniques listed below will keep readers focused on your message and help them interpret what you are saying more easily.<\/p>\n<p>So, how do we make our writing more <strong>concise<\/strong>? Here are a few basic steps you can follow.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Mass-delete Whatever Doesn\u2019t Belong<\/h2>\n<p>The first practical step towards trimming your document is a large-scale purge of whatever doesn\u2019t contribute to your goal. Such a purge is vital because you don\u2019t want to waste time proof-editing anything you\u2019ll delete. However, this action is probably the most difficult because it involves deleting large swaths of writing that may have taken some time and effort to compose.<\/p>\n<p>A good rule is that if the content could potentially sidetrack readers whose understanding of the topic would be unaffected (at best) or (at worst) overwhelmed by its inclusion, those sentences, paragraphs, and even whole sections must go. Highlight, delete, and don\u2019t look back.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Delete Long Lead-ins<\/h2>\n<p>The next-biggest savings in writing space come from deleting <strong>lead-ins. <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_248\">Lead-ins<\/a> <\/strong>are the groups of words that you wrote to gear up towards your main point. In ordinary speech, we use <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> as something like throat-clearing exercises. In writing, however, these are useless at best because they state the obvious. At worst, <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> immediately upset the reader by signaling that the rest of the message will contain some time-wasting text.<\/p>\n<p>Take the following examples:<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li>I\u2019m Jerry Mulligan and I\u2019m writing this email to ask you to please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\n<li>You may be interested to know that\u00a0you can now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\n<li>To conclude this memo,\u00a0we recommend a cautious approach to using emojis when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so first themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>They&#8217;re all a bit long-winded, aren&#8217;t they? Can you identify the <strong>lead-ins<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>If not, here are the same examples with the <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> highlighted.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>I<\/strong><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\">\u2019<\/span>m Jerry Mulligan and I\u2019m writing this email to ask you to<\/strong><\/span> please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\n<li>You <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>may be interested to know that\u00a0you can<\/strong><\/span> now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\"><strong>To conclude this memo<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">,<\/span>\u00a0we recommend a cautious approach to using emojis when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so first themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>These <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> are unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>In the first example, the recipient sees the sender&#8217;s name before opening their email. It\u2019s, therefore, redundant for the sender to introduce themselves by name and say that they wrote this email. Likewise, in the third example, the reader can see that this is the conclusion if it\u2019s the last paragraph, especially if it comes below the heading \u201cConclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In each case, the sentence begins after these <strong>lead-in<\/strong> expressions, and the reader misses nothing in their absence. Here&#8217;s how they look with their <strong>lead-ins<\/strong> removed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li>Please consider my application for a co-op position at your firm.<\/li>\n<li>You can now find the updated form in the company shared drive.<\/li>\n<li>We recommend using emojis cautiously when texting clients, and only after they\u2019ve done so themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>All three examples are improved by having their <strong>lead-in<\/strong> removed. If your writing has similar long <strong>lead-ins<\/strong>, delete them.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Pare Down Unnecessarily Wordy Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>We habitually use long stock phrases in our writing and speech because they sound fancy. However, length does not grant respectability. These phrases look ridiculously cumbersome when seen next to their more <strong>concise<\/strong> equivalent words and phrases, as shown in Table 1 below. Unless you have good reason to do otherwise, always replace the wordy phrases with <strong>concise<\/strong> ones in your writing.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Table 1: Replace Unnecessary Wordy Phrases with Concise Equivalents<\/h3>\n<table class=\"aligncenter\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Replace These Wordy Phrases<\/th>\n<th>With These Concise Equivalents<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>due to the fact that<\/p>\n<p>not later than July 7<\/p>\n<p>at this present moment in time<\/td>\n<td>because<\/p>\n<p>by July 7<\/p>\n<p>now<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in any way, shape, or form<\/td>\n<td>in any way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>pursuant to your request<\/td>\n<td>as requested<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>thanking you in advance<\/td>\n<td>thank you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in addition to the above<\/td>\n<td>also<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in spite of the fact that<\/td>\n<td>even though \/ although<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in view of the fact that<\/td>\n<td>because \/ since<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>are of the opinion that<\/td>\n<td>believe that \/ think that<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>afford an opportunity<\/td>\n<td>allow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>despite the fact that<\/td>\n<td>though<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>during the time that<\/td>\n<td>while<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>on a weekly basis<\/td>\n<td>weekly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>at a later date\/time<\/td>\n<td>later<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>until such time as<\/td>\n<td>until<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in the near future<\/td>\n<td>soon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>fully cognizant of<\/td>\n<td>aware of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in the event that<\/td>\n<td>if<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>for the period of<\/td>\n<td>for<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>attached hereto<\/td>\n<td>attached<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>each and every<\/td>\n<td>all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in as much as<\/td>\n<td>because \/ since<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>more or less<\/td>\n<td>about<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>feel free to<\/td>\n<td>please<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Again, if you use the words and phrases in the second column instead of those in the first, the reader misses nothing. <span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>Concise<\/strong> writing is also<\/span> more accessible to readers learning English as an additional language.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Delete Redundant Words<\/h2>\n<p>Our writing and speech are also filled with redundant words in stock expressions. These prefabricated phrases aren\u2019t so bad when spoken because talk is cheap. In writing, however, which should be considered expensive, they make the author look like an irresponsibly heavy spender. Be on the lookout for the expressions below so that you are in command of your language.<\/p>\n<p>Delete the crossed-out words in red if they appear in combination with those in blue:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>absolutely<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">essential<\/span> (you can\u2019t get any more essential than essential)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>future<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">plans<\/span> (are you going to make plans about the past? plans are always future)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">small\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>in size<\/del>\u00a0<\/span>(the context will determine that you mean small in size, quantity, etc.)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">refer\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>back<\/del>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">to <\/span>(&#8220;back&#8221; doesn&#8217;t help the verb &#8220;refer&#8221; in anyway, so cut it)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>in order<\/del><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">to<\/span> (only use \u201cin order\u201d if it helps distinguish an infinitive phrase, which begins with \u201cto,\u201d from the preposition \u201cto\u201d appearing close to it)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">each<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">\u00a0<\/span><del>and every<\/del><\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>each and<\/del><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">every<\/span> (or just \u201call,\u201d as we saw in\u00a0the table\u00a0above)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">repeat\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><del>again<\/del><\/span>\u00a0(is this d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. Delete Filler Expressions and Words<\/h2>\n<p>Suppose you audio-record your conversations and transcribe just the words themselves. In that case, you\u2019ll find many filler words and expressions that you could remove without harming the meaning of your sentences. A few common ones that appear at the beginning of sentences are \u201cThere is,\u201d \u201cThere are,\u201d and \u201cIt is,\u201d which must be followed by a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_1907\">clause <\/a>starting with the pronoun &#8220;that&#8221; or &#8220;who.&#8221; Consider the following examples:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><em>1.<\/em><del>There are<\/del>\u00a0many\u00a0<del>who<\/del>\u00a0want to take your place.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Many want to take your place.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><em>2.\u00a0<\/em><del>There is<\/del>\u00a0nothing you can do about it.<\/td>\n<td><strong>You can do nothing about it.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><em>3.\u00a0<\/em><del>It is<\/del>\u00a0the software\u00a0<del>that<\/del>\u00a0keeps making the error.<\/td>\n<td><strong>The software keeps erring.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>In the first and third cases, you can delete \u201cThere are\u201d and \u201cIt is,\u201d as well as the relative pronouns \u201cwho\u201d and \u201cthat\u201d respectively, leaving the sentence perfectly fine without them. In the second case, deleting \u201cThere is\u201d requires slightly reorganizing the word order, but otherwise requires no additional words to say the same thing. In each case, you save two or three words that don\u2019t need to be there.<\/p>\n<p>Other common filler words include the articles &#8220;a,&#8221; &#8220;an,&#8221; and &#8220;the,&#8221; especially in combination with the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_231\">preposition<\/a>\u00a0<em>of<\/em>. You can eliminate many instances of &#8220;<em>of the&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0simply by deleting them and flipping the order of the nouns on either side of them.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>technology\u00a0<del>of the<\/del>\u00a0future<\/td>\n<td><strong>future technology<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>You can\u2019t do this in all cases (e.g., changing \u201cfirst of the month\u201d to \u201cmonth first\u201d makes no sense). When proofreading, however, just look for instances where you <em>can<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The definite article, the preceding plural nouns, is also an easy target. Try deleting the article to see if the sentence still makes sense without it.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><del>The<\/del>\u00a0shareholders unanimously supported the initiative.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Shareholders unanimously supported the initiative.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Though the above excess words seem insignificant on their own, they bulk up the total word count unnecessarily when used in combination throughout a large document.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><del>Basically<\/del>, you can\u2019t\u00a0<del>really<\/del>\u00a0do much to\u00a0<del>fully<\/del>\u00a0eliminate bad ideas because they\u2019re\u00a0<del>quite<\/del>\u00a0common.<\/td>\n<td><strong>You can\u2019t do much to eliminate bad ideas because they\u2019re so common.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>6. Favor Short, Plain Words and Revise Jargon or Bureaucratic Expressions<\/h2>\n<p>If you pretend that every letter in each word you write costs money from your pocket, you will do what readers prefer: use shorter words. The beauty of <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_250\"><strong>plain words<\/strong><\/a> is that they are more understandable and draw less attention to themselves than big, fancy words while still getting the point across. This is especially true when you are writing reports, which are often filled with unnecessary <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_60_249\"><strong>jargon<\/strong><\/a>. Choosing shorter words is easy because they are usually the first that comes to mind, so writing in plain language saves you time.<\/p>\n<p>You would use <strong>jargon<\/strong> for precision when appropriate for your audience\u2019s needs and your own. You would use the word \u201cphotosynthesis,\u201d for instance, if (1) you needed to refer to the process by which plants convert solar energy into sugars and (2) you know your audience knows what the word means. In this case, using the <strong>jargon<\/strong> saves word space because it\u2019s the most precise term for a process that otherwise needs several words.\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">However, using\u00a0<\/span><strong>jargon<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> merely to extend the number of words<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> is a desperate-looking move that your instructors and professional audiences will see as wasting time due to a lack of quality ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simplifying language is more effective in business writing. Table 2 shows examples of commonly used, complicated, or bureaucratic expressions and their simpler alternatives.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Table 2: Plain and Simple Language<\/h3>\n<table class=\"aligncenter\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Complicated or Bureaucratic Expression<\/th>\n<th>Simpler Alternative<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>in lieu of<\/p>\n<p>whereas<\/p>\n<p>solicit<\/td>\n<td>instead of<\/p>\n<p>because<\/p>\n<p>ask for<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>apparent<\/td>\n<td>clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>as per your request<\/td>\n<td>as you requested<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>commence<\/td>\n<td>begin, start<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>consolidate<\/td>\n<td>combine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ascertain<\/td>\n<td>find out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>demonstrate<\/td>\n<td>show<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>disseminate<\/td>\n<td>distribute, send<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>endeavour<\/td>\n<td>try<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>erroneous<\/td>\n<td>wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>expedite<\/td>\n<td>speed up<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>facilitate<\/td>\n<td>help<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>implement<\/td>\n<td>carry out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>inception<\/td>\n<td>start<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>leverage<\/td>\n<td>use<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>optimize<\/td>\n<td>perfect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>terminate<\/td>\n<td>end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>proximity<\/td>\n<td>near<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>finalize<\/td>\n<td>about<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>subsequent<\/td>\n<td>complete<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>utilize<\/td>\n<td>use<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Source:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\">Brockway (2015)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The longer words in the above table tend to come from the Greek and Latin side of the English language, whereas the shorter words come from the Anglo-Saxon (Germanic) side. When toddlers begin speaking English, they use Anglo-Saxon-derived words because they\u2019re easier to master and recognize them as plain, simple words throughout their adult lives.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #1: Identify the Filler<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Read the sample email below. Click on words or phrases that are filler or redundant and could easily be removed without losing the sentence&#8217;s meaning. For example, if a sentence reads:<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Due to the fact that this project is absolutely essential, we must fix the problem immediately<\/div>\n<p>You would click on the words &#8220;Due to the fact that&#8221; and &#8220;absolutely.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code><\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-24\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-24\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"24\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Identify the Filler Words\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/code><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #2: Fix the Filler<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Now that you have identified the filler words and phrases in the sentence. How could you simplify the language? Below is the same email. Try to write your own, simplified version. Then compare it to the possible version below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>Dear Hiring Committee,<\/p>\n<p>I am Cassandra Thompson and I am writing this letter to ask you to please consider my application for any future openings at your company in the near future. Your company&#8217;s community first model aligns with my own future plans to work in community development after I graduate from college. Personally, I believe community engagement is absolutely essential in order for a business to succeed. This believe is due to the work I did as an intern for Senator Caufield&#8217;s local office. I was in charge of the running the front desk during the time that I worked there. I was often the first person constituents met, so I have a lot of experience conversing with new people. I also have experience disseminating information to news outlets, consolidating constituent questions, and demonstrating a professional demeanor. I hope that you will consider my application, as I know I can improve the quality of your company&#8217;s interactions with the community.<\/p>\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">Cassandra Thompson\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"h5p-action-bar-settings h5p-panel\"><code><\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-25\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-25\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"25\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Fix the Filler\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/code><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postbox h5p-sidebar\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Clear and concise writing is key in professional communication. Always remove unnecessary wording and trim back when possible to ensure your ideas are communicated.<\/li>\n<li>A few words here and there may not seem like a big difference, but the entire multi-page report could make a massive difference in how well your reader understands your message.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now that you are finished with this chapter, you can either click on one of the other sentence-level issues and learn about them or continue to the next required chapter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Go To Another Topic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/sentence-fragments\/\">Sentence Fragments<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/run-on-sentences\/\">Run-On Sentences<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/verb-tense\/\">Verb Tense<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/rcm300\/chapter\/punctuation\/\">Punctuation<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Brockway,\u00a0L. (2015, November 3).\u00a0<em>24 complex words\u2014and their simpler alternatives<\/em>. PR Daily.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\"><span class=\"https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/\">https:\/\/www.prdaily.com\/24-complex-words-and-their-simpler-alternatives\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Attributions<\/h2>\n<p>This chapter is adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/fashbuscomm\/chapter\/5-1-substantial-revisions\/\">Business Communications for Fashion<\/a> (on <a href=\"https:\/\/openpress.usask.ca\/\">openpress.usask.ca<\/a>) by Anna Cappuccitti. It is licensed under a <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_60_247\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_247\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>using the fewest words possible to achieve the goal of communication<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_60_248\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_248\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>long strings of words that don't add much to the overall meaning of the message<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_60_1907\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_1907\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Chapter Preview<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>What is a Group?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_60_231\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_231\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>words that show relationships between other words. Some examples include <em>in<\/em>, <em>on<\/em>, <em>at<\/em>, <em>of<\/em>, and <em>under<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_60_250\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_250\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>words that are more common and easier for readers to understand<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_60_249\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_60_249\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>certain words that are used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":101,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-60","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":43,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2802,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/60\/revisions\/2802"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/43"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/60\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}