Using unnecessary words in your writing makes it inefficient and cumbersome.
The thought which could be expressed by a single word should not be expressed by more than one word if they're not needed for rhetorical purposes.
Using words in excess of the need may not make the language grammatically incorrect, but is incorrect and non-standard according to the grammar of writing.
Choosing the right word In communicative writing such as letters, business reports, news, articles etc.
, you should always try to make your language as simple as possible.
And, most of the time, short forms of words or expressions ensure simplicity, while longer ones make the language hard to understand.
So, use one word instead of more where one word is sufficient.
See the following examples.
Wordy: When doing the cooking is finished, call me.
Short: When cooking is finished, call me.
Wordy: Sabuj will make no comments with reference to that matter.
Short: Sabuj will make no comments about that matter.
See the following examples how the one-word forms replace the many-word forms.
Rule: Use single-word adverbs or adjectives.
Wordy: Nishat Sultana Rimu talked in an unnatural way.
Concise: Nishat Sultana Rimu talked unnaturally.
Wordy: Tell me in a brief statement what happened.
Concise: Tell me briefly what happened.
Wordy: Nishat Sultana Rimu looked at Sabuj in a strange manner.
Concise: Nishat Sultana Rimu looked at Sabuj strangely.
Wordy: This is a plant which is sensitive to light.
Concise: This plant is sensitive to light.
Wordy: I found that it was broken.
Concise: I found it broken.
Wordy: Bipu is a man who plays golf.
Concise: Bipu is a golf player.
Rule: Use one-word prepositions or conjunctions where the many-word ones are not idiomatic or not otherwise needed.
Wordy: The project failed as a result of the fact that the price of the raw material went up.
Concise: The project failed because the price of the raw material went up.
Wordy: Show me the way in which I should do it.
Concise: Show me how I should do it.
Or, Show me how to I should do it.
Wordy: She was angry to the extent that she shouted out loudly.
Concise: She was so angry that she shouted out loudly.
Rule: Don't use definition for well-known words: use the word itself.
Wordy: People who come here for the first time find it difficult to adjust to this climate.
Concise: New-comers find it difficult to adjust to this climate.
Wordy: People who come to the college for the first time find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
Concise: Freshmen find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
Wordy: It's quiet impossible for one who is new to this trade to do such a hard technical task.
Concise: It's quiet impossible for a novice to do such a hard technical task.
Wordy: Such a hard task suits best a person who is experienced in this line, not one who is new in this line.
Concise: Such a hard task suits best an expert, not a novice.
Wordy: Most people who sing in this country are people who compose songs.
Concise: Most singers in this country are composers.
Rule: Don't understand what is clearly understood.
Wordy: Her dress is blue in color.
Concise: Her dress is blue.
Wordy: This mango is sweet to taste.
Concise: This mango is sweet.
Wordy: This work is hard for me to do.
Concise: This work is hard for me Wordy: This bag is too heavy for me to carry.
Concise: This bag is too heavy for me Wordy: It will be an act of political suicide.
Concise: It will be a political suicide Wordy: The pole star is in a stationary state.
Concise: The pole star is a stationary.
Wordy: Twenty years is a long period of time.
Concise: Twenty years is a long time Wordy: We walked on foot.
Concise: We walked.
Wordy: Barisal is famous for its ability to grow rice.
Concise: Barisal is famous for its rice.
Wordy: He deals in the business of rice.
Concise: He deals in rice.
Wordy: He is a tough kind of man.
Concise: He is a tough kind of man.
Wordy: Our economy is now in a state of stagnation.
Concise: Our economy is now in stagnation.
Wordy: This is an act of utter cruelty.
Concise: This is utter cruelty Wordy: There is much hardship involved in it.
Concise: There is much hardship in it.
Wordy: There is some fault in the technique used.
Concise: There is some fault in the technique.
Wordy: There are 200 people employed in the organization.
Concise: There are 200 employees in the organization.
Wordy: We saw it with our eyes.
Concise: We saw it.
(But "We saw it with our own eyes" is correct, because here "own eyes" is used for emphasis).
Rule: Use the verb form instead of a noun phrase or other phrases where the verb is available).
Wordy: They were supportive of me.
Concise: They supported me.
Wordy: The decision will have an effect on the profitability of the firm.
Concise: The decision will affect the profitability of the firm.
Wordy: Such environment change will place the business in danger.
Concise: Such environment change will endanger the business.
Wordy: Her words excited him into anger.
Concise: Her words angered him.
Wordy: Her behavior gave me pleasure.
Concise: Her behavior pleased me.
Wordy: He is occupied in the work of making tea Concise: He is making tea.
The thought which could be expressed by a single word should not be expressed by more than one word if they're not needed for rhetorical purposes.
Using words in excess of the need may not make the language grammatically incorrect, but is incorrect and non-standard according to the grammar of writing.
Choosing the right word In communicative writing such as letters, business reports, news, articles etc.
, you should always try to make your language as simple as possible.
And, most of the time, short forms of words or expressions ensure simplicity, while longer ones make the language hard to understand.
So, use one word instead of more where one word is sufficient.
See the following examples.
Wordy: When doing the cooking is finished, call me.
Short: When cooking is finished, call me.
Wordy: Sabuj will make no comments with reference to that matter.
Short: Sabuj will make no comments about that matter.
See the following examples how the one-word forms replace the many-word forms.
Rule: Use single-word adverbs or adjectives.
Wordy: Nishat Sultana Rimu talked in an unnatural way.
Concise: Nishat Sultana Rimu talked unnaturally.
Wordy: Tell me in a brief statement what happened.
Concise: Tell me briefly what happened.
Wordy: Nishat Sultana Rimu looked at Sabuj in a strange manner.
Concise: Nishat Sultana Rimu looked at Sabuj strangely.
Wordy: This is a plant which is sensitive to light.
Concise: This plant is sensitive to light.
Wordy: I found that it was broken.
Concise: I found it broken.
Wordy: Bipu is a man who plays golf.
Concise: Bipu is a golf player.
Rule: Use one-word prepositions or conjunctions where the many-word ones are not idiomatic or not otherwise needed.
Wordy: The project failed as a result of the fact that the price of the raw material went up.
Concise: The project failed because the price of the raw material went up.
Wordy: Show me the way in which I should do it.
Concise: Show me how I should do it.
Or, Show me how to I should do it.
Wordy: She was angry to the extent that she shouted out loudly.
Concise: She was so angry that she shouted out loudly.
Rule: Don't use definition for well-known words: use the word itself.
Wordy: People who come here for the first time find it difficult to adjust to this climate.
Concise: New-comers find it difficult to adjust to this climate.
Wordy: People who come to the college for the first time find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
Concise: Freshmen find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
Wordy: It's quiet impossible for one who is new to this trade to do such a hard technical task.
Concise: It's quiet impossible for a novice to do such a hard technical task.
Wordy: Such a hard task suits best a person who is experienced in this line, not one who is new in this line.
Concise: Such a hard task suits best an expert, not a novice.
Wordy: Most people who sing in this country are people who compose songs.
Concise: Most singers in this country are composers.
Rule: Don't understand what is clearly understood.
Wordy: Her dress is blue in color.
Concise: Her dress is blue.
Wordy: This mango is sweet to taste.
Concise: This mango is sweet.
Wordy: This work is hard for me to do.
Concise: This work is hard for me Wordy: This bag is too heavy for me to carry.
Concise: This bag is too heavy for me Wordy: It will be an act of political suicide.
Concise: It will be a political suicide Wordy: The pole star is in a stationary state.
Concise: The pole star is a stationary.
Wordy: Twenty years is a long period of time.
Concise: Twenty years is a long time Wordy: We walked on foot.
Concise: We walked.
Wordy: Barisal is famous for its ability to grow rice.
Concise: Barisal is famous for its rice.
Wordy: He deals in the business of rice.
Concise: He deals in rice.
Wordy: He is a tough kind of man.
Concise: He is a tough kind of man.
Wordy: Our economy is now in a state of stagnation.
Concise: Our economy is now in stagnation.
Wordy: This is an act of utter cruelty.
Concise: This is utter cruelty Wordy: There is much hardship involved in it.
Concise: There is much hardship in it.
Wordy: There is some fault in the technique used.
Concise: There is some fault in the technique.
Wordy: There are 200 people employed in the organization.
Concise: There are 200 employees in the organization.
Wordy: We saw it with our eyes.
Concise: We saw it.
(But "We saw it with our own eyes" is correct, because here "own eyes" is used for emphasis).
Rule: Use the verb form instead of a noun phrase or other phrases where the verb is available).
Wordy: They were supportive of me.
Concise: They supported me.
Wordy: The decision will have an effect on the profitability of the firm.
Concise: The decision will affect the profitability of the firm.
Wordy: Such environment change will place the business in danger.
Concise: Such environment change will endanger the business.
Wordy: Her words excited him into anger.
Concise: Her words angered him.
Wordy: Her behavior gave me pleasure.
Concise: Her behavior pleased me.
Wordy: He is occupied in the work of making tea Concise: He is making tea.
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