Grammatically Correct: Concise Sentences

Concise (adj)
Concise is used to describe something that is short and to the point.

Prepositional phrase (n)
A prepositional phrase consists of two main parts: a preposition and the object of the preposition. Prepositions include words such as on, of, if, in, to, and with. The object of a preposition is usually a noun or pronoun.

Definitions are adapted from The Longman Advanced American Dictionary.

Grammatically Correct 12/13/05 A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.	University of Houston-Victoria 3007 N. Ben Wilson Victoria, TX 77901
Concise Sentences: Reducing Unnecessary Phrases by Candice Chovanec Melzow
As discussed in the previous grammar tip, one of the first steps in condensing your writing is to eliminate unnecessary words. Unnecessary words fall into several categories, including expletive constructions, unnecessary phrases, circumlocutions and passive verbs. This issue of Grammatically Correct will focus on reducing unnecessary phrases. One of the easiest ways to make a sentence more concise is to make sure that all of the words contribute to meaning in the sentence. In other words, reduce any unnecessary multi-word phrases into one or two words. Oftentimes the worst offenders are prepositional phrases (especially those that show an ownership relation). Let’s take a look at some examples: Wordy Examples The employee with the injury was unable to perform the tasks assigned to him. The lawyer with the most ambition will win the cases in court. Concise Examples The injured employee was unable to perform the assigned tasks. The most ambitious lawyer will win the court cases. Note that in the concise sentences unnecessary prepositional phrases such as “employee with the injury” and “cases in court” have been shortened into more concise phrases such as “injured employee” and “court cases.” Next week’s issue of Grammatically Correct will continue our series on concise sentences with a discussion on circumlocutions, or indirect expressions.	Definitions Concise (adj) Concise is used to describe something that is short and to the point. Prepositional phrase (n) A prepositional phrase consists of two main parts: a preposition and the object of the preposition. Prepositions include words such as on, of, if, in, to, and with. The object of a preposition is usually a noun or pronoun. Definitions are adapted from The Longman Advanced American Dictionary.
Recommended Grammar Website of the Week by Candice Chovanec Melzow
Along with our website, we recommend the following site: Garbl’s Writing Center’s Wordy Phrases at http://home.comcast.net/~garbl/stylemanual/phrases.htm. This site features an extensive list of shorter terms that can be substituted for wordy phrases.
Test Your Knowledge by Candice Chovanec Melzow
Test your ability to write concise sentences by revising each sentence accordingly. 1. The dog with the spots was the last one to be adopted. 2. The kittens of my brother were full of energy. 3. The students from the University of Texas are filled with ambition. Answers 1. The spotted dog was adopted last. 2. My brother’s kittens were energetic. 3. The University of Texas students are ambitious.
Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas. Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu. Subscribe/Unsubscribe/View Archive