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Brevity: Difference between revisions
→Writing for Brevity: grammar
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Brevity is essential for all writing. It forces the writer to be more intentional with their words and keeps readers from having to read through chunks of unneeded text. | Brevity is essential for all writing. It forces the writer to be more intentional with their words and keeps readers from having to read through chunks of unneeded text. | ||
=== Writing for Brevity === | === Writing for Brevity === | ||
When writing for brevity, try to avoid "humbug and general vagueness" | When writing for brevity, try to avoid "humbug and general vagueness"<ref>Carroll, 14</ref>. Orwell suggests that you do the following: | ||
# Never use a long word where a short one will do. | # Never use a long word where a short one will do. | ||
# If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. | # If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. | ||
# Never use a foreign phrase, | # Never use a foreign phrase, scientific word or jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. | ||
Writers should always be brief, precise, and direct. When writing a word it should mean exactly what it | Writers should always be brief, precise, and direct. When writing a word it should mean exactly what it intends, no more and no less. Always use the precise word that your writing requires. When writing for digital media, have a dictionary and thesaurus close at hand <ref>Carroll, 8</ref>. | ||
== Notes== | == Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||