Need a single reference to run through when editing for conciseness? Use this handy checklist along with your favorite writing improvement software and tighten up that writing.
1. Redundant phrases. No matter how vigilant you think you are to redundancy, we all eventually slip and end up saying the same things more than once. From commonly employed phrases (the ones you don’t even notice, such as “true facts” and “twelve noon”) to being overly descriptive (resulting in multiple ways of expressing the same thought), it’s an error you’ll have to continually check for.
2. Redundant abbreviations. As a corollary to the above, pay special attention to abbreviated redundancies, such as ATM machine (the M already stands for machine) and HIV virus (the V already stands for virus).
3. Pare down. Some clauses can be shrunk into phrases; some phrases can be shrunk into single words. Unless you’re intentionally trying to pad your word count, look out for ways to condense your figures of speech.
4. Modifiers that don’t add value. Avoid using words that are only meant to exaggerate, rather than offer additional clarity. These include words like “very,” “extremely” and “severely.” They’re “really” useless.
5. Expletive constructions. Sentences that begin with “there is,” “there are” and “it is” are common devices that tend to produce unnecessarily long constructions. They rob sentences of energy right at the onset. They make
6. Take out clichés and euphemisms. Recognize clichés (those expressions that used to sound cool, but are now just lame) and euphemisms (“safe” ways of expressing something that’s potentially risky), then work to eliminate them from your writing.
