This article is about lack of concision. For the character in the BBC education programme, see
Look and read.
Wordiness is the use of more words than necessary. As it makes a text slightly harder to read, it is usually discouraged.
Wordiness does not mean simply using fewer words, but to use more common ones. Some readers may not have English as their first language, and not be familiar with idioms or expressions. Nevertheless, some expressions are simply redundant or tautological. A well-documented habit in American English is to tack a preposition to a verb to make a phrasal verb, for example "climb" becomes "climb up", even though climbing implies going up. These are not "wrong"; they are part of a dialect, but may needlessly distract or confuse readers who use other dialects of English: a "climb down" is not the opposite of a "climb up".
Examples
Many common expressions can be shortened. Blaise Pascal wrote to his cousin in apology, "I have made this letter longer because I have not had time to make it shorter".[1]
| Wordy |
Shorter |
Alternatively |
| all the more |
even more |
more |
| as a matter of fact |
in fact |
actually |
| be all alike |
be alike |
is (are) the same |
| in order to |
to |
|
| in terms of |
in, by, for |
|
| functionality |
function |
work |
| in real terms |
in today's money |
|
| know for certain (sure) |
know |
|
| methodology |
method |
way |
| once in a while |
occasionally |
sometimes |
| orientated |
oriented |
on course |
| period of time |
period |
time; age (in that time, in that age) |
| pressure or pressurize |
press |
bully |
| take a look |
look |
|
| unsolved mystery |
mystery |
|
| usage |
use |
|
Tools
There exist computer programs that can do a writing-style check that – among other things – finds and marks wordy parts of a text.[2]
If the text contains common, wordy expressions like the examples above, the program can suggest which words to delete. If a wordy sentence is too complex, the style check might detect it, but can only suggest that the user rephrases it.
See also
References
- ^ Pascal, Blaise (1657), Blaise Pascal, "Lettres Provinciales", Letter 16, 1657, http://www.famousquotessite.com/famous-quotes-6498-blaise-pascal-lettres-provinciales-letter-16-1657.html
- ^ Charles R. Stratton, "Anatomy of a Style Analyzer", J. Tech. Writing and Communication (Amityville, New York: place=University of Idaho) 19 (2): 119-134, http://baywood.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,2,6;journal,80,152;linkingpublicationresults,1:300326,1, retrieved 2009-05-02
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