Editing is mostly subtraction. When a paragraph feels slow, the problem is rarely that it needs more. It usually needs less of the wrong things. Here are seven cuts that work on almost any draft, with before-and-after examples.
1. Cut the throat-clearing
Many sentences begin with a few words that announce what is about to happen instead of doing it.
- Before: “It is important to note that deadlines have moved.”
- After: “Deadlines have moved.”
If a phrase tells the reader that something matters, show them why and skip the announcement.
2. Cut the weak intensifiers
Words like very, really, quite, rather and extremely rarely add meaning. They often weaken the word they are attached to.
- Before: “The results were very surprising.”
- After: “The results were surprising.”
If you need more force, choose a stronger word instead of stacking modifiers: “astonishing” will do more than “very surprising.”
3. Turn nouns back into verbs
Writers often convert action verbs into abstract nouns, then need extra words to carry them.
- Before: “We made a decision to proceed with the implementation of the plan.”
- After: “We decided to implement the plan.”
Look for phrases such as make a decision, carry out an investigation or provide assistance. Each has a plain verb inside it: decide, investigate, help.
4. Cut doubled pairs
Pairs of near-synonyms are common in formal writing and almost always redundant.
- Before: “Each and every employee must complete and submit the form.”
- After: “Every employee must submit the form.”
5. Shorten the lead-in
Phrases like in order to, due to the fact that and at this point in time can usually be replaced with one word.
- “in order to” becomes “to”
- “due to the fact that” becomes “because”
- “at this point in time” becomes “now”
6. Remove the repeated idea
Sometimes a sentence says the same thing twice in different words, as if to be safe.
- Before: “The new process is faster and quicker than the old one.”
- After: “The new process is faster than the old one.”
Read each paragraph and ask whether every sentence adds something the previous one did not. If not, keep the better version.
7. Delete the sentence that restates the heading
A heading says “Why prices are rising.” The first sentence below it says “In this section, we will explain why prices are rising.” The reader already knows. Start with the explanation.
A note on tone
Cutting is not the same as flattening. Short writing can still have personality. Keep the specific details, the occasional vivid image and the sentence that sounds like you. Remove the padding around them and they will stand out more.
A simple routine
Run through your draft once for each cut, instead of trying to catch everything in a single pass. It is easier to spot one kind of problem at a time. Then read the result aloud. If a sentence still sounds stiff, it probably has one more thing to lose.
