from: http://www.syntaxtraining.com/business_writing_tips.html#biztip1
Do More With Less!
For over a decade, the message at work has been “Do more with less!” As writers, we have this challenge too. And we can be much more efficient if we use less wordiness. By cutting down on extra words, we cut down on both writing and reading time.
The paragraph below contains 70 words. Can you cut it down to 35 words or less?
This document is for the purpose of giving the reader a detailed explanation of the inventory process. It describes the activities we currently do in the majority of instances on a daily and weekly basis. In order to provide an introduction to the process for employees who work on a temporary basis, we also have prepared an overview, which describes the highlights of the inventory process in just two pages.
Here is a 30-word revision:
This document explains the inventory process in detail. It describes our usual daily and weekly activities. We also have prepared a two-page overview to introduce the process to temporary employees.
Which paragraph above is clearer—the 70-word version or the 30-word revision?
To lighten up your sentences, watch for heavy phrases like these:
for the purpose of | = | for |
the majority of | = | most |
in order to | = | to |
provide an introduction | = | introduce |
on a daily basis | = | daily |
on a regular basis | = | routinely |
Do you think you can do more with less? Try this experiment:
When you finish writing a paragraph or a page, imagine it needs to be one-third shorter because of space constraints. Then see how many words you can cut. You’ll probably be surprised about the excess baggage your sentences are carrying. And your readers will thank you.
It’s true—we can do more with less!