The Art of Concision Vocabulary

the subject performs the action, creating direct and vigorous prose

“The committee approved the plan. (Not: The plan was approved by the committee.)”

specific, vivid verbs that replace weak verb + adverb combinations

“She sprinted. (Not: She ran quickly.) He muttered. (Not: He said quietly.)”

turning verbs into nouns, often weakening prose

“We made a decision. (Weak.) We decided. (Strong.) Avoid unnecessary nominalizations.”

'there is' or 'it is' constructions that delay the real subject

“There are many reasons to act. (Weak.) Many reasons compel us to act. (Strong.)”

unnecessary repetition of meaning

“Free gift, past history, advance planning. Just: gift, history, planning.”

using more words than necessary

“At this point in time → now. In the event that → if. Due to the fact that → because.”

qualifiers that weaken certainty unnecessarily

“I sort of think we should maybe consider... Just say: We should consider.”

unnecessary preamble before the main point

“I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I believe... Just say what you believe.”