Rule 11 from 11 Rules of Writing
Omit unnecessary words.
Examples
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Incorrect: I would like to assert that the author should be considered to be a buffoon.
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Correct: The author is a buffoon.
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Incorrect: It would be safe to say that Gregor Samsa is not the only character in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis to undergo drastic changes.
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Correct: Gregor Samsa is not the only character in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis to undergo drastic change.
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Incorrect: Before going to the supermarket, we made a list of the groceries we needed in order to make the food that we intended to eat for dinner.
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Correct: Before going to the supermarket, we made a list of groceries that we needed to prepare dinner.
References
More information about this rule is available from the following sources.
Online Resources: - The Elements of Style: rule 13
Printed Resources: (see Books on Writing section)
- Strunk and White: 2-17
