I urge you to join the fight against verbal clutter. Don’t use five words when one will suffice. Even though legalese has elevated verbal clutter to an art form, you can begin to examine your own phrases and eliminate the extra baggage.
Ernest Hemingway is noted for his minimalism –– his economy of words. It has been said that Hemingway “wrote with simple genius.” A brilliant demonstration of his style is revealed in his six-word story: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” Conveying large ideas with a small number of words is the hallmark of an excellent writer, and we can certainly learn from Hemingway’s example.
There are many common phrases where one word will carry the same weight. Here are a few examples:
At this point in time / now
Due to the fact that / because
For the purpose of / for
Whether or not / whether
At the point that / when
With regard to / regarding
Came to the conclusion that / decided
Arrived at a decision / decided
Came to an agreement that / agreed
I hope you will attempt to eradicate verbal clutter; it’s far less difficult than you might imagine.
(Oops! Clutter buster is now engaged) –– Say more with fewer words; it’s easier than you think!