How to Eliminate Wordiness in Writing Worksheets

Eliminating wordiness can improve your writing.

Wordiness is a common problem in academic writing. Filling papers with big words and long sentences is not the best approach to writing. Writing worksheets can be helpful tools to practice cutting down on excess words and learn the art of concise writing.

Instructions

1. Download writing worksheets that suit your writing needs. Find writing worksheets focusing on academic writing if you are writing primarily for school. Use worksheets available at education resource websites or in printed workbooks.

2. Work on eliminating redundancy, removing words already implicitly or explicitly stated somewhere else in the sentence. For example "12 noon" is a redundant phrase, because "noon" is by definition "12." Clear redundancies from your worksheet.

3. Omit unnecessary sentences and phrases that add words without adding content. For example, "It was 12 in the afternoon. Noon had come, and it was time for Cindy to get lunch." Delete the first sentence in this example, because the same information is contained in the second sentence. Eliminate phrases that serve as filler, such as "all things considered." Remove excess phrases from your worksheet.

4. Replace or delete cliches and euphemisms. For example, the phrase "meaningful dialogue" is cliche because it has been overused in business writing and no longer offers clear definition about the kind of dialogue intended. Delete euphemisms, words or phrases intended to gloss over harsh connotations or grim realities, like "passed away" instead of "died." Use euphemisms in personal writing or speaking, not in most formal writing styles. Eliminate or minimize use of such words from your worksheet examples.

5. Review your writing portfolio for patterns of wordiness. Find examples of redundancy, unnecessary phrases or sentences, and cliches or euphemisms. Identify the patterns that occur most frequently in your writing and practice eliminating those issues on writing worksheets.

References

• leo.stcloudstate.edu; Literacy Education Online; Strategies for Reducing Wordiness
• Class.georgiasouthern.edu; Georgia Southern Univeristy; University Writing Center; Wordiness Worksheet 1
• Thewriteroom.net; The Write Room Press; Eliminate Cliches;

Resources

• Lessonplanet.com; Lesson Planet; Eliminating Wordiness Worksheets