5 Ways to Write Concisely

Nobody writes a perfect first draft. Whether you love the red pen or hate it with a passion, your first draft will require some polishing. The trick is to write prose that’s brilliant yet brief, colorful yet concise. Here are five tips for writing concisely.

Cut Weasel Words

Even the best writers fall prey to weasel words. These pesky critters sneak into your writing, take up space, and contribute nothing. Common weasel words include the following:

• Really
• Basically
• Actually
• Very
• More

They often attack in groups. Consider these weasely phrases:

• “The vast majority . . .”
• “Studies suggest that . . .”
• “Some would argue that . . .”

After you write a draft, take time to banish all weasel words back to the wilderness where they belong.

Axe Redundancy

Why do something twice if you only need to do it once? Redundant phrases clutter your writing and hinder its flow.

Consider the sentence: “I love the blue color of her eyes.”

“Blue color” is redundant. Your reader already understands that blue is a color. “I love her blue eyes” is more concise.

Another example: “The reason I’m reading this is because I love writing.”

You don’t need the word “reason” and the word “because” in the same sentence. One implies the other. “I’m reading this because I love writing” conveys your point with fewer words; it’s more concise.

Incorporate Transitional Words and Phrases

Transitional words and phrases unify ideas and make your writing easy to understand. Without them, your prose can come off as choppy and directionless.

• Transitional words like however, nevertheless, and conversely pave the way toward your next idea.
• Transitional phrases like for example and as shown by help readers understand that you’re clarifying an argument.

Next time you write, try to incorporate one or more transitional words or phrases to improve cohesion.

Go Easy on the Adverbs

Some writers resist adverbs the way a cat resists a leash. The grammar gods won’t strike you down if you insert an adverb here or there, but before you do, read these two sentences:

1. Adverbs aren’t horribly bad, but they’re usually not needed.
2. Your writing will be more concise if you avoid adverbs.

Which sentence packs more of a punch? The one without adverbs – number two. Words that end in “ly” are often just careless intensifiers that add no real meaning. Vivid writing shows the reader a picture; it doesn’t tell the reader what to think.

• “I broke my diet again!” Betty wailed sadly.
• “I broke my diet again!” Betty wailed, wiping salty chocolate tears from the corners of her mouth.

The second example includes no adverbs, and it creates a clearer picture in the reader’s mind than the first. We see the salty chocolate crumbs on Betty’s lips, and we feel her bittersweet anguish.

Skip “There is” and “There are”

You could be the most energetic person on earth, but writing “There is” or “There are” makes you look lazy. Consider rearranging your sentence parts when these passive pairings pop up in your writing.

• “There are lots of people in this world who love bumpy cake” becomes “People around the world love bumpy cake.”
• “There is a stink bug in every room of my house” becomes “Stink bugs have descended upon every room of my house.”

Plenty of writers, both amateur and professional, start their sentences with “There is” and “There are.” You needn’t be one of them.

Stephen King said, “To write is human. To edit is divine.” So the next time you find yourself wrestling with a few extra words, just remember: you’re in excellent company. Are you ready to pick up that red pen and start slashing?

Are gender-neutral pronouns the wave of the future?

The reader must understand that they are at the mercy of the author’s imagination.

What’s wrong with the sentence above? Some might say there is nothing at all is wrong with it. Others, however, will take issue with the use of ‘they,’ a plural pronoun, in place of the singular ‘reader.’ How can this sentence be corrected? Some would use ‘he’ in place of ‘they,’ with the understanding that masculine pronouns are a stand-in for proper nouns of either gender. Others would advocate ‘he or she’ in place of ‘they,’ because it includes both genders.

Gendered pronouns have a long history of causing grammatical confusion and debate. As far back as the 1800s, writers and linguists have proposed gender-neutral pronouns (including ze, co, hesh, thon, and zher) to solve the complicated issues that gendered pronouns cause in English.

Gender-neutral pronouns solve many grammatical problems, but why haven’t they caught on in English? According to John McWhorter at The New Republic, that’s because there are two kinds of words: open-class and closed-class. Nouns and verbs are among the open-class words and can be adapted or even made up depending on necessity and context. Pronouns and prepositions are closed-class words—words that we use as tools to show the relationships between open-class words. Closed-class words are harder to adapt and change since they’re already representing something else (for example, ‘he’ represents ‘Brian’).

McWhorter argues that since it’s unlikely that a new gender-neutral pronoun will ever gain wide acceptance in English, it’s okay to use the plural ‘they’ in place of ‘he’ or ‘she.’ Other alternatives include ‘one’ to mean ‘a person,’ and ‘you’ in certain contexts.

Many other languages don’t include gendered pronouns at all or include gender neutral pronouns in their structure.

Will the English language eventually accept the use of ‘they’ as a singular gender-neutral pronoun? Will an alternative like ze gain widespread acceptance and use? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Sources: 1,2,3

March MADness Championship: What’s the Worst Work Habit?

The time has come to choose the most vile, odious, offensive, and obnoxious work pet peeve. March MADness has had its ups and downs, covering everything from emojis to people who like to lean in when they talk. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and the time has come to choose our March MADness champion.

Now, let’s meet our Final Infuriating Four. Vote for your least favorite habit to be crowned the worst work habit. Also, let us know what you think of the results of our month-long bracket below!

The Worst Chat Crime: Emoji Overload

��������☠️ These people like to send a string of seemingly useless emojis in work chat, especially in public channels. While they may think it’s cute, it actually shows they have nothing to say.

The Worst Email Fail: Autonotification Email Hell

Autonotifications are sent automatically when someone updates a task, project, or chat. In the best-case scenario, these autonotifications can be batched, but usually your inbox gets swamped by minor updates to various channels. Is it really necessary to know that someone left a chat? Rarely.

The Worst Call Catastrophe: Background Noise Nuisances

We’ve all joined a call where the other participants sounded like they were either in an echo chamber, a wind tunnel, or the middle of Times Square. Nobody likes those calls, and nobody likes distracting background noise.

The Worst IRL Irritation: “Well, actually . . .”

This phrase is the hallmark of a know-it-all. With a penchant for perfection and an inability to filter relevant details from irrelevant ones, this person never misses an opportunity to correct or clarify themselves and others.

What Are Possessive Nouns?

A possessive noun is a noun that possesses something—i.e., it has something. In most cases, a possessive noun is formed by adding an apostrophe +s to the noun, or if the noun is plural and already ends in s, only an apostrophe needs to be added. In the following sentence, boy’s is a possessive noun modifying pencil: The boy’s pencil snapped in half. It is clear that the pencil belongs to the boy; the ’s signifies ownership.

The cat’s toy was missing.

The cat possesses the toy, and we denote this by use of an apostrophe + s at the end of cat.

Is this Brandon’s book?

I pulled a feather from the goose’s tail.

When a noun ends in the letter s or an s sound, the same format applies. This is a matter of style, however, and some style guides suggest leaving off the extra s.

I have been invited to the boss’s house for dinner.

The trainer flipped a fish into the walrus’s open mouth.

Plural nouns ending in an s simply take an apostrophe at the end to form a possessive noun. Of course, there are many plural nouns in English that are irregular and do not end in s.

The chickens’ eggs were taken by the farmer early in the morning.

The children’s clothes were brand new.

Sometimes the idea of possession is more abstract. When you talk about long you’ve been doing something, it’s possible to use an apostrophe.

Ten years’ experience in marketing has taught me what works and what doesn’t.

Twenty years’ experience is nothing to sneeze at.

But it usually sounds better to use the word of instead of an apostrophe.

Ten years of experience in marketing has taught me what works and what doesn’t.

Twenty years of experience is nothing to sneeze at.

For more examples on how to use apostrophes to form possessives, read Apostrophe.

What Is a Subordinating Conjunction?

A subordinating conjunction is a word or phrase that links a dependent clause to an independent clause. This word or phrase indicates that a clause has informative value to add to the sentence’s main idea, signaling a cause-and-effect relationship or a shift in time and place between the two clauses.

Sound complicated? Let’s break it down.

A dependent clause, also known as a subordinate clause, is a clause with two specific qualities. Firstly, it does not express a complete unit of thought on its own; it cannot stand as its own sentence. Secondly, it depends upon an independent clause—one that can stand on its own as a complete sentence—to form a complete idea. If independent and dependent clauses could be likened to Batman and Robin, the dependent, or subordinate clause would be Robin, Batman’s assistant. The independent, main clause would be Batman, his superhero boss.

Subordinating Conjunctions Showing Cause and Effect

The subordinating conjunction that is simplest to explain is because. Because is a conjunction with just one purpose: to show a cause-and-effect relationship between a subordinate clause and a main clause. On its own, a clause beginning with because is incomplete.

Because he wouldn’t wear a seat belt.

We have the sense that there is something missing here. Let’s add an independent clause so this statement has something to lean on.

Robin wasn’t allowed in the Batmobile any longer.

Now we will combine the two in a complex sentence.

Robin wasn’t allowed in the Batmobile any longer because he wouldn’t wear a seatbelt.

In this sentence, “Robin wasn’t allowed in the Batmobile any longer” is an independent clause. It could stand on its own as a complete sentence. A clause that shows a causal relationship such as “because he wouldn’t wear a seatbelt” (answering the question “Why?” or “For what purpose?” is often referred to as a clause of purpose.

Other subordinating conjunctions that can show cause-and-effect relationships and function in the same way are for, as, since, therefore, hence, as a result, consequently, though, due to, provided that, because of, unless, as a result of, and so/so that.

Batman required strict compliance with seat belt rules, hence Robin was not allowed to ride in the Batmobile.

Since Robin refused to wear his seat belt, Batman has banned him from the Batmobile.

Subordinating Conjunctions Signaling Relationships of Time or Place

Another function of subordinating conjunctions is to show a relationship between two clauses involving a transition of time or place. Some examples of such subordinating conjunctions are once, while, when, whenever, where, wherever, before, and after.

Once Batman learned that Robin had not been wearing his seatbelt, he took away his keys to the Batmobile.

Robin looked regretfully at the Batmobile whenever he passed it in the Batcave.

After Batman was done working for the night, Robin took a secret ride in the Batmobile.

Before Robin gets his job in the Batcave back, he must promise to stop playing with the Batmobile.

Comma Placement and Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions that fall in the middle of a sentence are generally not preceded by a comma. This is the opposite of what is done with coordinating conjunctions, or words that join two independent clauses (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and sometimes so).

When a subordinate clause begins a sentence, however, the whole clause (but not the subordinating conjunction itself) is followed by a comma.

Whenever, Batman was away, Robin drove the Batmobile.

Whenever Batman was away, Robin drove the Batmobile.

Robin drove the Batmobile, whenever Batman was away.

Robin drove the Batmobile whenever Batman was away.

A Handy List of Subordinating Conjunctions

• after
• although
• as
• as if
• as long as
• as much as
• as soon as
• as though
• because
• before
• by the time
• even if
• even though
• if
• in order that
• in case
• in the event that
• lest
• now that
• once
• only
• only if
• provided that
• since
• so
• supposing
• that
• than
• though
• till
• unless
• until, when
• whenever
• where
• whereas
• wherever
• whether or not
• while

Does Your Company Value Correct Grammar?

Mexican Novels to Help You Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Guest Post by Alice E.M. Underwood

No matter where you are, Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate Mexico’s country, culture, and misunderstood military history. The holiday doesn’t mark Mexican Independence, as is commonly thought in other countries that break out the margaritas in honor of May 5—instead, it recognizes Mexico’s unlikely victory over the French in 1862.

But this isn’t a history lesson: it’s a literature lesson. Cinco de Mayo may be an excuse to eat guacamole, but it’s also an excuse to dive into Mexican culture. So in honor of May 5, here are five top Mexican novels. Plus one more for good measure.

The Labyrinth of Solitude, by Octavio Paz (El laberinto de la soledad, 1950) Ironically, first up isn’t a novel at all: it’s a book-length set of essays on what makes Mexico Mexico. Winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature, Paz meditates on Mexican identity through ideas of solitude, colonialism, indigenous vs. Spanish roots, death, and fiesta—and explores how they all fit together, from Day of the Dead celebrations to politics. Later editions include his essays on the 1968 massacre of Mexican students and Mexico-US relations.

Pedro Páramo, by Juan Rulfo (Pedro Páramo, 1955) A man searches for his father in a town “at the very mouth of hell,” where even the inhabitants may be no more than spirits. Considered by some to be the book that started magical realism—and by Gabriel García Márquez to be the inspiration for One Hundred Years of Solitude—this is a tale of ghostlike memories, tyrannical landowners, and a land and people haunted by powers and passions beyond their control.

The Death of Artemio Cruzo, by Carlos Fuentes (La muerte de Artemio Cruz, 1962) A corrupt old coot on his deathbed recollects his life in flashbacks. While living, Artemio had his fingers in many pies: the Mexican Revolution, the emerging new government, economic dealings with gringo speculators, loves, hates, and a hidden will. Alternating between internal tensions and the broader world, Fuentes explores a body facing its final breaths.

Palinuro of Mexico, by Fernando del Paso (Palinuro de México, 1977) Meandering, mystical, and as medically precise as Gray’s Anatomy (the textbook, not the show), this book is easier to describe as an encyclopedia than a straightforward novel. Some highlights: mythology, Virgil, a medical student and his lover (who is also his cousin), a pile of bones, almost-animate objects, satirical digs at politics and advertising, and more than a touch of surrealism. Sound overwhelming? Dive into the writing: you won’t want to get out.

The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolaño (Los detectives salvajes, 1998) So, Bolaño is technically Chilean. At least, that’s where he was born. But he spent years of his youth in Mexico and, as far as books about Mexico go, TSD brings the capital and the country to life. There’s crime, youth culture, underground literary movements, historical events, the drudgery of existence over two decades, and some great Mexican authors thrown into the mix.

The Story of My Teeth, by Valeria Luiselli (La historia de mis dientes, 2012) A baby is born with four early teeth and a coat of fur, and grows up to become an auctioneer and a collector intent on telling the story of his teeth. That means the ones in his own head, but also, he claims, the mighty molars of folks like Plato and Virginia Woolf. In addition to teeth, he collects knowledge, straws, literary allusions, and stories—and his unique style of narration, light egomania, and possible unreliability make this novel an exploration of truth and fiction, as well as a literary adventure for the reader.

Whether you’re Mexican, study Mexico, or just like Mexican food, any and all of these books will give you a powerful story and a link to Mexican history, culture, and literature. What better way to boost the fiesta in your Cinco de Mayo festivities?