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Write Plainly

Habakkuk 2:2 says "Write the vision: and make it plain upon tablets."

Even though assignments come with length requirements, it is important to write as plainly and succinctly as possible. More is not necessarily better.

How can you write "plainly"?

  • Either use the one word form or omit the following phrases
    • for the purpose of-use to
    • in the near future-say soon
    • due to the fact that-write because
    • owing to the fact-use since
    • at this point in time-say now
    • with regard to-write about

  • Avoid there is, there are, and it is
    There is, there are, and it is add unecessary words to a sentence and take the emphasis away from the subject.
    Consider: "There are many students at the seminary who believe that their flowery language is as good as Solomen's."
    The word students is the subject of the sentence and, consequently should be an important element, not buried in the middle of the sentence.
    "Many students at the seminary believe that their flowery language is good as Solomen's."

  • Omit needless words
    The sentence "There is certainly no way anyone can deny it: people who are male go about thinking in different ways from the ways people who are females think,"
    could be shortened to
    " Men and women think differently" (a savings of 82%!).


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