Concision

Overview 

Concision means expressing your ideas clearly without using more words than necessary. In writing, being concise helps your message stand out and makes your work easier to read. It’s about cutting the clutter while keeping the meaning.

Why concision matters

Long, wordy sentences can lose your reader’s attention or confuse your main point. Concise writing is stronger because it gets to the point quickly.

• Examples:

                 Wordy: In my opinion, I think that students should be allowed to have a longer lunch break.

                 Concise: Students should be allowed a longer lunch break.

The second sentence is shorter but still says the same thing.

Cut out filler words

Filler words are extra words that add little or no meaning. Words like “really,” “very,” “just,” “kind of,” and “basically” are often not needed.

• Examples:

                 Wordy: She was really very tired after the long, exhausting day.

                 Concise: She was tired after the long day.

Fewer words = clearer meaning.

Remove repeated ideas

Sometimes we say the same thing twice without realizing it. Look for phrases that repeat the same idea and cut one of them.

• Examples:

                Wordy: Each and every student must follow the rules.

                Concise: Every student must follow the rules.

The word “each” is unnecessary here.

Use strong verbs

Replace weak verbs with stronger ones to avoid using extra helping words.

• Examples:

                  Wordy: She is going to make a decision.

                  Concise: She will decide.

This keeps the sentence direct and powerful.

Watch out for long phrases

Look for long phrases that can be replaced with one or two words.

• Examples:

                 Wordy: At this point in time, we are not certain.

                 Concise: We are unsure now.

It says the same thing with fewer words.

Summary

Concision helps you write in a way that is clear, strong, and easy to read. By cutting unnecessary words and saying things directly, your writing becomes more effective. Good writers learn to say more with less—and that makes a big difference.