Clean Up Clutter

Wordiness

Preposition Overuse

Ruins your style Detracts from your hard work Creates wordy, confusing sentences

How many are too many?

No easy rule—the real test is in the reading If your writing contains 20% to 25%

prepositions, you probably have used too many

Excessive Use

By virtue of learning to write better, you will open a whole new world with reference to career opportunities. It is of importance that students realize that writers will be needed by the education and business communities. In the present, both of these sectors have expressed disappointment in the writing skills of those employed. Make no mistake about it; people who can write well are demanded by employers everywhere.

Identify the Prepositional Phrases

By virtue of learning to write better, you will open a whole new world with reference to career opportunities. It is of importance that students realize that writers will be needed by the education and business communities. In the present, both of these sectors have expressed disappointment in the writing skills of those employed. Make no mistake about it; people who can write well are demanded by employers everywhere.

1st Sentence Rewrite

By virtue of learning to write better, you will open a whole new world with reference to career opportunities.

Learning to write better will open a whole new world regarding career opportunities.

2nd sentence rewrite

It is of importance that students realize that writers will be needed by the education and business communities.

Students must realize that the education and business communities will need writers.

3rd sentence rewrite

In the present, both of these sectors have expressed disappointment in the writing skills of those employed.

Presently, both sectors have expressed disappointment in their employee’s writing skills.

Last sentence rewrite

Make no mistake about it; people who can write well are demanded by employers everywhere.

Make no mistake about it; employers everywhere are demanding people who can write well.

New paragraph

Learning to write better will open a whole new world regarding career opportunities. Students must realize that the education and business communities will need writers. Presently, both sectors have expressed disappointment in their employee’s writing skills. Make no mistake about it; employers everywhere are demanding people who can write well.

Compound at that point in time by means of by reason of during the course of from the point of view of in accordance with in relation to on the basis of with reference to for the purposes of in favor of in terms of

Simple then, now by because of during from, for by, under about, concerning by, from about, concerning for, under for in

Eliminate Compound Prepositional Phrases

Cut formulaic phrases

These wordy phrases should be replaced with shorter phrases At the present time At this point in time today In this day and age Last but not least finally Are of the opinion that believe Have the ability to can Because of the fact that Due to the fact that because In spite of the fact that although

Where possible, convert into participles. Prepositional Phrase

In the attempt to In the fear of failure In response to

Participle Attempting Fearing failure Responding to

Convert to Adverbs

His actions were under close control.His actions were closely controlled.

John was the victim of a brutal attack.John was brutally attacked.

Janet was under the mistaken assumption that she was not liked.

Janet mistakenly assumed that she was not liked.

Convert to Adjectives

It is the nature of humans to admire beauty.

It is human nature to admire beauty.

The response of the audience was silence.

The audience’s response was silence.

The response of the class to the teacher’s joke was many groans.

The class’s response to the teacher’s joke was many groans.

Write in the active voice.

The exam scores were tabulated by the teacher.The teacher tabulated the exam scores.

The baseball card was purchased by the collector.The collector purchased the baseball card.

His success was resented by his teammates.His teammates resented his success.

The grounds were observed by means of hidden cameras.

Hidden cameras observed the grounds.