Clarity

​Avoid linking verbs, like do, to, be, and is. These "small" words can trip up the reader.

​omit needless words.

Many people read articles on their phones. ​We want to omit needless words and use everyday language.

​avoid run-on sentences.

Imagine you're reading something on your phone. Would you want to scroll through blocks and blocks of text? ​

​write in active voice.

Active voice reduces needless words and promotes good sentence flow. Active voice is when the subject (the "doer") performs the action.

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1. The lawyer managed the car accident case.

2. The injured person filed the lawsuit.​

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Subject | Subject

​Avoid passive voice.

Passive voice can get clunky and hide a sentence's meaning. Passive voice is when the subject (the "doer") isn't performing an action. The underlined sections are indicators of passive voice.

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1. The car accident case was managed by the lawyer.

2. ​The lawsuit was filed by the injured person.

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Subject | Subject

Sometimes, was+verb creates passive voice.

​if you can add "...by zombies" to the end of it sentence, and it makes sense, it's in passive voice!

Examples:

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1. The medication was found to cause cancer by zombies.

2. This case is being managed by zombies.

3. The case was won last week by zombies.

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​You can shorten some everyday phrases to make sentences more concise. Even removing one word can make a sentece clearer.