What is wrong with your English? It's certainly not grammar!

Let’s pay close attention to an email here from Mr Khanna.

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What do you think is so wrong with the above written piece. Is it grammar?  Seems like that. But the problem here is not Grammar. It has too many words – some irrelevant, some redundant !

What goes wrong when writing is not to the point

1. It is unnecessary long
2. Overused adverbs and adjectives
3. Wrong Choice of words  

Was there really a Grammar Issue?

The writer may be aware of Grammar issue and the writing may be grammar free, yet the writing is far from being error free.

The problem is, the more it gets verbose, the more the sentences are filled with unnecessary words, higher are the chances of mistakes.

What is concise writing ?

Concise writing is when you writing is brief, using the fewest words possible to clearly convey your idea . Clear and concise writing is effective because it is easily comprehensible.

The perils of not writing concise are many..

1. Unforced Grammatical Errors
2. The reader’s attention is lost
3. The writing is not effective
4. The meaning is not conveyed
5. Not easily scannable in various devices , phone or iPad
6. Difficult to consume
7. Not engaging enough

How to write concisely ?

Choose your words deliberately & thoughtfully

Words are powerful.  For ex – “He improved over time” sounds better than “He got better with time”

Replace a phrase with a word

Use a Positive Tone

Eliminate redundant pairs

 
Words like – Return back, Each and Every, Add and Combine.
 
                              
 

Use simple words wherever possible.

 
For ex – Instead of fabricate- build . Instead of transmit-send.
 

Replace vague words with specific ones – vague sentences with specific statements

 
For ex – the ball fell 10 or 12 feet away from me is vague. The ball fell 10 feet away from me.
Or
All the stuff in his speech about Labor Rights did not make sense..
 

Eliminate unnecessary words.

 
Which sentence do you think sounds better?
I received and read the email you sent yesterday about the report you’re writing for the project. I agree it needs a thorough, close edit from someone who has an understanding of the audience and their expectations.
OR
I received your email about the project report and agree it needs an expert edit.

Pay attention to sentence length

 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote the first sentence below
We are endeavoring to construct a more inclusive society.
He then Revised it to this sentence.
We’re going to make a country in which no one is left out.
Some more techniques for crisp writing

1. Have a deep understanding of the subject
2. Have Strong Arguments
3. Know your audience
4. Imitate writers you admire.

Here are the explanations for mistakes from the example given at the beginning.
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Let us take a re-write the letter  “Concisely” and see for ourselves the impact the sentence has on the reader.
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