{"id":593,"date":"2010-08-03T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2010-08-03T16:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=593"},"modified":"2021-04-06T10:05:35","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T15:05:35","slug":"sleek-writing-put-your-sentences-on-a-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/effective-writing\/sleek-writing-put-your-sentences-on-a-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleek Writing: Put Your Sentences on a Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

We tend to speak plainly and succinctly but for some reason, when we write, we stuff our sentences with extra verbiage, turning streamlined ideas into confusing, out-of-shape messes.<\/p>\n

Here is a good example of a sentence that needs a workout: The network that this computer is able to connect to contains information that is privileged and confidential.<\/em> (Thanks to Lynne W. for this real-life example.) No one speaks this way. We couldn\u2019t come up with such a mouthful of empty words if we tried! The fastest way to shape up your writing is to think simple<\/em> by placing subjects and verbs close to each other: network contains<\/em> and computer connects<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This will help you notice and remove extra words like is able to<\/em>, that this computer<\/em>, and that is privileged<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now you will find it easier to rewrite the sentence: This computer connects to a network containing privileged and confidential information.<\/em> Sleek!<\/p>\n

For more tips on effective writing, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pop Quiz<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simplify the following sentences to make them sleek:<\/p>\n

1. We are no longer able to reconcile; therefore, attorneys will be used to effect the dissolution of our marriage.<\/p>\n

2. The weather had adverse impacts on our boat resulting in the necessity to rescue us from the water.<\/p>\n

3. The leak in the bottom of the boat was due to poor maintenance on the part of the crew.<\/p>\n

Pop Quiz Sample Answers<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Other answers are possible.)<\/em><\/p>\n

1. We have hired attorneys to help us with our divorce.<\/p>\n

2. Our boat capsized in the storm so we needed rescuing.<\/p>\n

3. The boat leaked because the crew did not maintain it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We tend to speak plainly and succinctly but for some reason, when we write, we stuff our sentences with extra verbiage, turning streamlined ideas into confusing, out-of-shape messes. Here is a good example of a sentence that needs a workout: The network that this computer is able to connect to contains information that is privileged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-effective-writing"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}