SAT Test Prep

CHAPTER 12
WRITING A GREAT ESSAY

Lesson 9: Write Concisely

Eliminate Wordiness

The fewer words you can use to convey an idea, the better. You won”t impress readers by making them work hard or by confusing them. When you use wordy or unnatural language, a good reader will think that you don”t have command over your words, or that you”re stalling because you don”t have anything interesting to say.

Avoid wordy phrases like those below. Use the concise versions.

Watch Your Prepositional Phrases

Sometimes even good writers can get ambushed by prepositional phrases. Like most things, prepositional phrases are fine in moderation. But too many—particularly when they are strung together—make a sentence wordy and unclear.

Avoid Redundancy

Eliminate any word or phrase that conveys an idea already stated or implied in the sentence.

Practice 9: Write Concisely

Redundancy Sweeping Practice

Eliminate any redundancies in the following sentences.

1. An effective and good manager must need to rely on sound, solid management principles as well as past experience.

2. Both parents as well as students should have input into the new testing plan.

3. Many cleaning substances should not be combined together, because violent reactions could result.

4. Even if each and every citizen contributed to the effort, it would still take several years to complete.

5. The food and blankets dropped for the suffering refugees were far from sufficient enough to ward off the hunger and cold.

6. We watched the jet until it disappeared from view.

Tightening-Up Practice

Rewrite the following sentences to eliminate wordiness.

7. In this day and age, all too many people have a dependence on television as their exclusive source of information.

8. Few people are aware of the fact that such gambling is in violation of federal law.

9. Due to the fact that corporations endeavor to achieve the maximization of profit, they rarely put their focus on environmental needs.

10. In the event that your boss expresses opposition to your proposal at the meeting, consider having a head-to-head conversation with her about it personally.

11. It is certainly clear that too few people give consideration to the fact that economic strength is often reflective of the hopes of consumers.

Check your answers with the answer key at the end of the chapter.