How to Write Great Essays

Example:
Wordy: 
They met at 4 
P
.
M
. in the afternoon.
Concise:
They met at 4 
P
.
M
.
P
.
M
. means in the afternoon, so there’s no reason to say in the afternoon. It’s a waste of
words and the reader’s time.
Even in short phrases there can be repetition. The list that follows contains dozens of
such phrases that can clutter your essay. Most of them contain a specific word and its more
general category. But why state both? The word “memories” can only refer to the past, so
you don’t need to say “past memories.” We know that blue is a color, so describing some-
thing as “blue in color” is repetitive and therefore unnecessary. In most cases, you can cor-
rect the redundant phrase by dropping the category and retaining the specific word.
Some of the phrases use a modifier that is unneeded, because the specific is implied in
the general. For instance, the word “consensus” means general agreement. Therefore, mod-
ifying it with the word “general” is repetitive. Similarly, “mathematics” is a field of study, so
it does not need to be modified with the word “field.” You can tighten up your writing, say-
ing it well one time, by eliminating wordiness.
TRY THIS!
As you read the list, jot down those you know you use on a separate sheet of paper.
Write next to each phrase on your list the correction of that phrase, along with a cou-
ple of sentences using it correctly. This technique will help you retain the information
better.

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