In another installment of CJ TIPS, we dish out advice on the words and phrases to avoid. They may be unnecessary, redundant, pointless, adding nothing but length to your articles. Memorize these pointers and you'll be on your way to creating tighter articles and more attractive copy.
• Avoid "that" in your sentences. Writers drop into sentences without realizing it can be cut often. There are many instances where "that" can be taken out. In the sentence, "Scientists say that global warming is increasing" you can cut the word "that" so the sentence reads, "Scientists say global warming is increasing."
Using "that" isn't completely wrong, but avoiding can tighten your work. Look at these examples:
Right: The world leader meeting that was held in Norway was lively.
Better: The world leader meeting in Norway was lively.
• The word "off" is often latched onto words without adding any meaning. Why use "took off his coat" when you can write "removed"? Why choose "sent off to bed" when you can choose "sent to bed"? For some reason, "off" is a garbage word best left unused, in many cases. More examples: "shoot off" (use "shoot"); "finish off" ("finish"); "put off" ("delay"); "close off" ("close"); and polish off” (“finish”).
• What other words can you cut? When you write a "heart condition" you really just mean a "bad heart." Organizations should be "headed by" rather than "headed up" by CEOs. A "safe haven" is just a "haven." "Research scientist" can be "scientist" and "over the course of the interview" should be shortened to "during the interview." Don't use "distance yourself from" and opt for the less wordy "avoid."
And what's one of the most commonly misused phrases? "For free." You can't buy anything
for "free" but you can buy something for "nothing." So you receive advice free, not for free.
See tomorrow's Part 2 for tips on capitalizing proper nouns.
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