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Concise writing is clear writing. By definition, concise writing communicates in as few words as necessary. Everything in a sentence other than the subject, verb, and object is description. Descriptions cause most of the “fluff” in sentences, but, fortunately, some simple strategies will help you write concise descriptions.

Simplifying…

What are nominalizations?

Nominalizations are the noun forms of action verbs, as seen here:

Sample action verbs - Corresponding nouns

illustrate – illustration

fail – failure

react – reaction

announce – announcement

increase (v.) – increase (n.) 

Why are they bad, and how do I fix them?

Nominalizations have…

Active and Passive Voice: When you are active, you do something. When you are passive, things happen to you. This is the same concept as the active and passive voice in sentences.

In the active voice, the subject performs the action…

Writing style comprises four characteristics:

1.   Formality

2.   Language complexity

3.   Objectivity, and

4.   Information depth.

The purpose you are trying to accomplish, the readers’ needs, your relationship with the reader, and the type of document affect the style in which you…