Wordiness
Wordiness means using more words than necessary within a sentence, especially short, vague words that do not add much meaning. Wordy sentences are often indirect; their subject and verb do not express the main focus of the sentence. Avoid wordiness in your essays whenever possible, since it makes your ideas difficult to follow. Eliminating wordiness will make your sentences more concise (to-the-point) while retaining the original meaning. The following are examples of wordy sentences, along with more concise ones:
| wordy | Shirley Chisolm is a woman who campaigned to be the American president in 1972. |
| concise | Shirley Chisolm campaigned to be the American president in 1972. |
| wordy | It would seem to be the case that the bacterial colony has doubled in size. |
| concise | The bacterial colony seems to have doubled in size. |
| wordy | School is cancelled due to the fact that there will be faculty training. |
| concise | School is cancelled due to faculty training. |
| wordy | Many people have a tendency to become hostile when questioned about their beliefs. |
| concise | Many people become hostile when questioned about their beliefs. |
