#wordiness

Wordiness is when a sentence contains words that, if removed (or replaced with a shorter alternative), convey the same message and remain grammatically correct. It may happen when you use more words than necessary within a sentence, especially short, vague words that do not add much meaning.

Omit unnecessary words by using a "who does what" construction (Take out: it is, there is, there are, which, that, this, and self-references such as in my opinion, I think, it seems to me.)

Wordy: It was a night that was dark and freezing when the ship Titanic was struck by an iceberg.

Better: An iceberg struck the Titanic on a dark and freezing night.

Avoid too many abstract and difficult words

Wordy: “Conservatism is the paradigm of essences toward which the phenomenology of the world is in continuing approximation” (William Buckley, Jr.).

Better: Conservativism is the belief in absolute values whose expression change with the times.

Shorten sentences by rearranging ideas

Wordy: The president of the school board that presides over Dade County schools is accepting of the participation of students in alternative classes of their choice.

Better: The Dade County School Board president allows student to choose electives.

Omit repetitious words and ideas

Wordy: The cookies are baking in the oven. The cookies are chocolate chip.

Concise: The chocolate chip cookies are baking in the oven.

Notice how the wordy phrases below can be reduced to one or two words:

along the lines of = like

as a matter of fact = in fact

at all times = always

at the present time = now, currently

at this point in time = now, currently

because of the fact that = because

by means of = by

due to the fact that = because

for the purpose of = for

for the reason that = because

have the ability to = be able to

in the nature of = like

in order to = to

in spite of the fact that = although, though

in the event that = if

in the final analysis = finally

in the neighborhood of = about

until such time as = until

The Nerdfighter community pushed me to be my true self. John and Hank taught me that it’s okay to be a nerd. In fact, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome. Because of them, I have learned to embrace my nerdiness, and I have become more self confident than I have ever been in my entire life. Writing five thousand words could never really convey how much they have impacted my life, so all I really have to say is thank you. For everything. I love you.