From the course: Tips for Better Business Writing
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Clear the clutter in your writing
From the course: Tips for Better Business Writing
Clear the clutter in your writing
- In 1871, Mark Twain wrote a letter to a friend and included a line that read, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, "so I wrote a long one instead." This quote is timeless. It's much more difficult and time-consuming to write concisely than it is to put it all out there for your reader to wade through. Unnecessary words clutter up your sentences and slow your readers down. By eliminating those words, you can keep your readers' interests and make your writing easier to follow. So, let's review two strategies that you can apply to make your writing more concise. First, use one word for a one-word idea. Sometimes, you can collapse several words or a long phrase into a word that conveys your message quickly and clearly. For example, at a time prior to simply means before. At other times, you can collapse a multi-word phrase into one word. For example, "We are in agreement with you" becomes, "We agree with you."…
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