What makes writing concise?
Concise writing communicates its message using the fewest words necessary without sacrificing clarity or meaning. It eliminates filler phrases ('in order to,' 'due to the fact that'), redundancies ('advance planning,' 'past history'), weak verb constructions ('made a decision' instead of 'decided'), and unnecessary qualifiers ('very,' 'really,' 'quite'). Concise writing is not about being short -- it is about being efficient.
Wordiness is the most common problem in professional writing. It is not a matter of intelligence or vocabulary -- highly educated writers are often the worst offenders because they have more words at their disposal and feel pressure to sound thorough. The result is documents padded with filler phrases, redundant expressions, weak verbs hiding behind nominalizations, and qualifiers that add nothing to the meaning.
Concise writing is not about being brief for its own sake. A 3,000-word report can be perfectly concise if every sentence does real work. Concise writing is about efficiency: delivering your message with the fewest words necessary to preserve clarity, nuance, and completeness. Research by the Nielsen Norman Group found that users read only about 20 percent of the text on a web page, and that concise, scannable writing increases comprehension by up to 58 percent [1]. In business contexts, where attention spans are short and decision-makers skim, concise writing is not a luxury -- it is a competitive advantage.
This guide gives you a systematic approach to tightening your prose. You will learn to identify and eliminate the most common forms of wordiness, with before-and-after examples drawn from real professional writing contexts.
The Cost of Wordiness
Before diving into techniques, consider what wordiness actually costs:
- Time: Readers spend more time parsing padded prose. Multiply that across an organization, and the hours add up.
- Clarity: Filler words obscure the point. The more words surrounding your message, the harder it is to find.
- Credibility: Wordy writing often signals insecurity -- the writer is padding to sound more authoritative, but the effect is the opposite.
- Action: Decision-makers need clear recommendations. Wordiness delays action.
"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." -- William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th edition [2]
Technique 1: Replace Wordy Phrases with Single Words
This is the highest-impact technique. Many wordy phrases are habitual expressions that can be replaced with one or two words without losing meaning.
| Wordy Phrase | Concise Replacement |
|---|---|
| in order to | to |
| due to the fact that | because |
| at this point in time | now |
| in the event that | if |
| for the purpose of | to / for |
| in the near future | soon |
| on a daily basis | daily |
| with regard to | about / regarding |
| in spite of the fact that | although / despite |
| it is important to note that | (delete -- just state the point) |
| has the ability to | can |
| make a decision | decide |
| give consideration to | consider |
| take into account | consider |
| a large number of | many |
| a small number of | few |
| at the present time | now / currently |
| in the majority of cases | usually |
| prior to | before |
| subsequent to | after |
| in close proximity to | near |
Before and After
Wordy (31 words): In order to ensure that we are able to meet the deadline, it is important that all team members submit their deliverables on a weekly basis prior to the Friday cutoff.
Concise (18 words): To meet the deadline, all team members must submit deliverables weekly before the Friday cutoff.
The concise version says exactly the same thing in 42 percent fewer words.
Technique 2: Eliminate Redundant Pairs and Expressions
Redundancy occurs when two words in a phrase mean the same thing. These are so common in business writing that they often go unnoticed.
| Redundant Expression | Concise Version |
|---|---|
| advance planning | planning |
| basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
| close proximity | proximity (or: near) |
| completely eliminate | eliminate |
| end result | result |
| each and every | each (or: every) |
| first and foremost | first |
| free gift | gift |
| future plans | plans |
| general consensus | consensus |
| mutual cooperation | cooperation |
| past history | history |
| plan ahead | plan |
| revert back | revert |
| still remains | remains |
| sum total | total |
| unexpected surprise | surprise |
| whether or not | whether |
"Redundancy is the enemy of concision. When you write 'past history,' you are saying the same thing twice. History is inherently about the past. Every redundant pair you eliminate saves the reader a fraction of a second -- and those fractions compound." -- Bryan A. Garner, Garner's Modern English Usage, 4th edition [3]
Technique 3: Convert Passive Voice to Active Voice
Passive voice adds words by reversing the natural subject-verb-object order and inserting a form of "to be." Active voice is typically shorter and more direct.
| Passive (Wordy) | Active (Concise) |
|---|---|
| The report was completed by the team. | The team completed the report. |
| A decision was made to postpone the launch. | We decided to postpone the launch. |
| The error was identified by the QA department. | The QA department identified the error. |
| The budget has been approved by the board. | The board approved the budget. |
| The proposal was reviewed and rejected. | The committee reviewed and rejected the proposal. |
Note: Passive voice is not always wrong. It is appropriate when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action rather than the actor. But default to active voice, and use passive only with intention.
For a deeper dive, see our guide on active vs passive voice.
Technique 4: Eliminate Unnecessary Qualifiers
Qualifiers like very, really, quite, somewhat, rather, fairly, and extremely rarely add meaningful information. They often weaken rather than strengthen the point.
Wordy: The results were very impressive and quite unexpected. Concise: The results were impressive and unexpected.
Wordy: She is a really talented and extremely dedicated project manager. Concise: She is a talented and dedicated project manager.
If you feel the adjective is not strong enough without a qualifier, choose a stronger adjective instead:
| Weak + Qualifier | Strong Without Qualifier |
|---|---|
| very tired | exhausted |
| very happy | thrilled |
| very important | critical / essential |
| very big | enormous / substantial |
| very small | tiny / negligible |
| very old | ancient |
| very scared | terrified |
"Substitute damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." -- Often attributed to Mark Twain [4]
Technique 5: Eliminate Throat-Clearing Openings
Many sentences begin with unnecessary preambles that delay the actual point:
| Throat-Clearing Opening | What to Do |
|---|---|
| It is worth noting that... | Delete and state the point directly |
| It should be pointed out that... | Delete |
| It goes without saying that... | If it goes without saying, do not say it |
| It is interesting to note that... | Delete |
| As you may or may not know... | Delete |
| The fact of the matter is... | Delete |
| What I'm trying to say is... | Just say it |
| It is my opinion that... | State the opinion directly |
Wordy: It is worth noting that the customer satisfaction scores improved by 15 percent this quarter. Concise: Customer satisfaction scores improved by 15 percent this quarter.
Technique 6: Turn Nominalizations Back into Verbs
A nominalization is a verb or adjective that has been turned into a noun, usually making the sentence longer and weaker. The fix: turn it back into its original verb form.
| Nominalization (Wordy) | Verb Form (Concise) |
|---|---|
| make a recommendation | recommend |
| conduct an investigation | investigate |
| provide assistance | assist / help |
| reach a conclusion | conclude |
| make an improvement | improve |
| give authorization | authorize |
| perform an analysis | analyze |
| have a discussion | discuss |
| take action | act |
| make a revision | revise |
Wordy: The team conducted an investigation into the cause of the outage and reached the conclusion that a configuration error was responsible. Concise: The team investigated the outage and concluded that a configuration error caused it.
Technique 7: Cut "There Is" and "There Are" Constructions
Sentences that begin with "there is" or "there are" (called expletive constructions) are almost always wordier than necessary. Restructure them to put the real subject first.
Wordy: There are several factors that contribute to the delay. Concise: Several factors contribute to the delay.
Wordy: There is a need for additional testing before launch. Concise: Additional testing is needed before launch. (Or better: We need additional testing before launch.)
Wordy: There are many benefits that come from regular exercise. Concise: Regular exercise provides many benefits.
Technique 8: Remove "That" Where It Is Not Needed
The word that is often optional in English sentences. Removing it when unnecessary tightens the prose:
With that: She said that the project is on track. Without: She said the project is on track.
With that: The report that we submitted last week was approved. Without: The report we submitted last week was approved.
Keep that when removing it would cause ambiguity or make the sentence hard to parse on first reading:
Keep it: The CEO announced that quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. (Without that, the reader might initially parse "announced quarterly earnings" as the object.)
The 25 Percent Rule
A practical editing guideline: aim to cut 25 percent of the words from your first draft. Most professional writers find that their first drafts are at least 25 percent longer than they need to be. The padding is not intentional -- it is the natural byproduct of thinking on paper.
How to Apply It
- Write your first draft without worrying about length.
- Let it rest for at least an hour (overnight is better).
- Read through with a red pen (or tracked changes) and apply the techniques above.
- Check your word count. If you have not cut at least 20-25 percent, make another pass.
"I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil." -- Truman Capote [5]
Technique 9: Combine Sentences That Share a Subject
When two or more consecutive sentences share the same subject, they can often be combined into a single, more efficient sentence without losing clarity.
Wordy (two sentences, 24 words): The committee reviewed the proposal. The committee approved it with minor revisions.
Concise (one sentence, 12 words): The committee reviewed the proposal and approved it with minor revisions.
Wordy (three sentences, 32 words): The software was tested on Monday. The software passed all unit tests. The software was deployed to production on Tuesday.
Concise (one sentence, 16 words): The software was tested Monday, passed all unit tests, and was deployed Tuesday.
This technique is especially effective in status updates and meeting minutes, where sentence-per-action writing creates unnecessary bulk.
Conciseness by Document Type
Different professional documents have different tolerance for length. Understanding the expected density helps you calibrate your editing.
| Document Type | Target Conciseness Level | Practical Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum conciseness | Every sentence earns its place; aim for under 200 words for routine messages | |
| Executive summary | Very high | One page maximum; every word must support the recommendation |
| Slide deck text | Extreme | Fragments and phrases acceptable; no full paragraphs on slides |
| Business proposal | High | Tight prose but room for persuasive detail and evidence |
| Technical documentation | Moderate | Clarity over brevity; include necessary detail for accuracy |
| Legal writing | Moderate to low | Precision trumps brevity; defined terms and qualifiers may be necessary |
| Academic paper | Moderate | Thoroughness matters, but padding is still penalized |
| Meeting minutes | High | Record decisions and actions, not discussion |
"Conciseness is not one standard -- it is a spectrum calibrated to the document's purpose. A contract requires precision that may look wordy in an email. A slide requires compression that would lose necessary nuance in a report. The skill is knowing how tight to make each piece." -- Joseph M. Williams and Joseph Bizup, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 12th edition [6]
Before-and-After Examples in Professional Contexts
Business Email
Wordy (62 words): I am writing to inform you that, due to the fact that we have been experiencing a large number of delays with the current vendor, we have made the decision to terminate the contract effective immediately. It is important to note that this decision was not made lightly, and we gave careful consideration to all of the relevant factors.
Concise (29 words): Because of repeated vendor delays, we are terminating the contract effective immediately. This decision followed careful consideration of all relevant factors.
Project Update
Wordy (45 words): At this point in time, the project is currently on track and there are no significant issues that have been identified by the project team. In the event that any issues arise in the near future, we will provide notification immediately.
Concise (22 words): The project is on track with no significant issues. If any arise, we will notify you immediately.
Executive Summary
Wordy (38 words): It is our recommendation that the organization should give consideration to the implementation of a new customer relationship management system for the purpose of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales department.
Concise (17 words): We recommend implementing a new CRM system to improve sales department efficiency.
Related Writing Guides
- Active vs Passive Voice -- choosing the stronger verb form
- Tone in Professional Writing -- matching your style to your audience
- Formal vs Informal Writing -- knowing when to adjust formality
- Transition Words -- connecting ideas without adding clutter
- How to Write Clear Emails -- applying conciseness to everyday communication
Summary
Concise writing is not about writing less -- it is about writing better. Every unnecessary word dilutes your message and taxes your reader's attention. The eight techniques in this guide -- replacing wordy phrases, cutting redundancies, using active voice, eliminating qualifiers, removing throat-clearing openings, converting nominalizations, cutting expletive constructions, and dropping unnecessary "that" -- will dramatically tighten your prose. Apply the 25 percent rule to every important document, and your writing will become clearer, more persuasive, and more professional.
References
[1] Nielsen, Jakob. "How Users Read on the Web." Nielsen Norman Group, 1997 (updated 2020).
[2] Strunk, William Jr., and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed., Longman, 2000.
[3] Garner, Bryan A. Garner's Modern English Usage. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2016.
[4] Attributed to Mark Twain. Widely cited in writing guides, though the exact source is disputed.
[5] Capote, Truman. Interview with The Paris Review, "The Art of Fiction No. 17," 1957.
[6] Williams, Joseph M., and Joseph Bizup. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. 12th ed., Pearson, 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes writing concise?
Concise writing communicates its message using the fewest words necessary without sacrificing clarity or meaning. It eliminates filler phrases ('in order to,' 'due to the fact that'), redundancies ('advance planning,' 'past history'), weak verb constructions ('made a decision' instead of 'decided'), and unnecessary qualifiers ('very,' 'really,' 'quite'). Concise writing is not about being short -- it is about being efficient. A 2,000-word report can be concise if every word earns its place.
How do I reduce wordiness without losing meaning?
Focus on three strategies. First, replace wordy phrases with single words: 'in the event that' becomes 'if,' 'at this point in time' becomes 'now,' 'a large number of' becomes 'many.' Second, convert passive voice to active voice where appropriate: 'The report was written by the team' becomes 'The team wrote the report.' Third, eliminate redundant pairs: 'each and every,' 'first and foremost,' 'full and complete.' These three techniques alone can cut 20-30 percent from most first drafts without changing the meaning.
Is concise writing always better?
Not always. Conciseness is ideal for business writing, technical documentation, emails, reports, and proposals where readers value efficiency. In creative writing, academic analysis, and persuasive essays, a more expansive style may be appropriate for building atmosphere, exploring nuance, or constructing arguments. The goal is not to eliminate all detail but to ensure every word serves a purpose. Even in longer-form writing, cutting unnecessary padding improves readability.