Study materials
This sentence can be halved without losing a single word of content.
Due to the fact that the report was not ready, we made a decision to postpone the meeting.
Because the report was not ready, we postponed the meeting.
The redundancy here is mechanical. Two phrases become two words, and no judgement is involved.
Words that add nothing
Some redundancy is mechanical: these phrases can be cut without reading the sentence.
| Redundant | Replacement |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because |
| in the event that | if |
| at this point in time | now |
| make a decision | decide |
| conduct an examination of | examine |
| it should be noted that | delete |
The last row deserves attention. Phrases like it is important to note that add no content: importance is shown by the sentence being in the text at all.
One precise word instead of three approximate ones
The second kind of cutting is not mechanical. You do not remove words; you find one that does the work of three.
a person who has just started working here → a newcomer
made the situation worse → aggravated the situation
But the limit is close. A rare precise word can cost the reader more than three ordinary ones, and then the cut is a net loss.
Where it breaks down
The first failure: a hedge went out with the empty phrase.
It would appear that the data are incomplete. → The data are incomplete.
The second: the precise word turned out to be opaque.
The delay exacerbated the shortfall.
The third: the cut destroyed the rhythm of the paragraph.
We tested it. It failed. We rebuilt it. It worked.
All three are caught by one question. What exactly did I remove: a word or a meaning?
Try it right now
Take a paragraph of your own and cut it by a quarter without removing a single claim.
Then read both versions aloud. If the second reads harder, you cut the wrong thing.