Writing well means writing concisely. Eliminate complex structures and unnecessary words so that your reader can focus on the most important parts of your message. Watch this video to get an overview of how to structure sentences using plain language guidelines:

Use the Active Voice

The active voice makes it clear who is supposed to do what. In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s acting is the subject of the sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of the sentence. Passive sentences often do not identify who is performing the action. Passive sentences are also more grammatically complex and less concise than active sentences.

Passive: The budget was approved by the accounting department.

Active: The accounting department approved the budget.

However, there are times when the passive voice is appropriate. You might use the passive voice to give bad news, especially when you want to avoid saying who is responsible for a particular action. Compare these two sentences:

Passive: The report has been accidentally deleted.

Active: John Jones accidentally deleted the report.

If you were John, which sentence do you hope will be used in a company-wide email? In this case, the passive sentence might be more appropriate to conceal who has deleted the report.

Be Concise

Eliminate unnecessary lead-ins.

Avoid starting a sentence with an unnecessary phrase that doesn’t add any meaningful content to your message.

Wordy lead in: l am writing to let you know that the summer semester begins on Monday, May 1.

Concise: The summer semester begins on Monday, May 1.

Wordy lead in: This essay is about how low context communicators are more direct than high context communicators.

Concise: Low context communicators are more direct than high context communicators.

Avoid Expletive Constructions

Another way to reduce wordiness is to avoid starting sentences with expletive constructions like there is/are and it is/was. Sentences that start with these empty phrases are not concise or well-written. Whenever possible, begin your sentence with the subject followed closely by the verb and object.

Wordy expletive construction: It is the teacher who grades assignments.

Concise phrasing: The teacher grades assignments.

Wordy expletive construction: There are three specific rules that students should follow in class.

Concise phrasing: Students should follow three specific rules in class. 

Use strong verbs and eliminate redundant words

The concept of using strong verbs was also discussed in the chapter on Word Choice.  Use a single strong and descriptive verb rather than a phrase containing a noun and a verb.  Your sentence will be more concise and the action of the sentence will be emphasized. Eliminate words that are redundant; there’s no need to use two words that have the same meaning.

Wordy phrasing: Weather forecasters made a prediction that it would be a freezing and cold winter.

Concise: Weather forecasters predicted a cold winter.

Wordy phrasing:  The students conducted a review of their peers’ research papers and came to the conclusion that everyone needed more grammar practice. 

Concise: The students reviewed their peers’ research papers and concluded that everyone needed more grammar practice.

Wordy phrasing: The professors reached a decision to enter a report about the incident in the academic integrity system.

Concise: The professors decided to report the incident in the academic integrity system.

Wordy phrasing: Before the teacher was completely able to finish explaining the various differences among all of the many very unique errors in the research papers, the class time ended.

Concise: Before the teacher finished explaining the differences among the unique errors on the research papers, the class ended.