Wordiness

1. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Your writing should be as clear and concise as possible. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases.

2. Can you spot the unnecessary words in this sentence? I am of the opinion that the reason why our air quality is declining is due to the fact that not enough people in this day and age drive fuel-efficient vehicles. Click to view the unnecessary words PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Your writing should be as clear and concise as possible. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases.

3. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Your writing should be as clear and concise as possible. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases. Can you spot the unnecessary words in this sentence? I am of the opinion that the reason why our air quality is declining is due to the fact that not enough people in this day and age drive fuel-efficient vehicles.

4. ORIGINAL I am of the opinion that the reason why our air quality is declining is due to the fact that not enough people in this day and age drive fuel-efficient vehicles. REVISED Our air quality is decliningbecausenot enough people drive fuel-efficient vehicles. Next PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Your writing should be as clear and concise as possible. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases.

5. MENU EXIT Wordiness Use the following strategies to revise wordy sentences. Click on the strategy you want to explore. MENU • Eliminate padding • Delete repeated ideas • Reduce the number of modifiers • Change clauses to phrases • Remove unnecessary information

6. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases.

7. Next PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. Phrases to watch out for include the following: • because of the fact that • the reason is • I believe that • the point is • what I mean is

8. Which phrase can be eliminated from this sentence? The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire. Click to view the unnecessary phrase PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases.

9. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. Which phrase can be eliminated from this sentence? The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire.

10. PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. Which phrase can be eliminated from this sentence? The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire.

11. MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire. The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire.

12. MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. The bus was late because of the fact that it had a flat tire.

13. MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. The bus was late because o the fct tit had a flat tire.

14. MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. The bus was late because of fit had a flat tire.

15. Menu PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Eliminate Padding Be sure your sentences don’t contain empty or unnecessary phrases. The bus was late because it had a flat tire.

16. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Delete Repeated Ideas Sometimes you may repeat the same idea in two different ways.

17. Which idea is repeated in the following sentence? At 7:00 A.M. in the morning, we were waiting at the bus stop. Click to view the repeated idea PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Delete Repeated Ideas Sometimes you may repeat the same idea in two different ways.

18. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Delete Repeated Ideas Sometimes you may repeat the same idea in two different ways. Which idea is repeated in the following sentence? At 7:00 A.M.in the morning, we were waiting at the bus stop.

19. ORIGINAL At 7:00 A.M.in the morning, we were waiting at the bus stop. REVISED At 7:00 A.M. we were waiting at the bus stop. Menu PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Delete Repeated Ideas Sometimes you may repeat the same idea in two different ways.

20. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness.

21. Where are the modifiers in the following sentence? The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers. Click to view the modifiers PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness.

22. Continue… PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. Where are the modifiers in the following sentence? The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

23. Click to see the unnecessary modifiers PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. Which modifiers could be removed? The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

24. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. Which modifiers could be removed? i The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

25. PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. Which modifiers could be removed? The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

26. MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. The bright, hot, blazing sun beat down on the travelers. The bright, hot,

27. MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. The bright, hot,blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

28. MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. The bright, blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

29. MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. The brigblazing sun beat down on the travelers.

30. Menu PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Reduce the Number of Modifiers Too many modifiers can actually decrease a sentence’s effectiveness. The blazing sun beat down on the travelers.

31. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases.

32. In the following sentence, which clause could be changed to a phrase? The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation. Click to view the clause PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases.

33. Continue… PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. In the following sentence, which clause could be changed to a phrase? The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

34. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. How could you rewrite this clause as a phrase? The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

35. PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. How could you rewrite this clause as a phrase? The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

36. MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. Delete the introductory words to turn the clause into a phrase. The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation. The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

37. MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. Delete the introductory words to turn the clause into a phrase. The police officer, who is a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

38. MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. Delete the introductory words to turn the clause into a phrase. The police officer, who a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

39. Menu PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Change Clauses to Phrases Clauses that begin with who is, that is, or which is can often be reduced to simple phrases. Delete the introductory words to turn the clause into a phrase. The police officer, a ten-year veteran, was given a certificate of appreciation.

40. Continue… MENU EXIT Wordiness Remove Unnecessary Information Only include information that is important for your reader to know.

41. What information could be removed from the following sentence? My best friend, who lives across the street, builds functioning robots. Click to view the unnecessary words PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Remove Unnecessary Information Only include information that is important for your reader to know.

42. Click to see a revision PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Remove Unnecessary Information Only include information that is important for your reader to know. What information could be removed from the following sentence? My best friend, who lives across the street, builds functioning robots. i

43. ORIGINAL My best friend, who lives across the street, builds functioning robots. REVISED My best friend builds functioning robots. Menu PREVIOUS MENU EXIT Wordiness Remove Unnecessary Information Only include information that is important for your reader to know.