How to Trim the Fat From Your Writing

Reading is hard work. The typical businessperson has only so much brainpower they are willing to give to deciphering an email, text, memo, letter or report. Your job is to convey your message in the clearest and simplest way possible so readers don’t have to struggle to read it, and are able to understand it the first time through.  

Construct crisp and clear sentences   

If you think you need to impress people by stringing together a bunch of fancy words in one long sentence, forget it. Brevity is truly a virtue—especially when it comes to writing sentences. Writing long sentences is a habit you can get into without even realizing it.

However, help is on the way. It’s a handy punctuation mark called the period. Put a period at the end of your sentences. Stop when you’ve said enough. Like this.

In business writing, try to keep sentences no longer than 12 words. And be sure to mix in some short sentences to add emphasis. Your writing will be clear and readable if you do.

Here are eight tips for trimming the fat from your writing:   

1. Limit each sentence to one idea. Simple sentences are easy to understand. Usually, a simple sentence contains one subject and one verb. If you write a sentence that’s too complex, it’s going to be difficult to understand without effort on the reader’s part. 

2. Avoid long sentences. Break long sentences into shorter ones. Beware of stringing thoughts together with “and.” 

3. Vary the length of sentences. Don’t bore your readers by structuring every sentence in the same way. Or writing sentences all the same length. Spice it up.

4. Do not start with “There are.” Sometimes it’s effective to begin a sentence with “there” or “there are.” However, use this approach sparingly because it makes writing clumsy. Begin each sentence strong. 

BEFORE: “There are many employees who donated to the fund.”

AFTER: “Many employees donated to the fund.” 

5. Use the active, not passive, voice. In sentences written in the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb. Sometimes writing in the passive voice causes awkward sentences. Overuse of the passive voice makes writing dull and uninteresting.

BEFORE: “The prize was won by Linda.”

AFTER: “Linda won the prize.”

6. Don’t back into the sentence. The end of the sentence is where the most important information should appear. 

BEFORE: “The lack of sales in the first quarter of the year and the suggested remedies are the subject of this meeting.”  

AFTER: “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the lack of sales in the first quarter of the year and suggested remedies.”

7. Use parallel construction. In parallel construction, words and phrases are used in like ways within the same sentence.

BEFORE: “Tom enjoys supervising employees, training new hires and project management.” 

AFTER: “Tom enjoys supervising employees, training new hires and managing projects.”

8. Make sure every sentence adds something new. In fact, every phrase and clause should add something new. Unless you’re writing your conclusion to a more formal memo or report, say your idea once and then move on.

Business writing doesn’t have to be a stressful thing—even for those who don’t believe they can write. If you know people who aren’t confident writers, you know that with just a little work, some easy-to-remember tips and tricks, and a little practice, they can become good writers. Point them in our direction at the SkillPath blog. If you’re the person that isn’t confident, relax. If all you do is use the eight tips above, you’ll be a better writer than half the people you work with and your co-workers, bosses, customers and more will appreciate how you always write so clearly. And, that’s not a bad thing at all, is it?