The Writing Center @ The University of Wisconsin - Madison
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The Writer's Handbook
Clear, Concise Sentences

Reduce wordy verbs

Try to keep the action of a sentence clear by using concise, direct verbs.

Words to use

Here's how to revise some common wordy verb phrases:

Instead of . . .

Use . . .
  • is aware of
  • has knowledge of
 knows
  • is taking
 takes
  • are indications of
indicates
  • are suggestive of
suggest