Here are ten ways to produce more vivid, direct, concise prose by replacing wordy phrases with fewer

words
and reorganizing sentences. It is not advisable to employ these strategies indiscriminately, but prose will
usually be improved by following the recommendations below.
1. Use Active Voice
hen a sentence includes be or any other copulative verb, such as is or are, recast the sentence to omit the
verb.
!efore" #he meeting was seen by us as a ploy to delay the pro$ect.
After" e saw the meeting as a ploy to delay the pro$ect.
%. Avoid Vague &ouns
'hrases formed around general nouns such as aspect, degree, and situation clutter sentences.
!efore" (he is an e)pert in the area of international relations.
After" (he is an e)pert in international relations.
*. Use ords, &ot #heir +efinitions
,eplace e)planatory phrases with a single word that encapsulates that e)planation.
!efore" #he crops also needed to be mar-etable so that families would be able to sell any yields that
e)ceeded what they personally re.uired.
After" #he crops also needed to be mar-etable so that families would be able to sell any surplus.
/. Avoid &oun (trings
,eorganize sentences to eliminate series of nouns used as ad$ectives.
!efore" #he lac- of a secure transfer may hamper computer security incident response efforts.
After" #he lac- of a secure transfer may hamper responses to computer0security incidents.
1. 2onvert &ouns to Verbs
hen a sentence includes a noun ending in 0tion, change the noun to a verb to simplify the sentence.
!efore" #hey will collaborate in the creation of new guidelines.
After" #hey will collaborate to create new guidelines.
3. ,educe Verb 'hrases to (imple Verbs
Identify the verb buried in a verb phrase and omit the rest of the phrase.
!efore" #he results are suggestive of the fact that tampering has occurred.
After" #he results suggest that tampering has occurred.
4. ,eplace 2omple) ords with (imple 5nes
2hoose simpler synonyms for multisyllabic words.
!efore" #he department will disseminate the forms soon.
After" #he department will pass out the forms soon.
6. Avoid 7)pletives
+ont start sentences with #here is, #here are, or It is.
!efore" #here are many factors in the products failure.
After" 8any factors contributed to the products failure.
9. 7liminate 'repositional 'hrases
,eplace :noun1; of the :noun%; phrasing with :noun%;s :noun1; phrasing.
!efore" #he decision of the committee is final.
After" #he committees decision is final.
1<. ,educe ordy 'hrases to (ingle ords
,eplace phrases that signal a transition with simple con$unctions, verbs, or other lin-ing words.
!efore" +ue to the fact that the pro$ect is behind schedule, todays meeting has been postponed.
After" !ecause the pro$ect is behind schedule, todays meeting has been postponed.