Putting Your Prose on a Diet

Getting to the Point, or
Putting Your Prose on a Diet
Examples of Revised Sentences 1. Avoid Unnecessary Redundancy (or Repetition): Repetition in English often occurs as a result of oral habit. Watch for the following common errors:
Redundant Modifiers: Some common modifying phrases use two words which mean the same thing--e.g. "consensus of opinion," "each individual," "basic fundamentals" (Williams, 69)

Redundant Pairs: Avoid linking synonyms with "and" for emphasis--e.g. "hopes and desires," "and so on and so forth." (Williams,69)

Redundant Categories: Do not state a category if it is already implied--e.g. "The educational process needs to be assessed in an accurate manner" should be "Education needs to be accurately assessed." (Williams, 70)

2. Certainly Always Avoid Unnecessary Words:The most common problems fall into two categories: meaningless modifiers and phrases which may be replaced by single words. 3. Avoid Verbalizations which are Excessively Erudite and Pretentious (i.e. Keep Your Language Simple): Writers who lack confidence may be tempted to hide behind "academese." Unfortunately, this is encouraged by a proliferation of poorly written textbooks and academic articles. This type of language is designed to impress rather than inform your reader (Hacker, 104). 4. Do not Belabor the Obvious (i.e. Don’t state what everyone already knows) 5. Avoid Irrelevant Details
Works Referenced

Williams, Joseph M. "The Grammar of Concision" Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Glenview: Scott Foresman and Company, 1985.

Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 3rd ed. Boston: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.

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