How often do you find yourself writing excessively, only to realize later it’s too verbose? To write with brevity and clarity, mastering concise expression is essential.

Concise writing in GRE involves conveying your message using fewer words. In today’s fast-paced world, where time is limited, this skill is invaluable. Consider that the average reading speed is approximately 238 words per minute, excluding emails, texts, and other daily communications.

Achieving conciseness demands meticulous attention to detail and organization. Employing techniques like bullet points or numbered lists facilitates easy comprehension and retention for readers.

Various strategies exist to convey your message succinctly while maintaining clarity.

1. Concise Writing: Definition and Significance

Writing concisely entails using the minimum number of words required to convey a clear concept. It goes beyond merely excising unnecessary sentences; it involves eliminating superfluous content that lacks utility.

In GRE, numerous motives drive us towards concise writing, such as conserving space, eliminating redundancy, and enhancing readability. However, the most significant advantage lies in easing our readers’ burden. By presenting information succinctly, we reduce the time they spend navigating dense prose. Moreover, if they do engage with our writing, they are less prone to losing focus since there are fewer distractions.

2. Remove redundant language.

Removing redundant words, such as tautologies, enhances the strength and clarity of sentences. Tautological statements, like “I am tired,” “It is raining,” or “The sky is blue,” are often employed to bolster authority but contribute no additional value to your writing. When aiming to substantiate a point, opting for alternative vocabulary may prove more effective.

Tautology refers to expressions or phrases that duplicate information, constituting a redundancy. Redundant language occupies unnecessary space, impedes reader comprehension, and diminishes clarity. By eliminating redundancies, sentences are streamlined, facilitating quicker communication of ideas.

3. Enhance feeble adjectives for greater impact.

Ever wondered what distinguishes a powerful adjective from a weak one? It all boils down to context.

When you employ a robust adjective to characterize a person, location, or object, it typically warrants reinforcement. Conversely, if you utilize potent adjectives like “good,” “great,” or “terrible” to depict yourself, they likely require no augmentation.

Incorporating vivid and expressive adjectives such as “good,” “great,” and “amazing” can streamline sentence construction. Identify instances where you’ve employed two words to portray something when one suffices. For instance, instead of saying, “The food was great and tasty,” opt for “The food was delicious.” This approach enhances readability and comprehension, particularly for individuals with limited attention spans. Moreover, robust adjectives inject vitality and dynamism into your prose, enabling you to convey meaning succinctly without compromising clarity.

4. Avoid excessive adjective usage.

Adjectives often serve as modifiers for nouns, enhancing descriptions with vivid details. They can convey emotions, characteristics, and appearances, making it easier to articulate descriptions of oneself, favorite items, and surroundings.

However, excessive adjectival usage can hinder concise writing. For instance, stating “The man wore a blue shirt” implies he wore a blue shirt.

Contrastingly, a sentence like “The brave man rescued the clumsy child who fell into a stormy river” aptly captures the scenario with just enough descriptive adjectives to provide context.

It’s crucial to ensure adjectives aren’t overused. For instance, consider the phrase “The real scary poor man ran towards the strange garbage can,” where three adjectives attempt to characterize the man. Unless the man is specifically “real scary poor,” using all three adjectives may dilute the clarity. Instead, opt for a more concise description like “The scary man ran towards the strange garbage can,” allowing room for interpretation regarding the man’s economic status.

5. Remove unnecessary filler words.

Cut out filler words, such as “um,” “uh,” “err,” and “like,” which are often used unconsciously in daily speech. These words serve little purpose beyond occupying space.

Grammatical errors manifest in various forms, and many writers inadvertently make them. While some may downplay the importance of grammar, it plays a crucial role. Effective and clear communication hinges on proper grammar; failing to adhere to it can lead to reader confusion.

6. Prefer active voice over a passive voice in your writing.

Certain sentence structures outshine others. For instance, while passive voice isn’t inherently incorrect, it typically yields weaker writing. Making a point is more straightforward with active voice, where you take action, compared to passive voice, where action is taken by someone else. While passive voice has its place, like discussing events “on our end,” it’s advisable to stick to active voice for straightforward descriptions.

Passive voice isn’t always suitable, particularly in technical contexts. It’s often employed to mitigate harsh language, such as describing termination rather than a natural occurrence.
Nonetheless, there are instances where passive voice is appropriate. Here are some guidelines for its usage:

1. When describing natural events
2. When the subject is actively influenced by another entity
3. When external control is exerted over the subject
4. When softening a harsh truth
5. When opting for passive voice for stylistic reasons or convenience
6. When the passive voice enhances the sentence’s sound or flow
7. When writing, aim for brevity and clarity by keeping sentences short. This not only enhances your writing style but also conserves time and effort. Sentences that start with conjunctions tend to be longer & fuller with words.

Utilize more exact terminology to articulate concepts.
We often employ an abundance of words when discussing relatively uncomplicated concepts. When addressing basic subjects like cooking pasta, we typically utilize straightforward language. However, when attempting to elucidate more intricate matters, we often opt for lengthier sentences and more precise terminology.

For instance, consider the following statement: “The politician discussed several of his achievements during his campaign.” Initially, it appears quite straightforward – he highlighted some of his successes, correct? While indeed he did mention his accomplishments, there’s no particularly ingenious aspect to it. Simply stating, “He listed some of his achievements,” would have rendered it much clearer and easier to comprehend.

7. Consolidate sentences.

Sentence combining is a concept often introduced in school, but its significance may not become apparent until later in life. Although teachers emphasize its importance, grasping why it matters can be challenging.

The difficulty lies in the type of sentences—they tend to be lengthier than necessary, and reducing wordiness isn’t always straightforward. However, combining sentences can be beneficial. Here are three reasons why:

a. Space-saving: Combining sentences enables the consolidation of information into fewer words. For instance, consider the sentence “The politician talked about several aspects of his career.” Breaking it into smaller segments yields “The politician talked about several parts of his career,” which is not only shorter but also clearer and easier to comprehend.

b. Improved clarity: Combining sentences eliminates unnecessary words, enhancing clarity. For example, replacing “She was upset that she couldn’t go out” with “She was upset because she couldn’t go out” eradicates redundancy, streamlining the message for readers.

c. Reduction of redundancy: Repeating information excessively leads to redundancy and can diminish the appeal of your writing. Instead of listing traits like “He’s smart, funny, athletic, artistic, and kind,” opt for a concise description like “He’s smart, funny, athletic, artistic, and kind,” to avoid monotony and maintain reader interest.

Ensure that your utilization of adverbs is restricted. Adverbs, those modifiers of verbs or adjectives, are likely familiar to you—examples include “quickly,” “frequently,” “truly,” “really,” “very,” and “happily.”

However, did you realize that adverbs often clutter sentences unnecessarily? Not only do they serve as filler, but they can also impart a stilted and unnatural tone to your writing.

That’s not to say you should banish them entirely. Yet, if concise writing is your aim, it’s prudent to minimize their use. Here’s why:

Adverbs Are Often Redundant

Consider this: most adverbs are superfluous. For instance, in the sentence “He quickly ran toward her,” “quickly” doesn’t add much. Removing it results in a more streamlined “He ran toward her.” Using both “quickly” and “run” in the same sentence is redundant.

Adverbs Can Impede Flow

Overuse of adverbs can make your writing feel cumbersome and awkward. They often serve as fillers, as seen in this example: “It was often a very wonderful evening, and they often got together quite often with a large group of people.” The excessive repetition of “often” detracts from clarity and readability.

To enhance this sentence, one might revise it to: “It was a wonderful evening, and they frequently gathered with a large group of friends.”

Adverbs Can Cause Ambiguity

Excessive adverbs can muddy the intended meaning of a sentence. Take, for instance, “She was very happy to see him smile.” Adding “very” alters the interpretation. Is she happy because she saw him smile, or because she had seen him smile previously?

In striving for concise writing, it’s prudent to restrict your use of adverbs.

Ensure that you restrict the use of idiomatic expressions. English is rich with idiomatic phrases, colloquialisms, and vernacular that convey meanings beyond their literal words, like “under the weather” for feeling sick. These expressions often replace specific terms, such as saying you’re feeling fine when you’re not really.

A turn of phrase is any expression not immediately understood from context alone, like “the dog ate my homework.” It communicates the intended meaning clearly without further explanation, allowing for concise expression.

Many figures of speech tend to be wordy, clichéd, or rely on others’ generalizations rather than specific details. For instance, phrases like “I’m trying to make a change in myself” or “I want to improve my life” could be simplified to “I’m working hard to become a better person” or “I’m making changes in my life.”

Make sure to employ specifics rather than generalizations. To write concisely, it’s vital to steer clear of vague generalizations. Generalizations are statements that apply universally, such as “All dogs love to eat grass.” While true to a degree, such statements lack specificity about individual cases.

Opt for specifics instead. For instance, instead of asserting “all dogs love to eat grass,” specify “my dog loves to eat grass.” Similarly, replace “everybody loves to eat grass” with “my friend loves to eat grass.” This approach renders your sentences more precise and focused.

Avoid excessive wordiness. In writing, aim for brevity by keeping sentences concise. Avoiding wordiness is key to achieving this. Excessive words lead to repetition, creating a stilted and unnatural tone in your writing.

Restrict the utilization of sophisticated vocabulary and specialized terminology. Limit the use of complex vocabulary and specialized jargon, particularly in academic writing such as essays. While fancy words may enhance the perceived intelligence of ideas, they don’t always contribute to clarity. Often, readers may not grasp the meaning of these words, leading to confusion.

For instance, the word “cynosure” lacks clarity without context. Instead of using it, one could simply state, “Jordan was the subject of many stares.” Similarly, “Jordan was the cynosure of all eyes” may imply a special power, necessitating further explanation.

The same principle applies to words like “clandestinely” and “regretting.” When uncertain, opt for straightforward language.

Simple writing not only aids faster comprehension for readers but also allows writers to convey ideas with fewer words. For instance, “secretly” is equivalent to “clandestinely,” while “cynosure” and “center of attention” convey similar meanings. However, “cynosure,” though shorter, may be harder to grasp.

While fancy writing may impress, especially non-native English speakers, its overuse can hinder understanding. Thus, it’s advisable to favor shorter, clearer sentences to minimize confusion and errors in the GRE.

Steer clear of exaggeration. Exaggeration is a prevalent writing error that undermines credibility. Overstatements, akin to someone pounding the table after each sentence, diminish the ability to be taken seriously.

The issue with overstatements lies not in their accuracy but in their extremity. Exaggeration compromises credibility, so it’s wise to avoid it when making your point. Instead, employ understatement—a less extreme approach that enhances credibility.

Crafting succinct and concise writing is both an art and a science. Mastering the art of concise writing is attainable through practice. With each writing session, your skills will be enhanced.

Consistent practice in succinct writing will elevate the quality of your overall writing. Your readers will appreciate your clarity and brevity