Communicating your message
in fewer words

Applying the "less is more" principle to your writing will improve the clarity and impact of your message. How can you reduce the number of words in your sentences and increase unity without compromising clarity? You can reduce words and increase unity by changing nouns to verbs, using simple sentences, and repeating key words and phrases.

• 1. Convert nouns to verbs, eliminating prepositional phrases. Sentences with more verbs are shorter and clearer than those loaded with noun phrases.

     • Before: "The national malaria guidelines advocate the use of (noun phrase) insecticide-treated bednets for the prevention of (noun phrase) malaria, but this strategy does not carry any enforcement capacity (noun phrase)."

     • After: "The national malaria guidelines advocate using (verb) insecticide-treated bednets to prevent (verb) malaria, but this strategy cannot be enforced (verb).

  2. Use simple sentences.

     • Before: "The United States and Mexico have maintained historic diplomatic, informational, and economic partnerships, and Mexico is an integral part to our economy and security." [compound sentence] "Although the partnerships promote both countries' interdependence, the military relationship between the U.S. Army and Mexico's Army is maturing, but no formalized partnership exists." [compound-complex sentence]

     • After: "Diplomatic, informational, economic partnerships with Mexico support the U.S. economy and security." [simple sentence] "However, no formalized military partnership between the two countries currently exists." [simple sentence]

  3. Connect sentences by repeating key words and phrases.

     • Before: "The United States and Mexico have maintained historic diplomatic, informational, and economic partnerships and Mexico is an integral part to our economy and security. Although the partnerships promote both countries’ interdependence, the military relationship between the U.S. Army and Mexico’s Army is maturing, but no formalized partnership exists. A formalized partnership would provide a mechanism to mitigate the shared transnational concerns (transnational organized crime, natural disasters, border security and transmigration, and the potential for terrorism). Along with policies, security cooperation activities allow the U.S. Army to enhance its military relationship with Mexico’s Army to address such concerns."

     • After: "Diplomatic, informational, economic partnerships with Mexico support the U.S. economy and security. However, no formalized military partnership between the two countries currently exists. A formalized military partnership would mitigate shared transnational concerns (i.e., transnational organized crime, natural disasters, border security and transmigration, and the potential for terrorism). Such concerns could be addressed by policies and security cooperation activities that would allow the U.S. Army to enhance its military relationship with Mexico’s Army."

Using these writing strategies will produce clearer, more coherent, high-impact messages.

Image Source: GoComics. http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/02/14. 24 March 2017.