HUM: L1: USE CONCISE WORDS

Avoid Deadwood Words

are words that pad, expand, and fill out spaces but do not contribute to the overall meaning of the sentence. These words only sidetrack the meaning of the sentence and therefore, confuse the readers. Removing these words from your sentences will make your ideas sharp and concise.

Avoid Redundant Words

words repeat the ideas that are already implied in the sentence. Therefore, these words do not only show down the narrative because they state what is already obvious but also distract the reader.

Avoid Wordiness

Whenever possible, write simple sentences. Do not make your sentences lengthy and contrived.

You can tighten the structure of your sentences by eliminating some words, phrases, or clauses.

The Use of Adjectives and Adverbs

It is no longer necessary to describe every noun (object) or verb (action), especially if they are strong enough to stand by themselves without description.

Diction

came from the Latin past participle stem, dicere (“speak, tell, say”), which evolved into the nominative, dictio (“a saying, expression word”), this originally refers to the “clearness of a person’s speech.”