3. Avoid wordiness - write concisely

　　Because effective writing is always economical, there is a direct correlation between the number of words we use and the clarity of our message. The more we rely on certain inflated expressions, the more insensitive we become to the exact connotations of words and the more we ignore the principle of directness in our writing. " I am not in a position to pay your tuition expenses due to the fact that I am presently financially embarrassed." The sentence sounds very pretentious because it employs unusual words to express usual meaning. We may say the same thing perfectly by replacing the wordy parts with common words "I can not pay your tuition fees because I have no money".

Correct the following sentences by replacing the wordy expression with clearer, more concise words and phrases.

1) Our delivery date was delayed for the reason that our production line was shut down for two days.
2) On the occasion of our twentieth wedding anniversary, we went on an ocean cruise.
3) Despite the fact that he won the race, he is still not considered a significant athlete.
4) She seldom ever eats fatty food.
5) We finally found our lost dog in the vicinity of the old churchyard.

4. Avoid redundancies - only write what is necessary.

　　A redundancy expression is one which contains two or more words that convey the same idea, thus it is both wordy and repetitious. For instance, new innovation, end result, fear and dread, free gift, very unique, new beginners, etc. Correcting redundancy is usually a matter of eliminating one or two words or of substituting one precise word for an entire expression.

Correct the redundancies in the following sentences by placing a parenthesis around unnecessary words.

6) My son always disappears from view when it is time for supper.
7) My sister and I bought the same, identical dress in different store.
8) Ted's new car is red in color.
9) We had a serious crisis at school yesterday when our chemistry laboratory caught fire.
10) Our new car may be small in size, but it is certainly comfortable.