Sentence Rewrite Simplified: Tips and Tools for Better Writing

Sentence rewriting is the process of rephrasing or restructuring sentences to improve clarity, concision, and impact. The goal is to communicate the core ideas more effectively without losing meaning. Done well, sentence rewriting can make text easier to read and understand. It also helps ensure writing is free of errors, repetition, ambiguity, and verbosity.

There are several benefits to simplifying sentences through rewriting:

• Improves readability by breaking down complex syntax
• Enhances clarity by using direct language and avoiding confusion
• Refines arguments by eliminating extraneous words and ideas
• Sharpens focus and impact by highlighting the most important information
• Adds variety and rhythm to promote smoother flow
• Makes text more concise, coherent and cohesive

This guide will cover actionable tips and techniques to help rewrite sentences for clarity and brevity. We will explore how to use active voice, eliminate unnecessary words, break up long sentences, employ parallel structure, avoid complex language, be concise, vary sentence length, use precise vocabulary, and review and revise your work. With practice, these skills will become second nature when writing any piece.

Use Active Voice

The difference between active and passive voice is that in active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, whereas in passive voice, the subject receives the action. For example:

• Active voice: The writer composed the essay.
• Passive voice: The essay was composed by the writer.

In the active voice example, the subject (the writer) is doing the action (composing the essay). In the passive voice example, the subject (the essay) is receiving the action (being composed by the writer).

Active voice sentences are more concise, direct, and lively compared to passive voice. Passive voice can make your writing wordy, ambiguous, and dull. Here are some key benefits of using active voice:

• Active voice is more energetic and engaging for readers. Passive voice can come across as overly formal or stiff.
• Active voice eliminates confusion about who is performing the action since the subject is clearly stated.
• Active voice often helps shorten sentence length by reducing extra words required in passive voice.
• Active voice promotes clarity and makes your meaning precise.

Some examples to illustrate active vs passive voice:

• Active: The marketing manager delivered the presentation this morning.
• Passive: The presentation was delivered this morning by the marketing manager.
• Active: Our team will implement the new system next month.
• Passive: The new system will be implemented next month by our team.
• Active: The company increased profits by 20% last quarter.
• Passive: Profits were increased 20% last quarter by the company.

By using active voice whenever possible, you can make your writing more compelling, easier to read, and more engaging for your audience. The active voice places emphasis on the person or thing performing the action, resulting in greater clarity and impact.

Eliminate Unnecessary Words

Eliminating unnecessary words makes your sentences more concise and direct. Wordy writing often contains filler words, redundant phrases, and vague language that can be removed.

Here are some examples of wordy phrases and how to simplify them:

• It is important to note that → Note that
• Due to the fact that → Because
• In the event that → If
• For the purpose of → For
• In order to → To
• A majority of → Most
• At this point in time → Now
• On a daily/weekly/monthly basis → Daily/Weekly/Monthly

To identify filler words to cut:

• Read your draft out loud. Awkward phrasing will stand out when spoken.
• Look for redundant phrases like "advance planning" or "completely eliminate" that can be simplified.
• Circle vague phrases like "quite unique" or "very beautiful" - can these be made more precise?
• Delete unnecessary adverbs that don't add real value like "really" "quite" or "basically."
• Remove redundant linking words like "the reason why is" or "in addition to."

Cutting unnecessary words makes your writing more clear, direct and powerful. It takes practice, but learning to spot and eliminate filler leads to better sentences.

Break Up Long Sentences

Long sentences can be difficult to read and understand. Generally, sentences longer than 20-25 words risk losing the reader's attention. Breaking up lengthy, complex sentences into shorter, simpler ones improves readability.

• Recommended sentence length: Aim for an average sentence length of 15-20 words. Very few sentences should exceed 25 words.
• Strategies for splitting sentences:
• Break before conjunctions like "and", "but", "yet", "so".
• Break apart clauses separated by commas, colons, or semicolons. Make each clause its own sentence.
• Look for places where you can replace clauses connected by "which" or "that" with separate sentences.
• Break sentences after introductory phrases and clauses. Turn them into their own sentences.
• Scan for any series of 3 or more phrases or clauses separated by commas and make each one its own sentence.
• When information is listed within a sentence, consider making each item a separate sentence.

Keeping sentences concise, clean and focused makes your writing easier to absorb. Shorter sentences also add valuable variety in sentence structure.

Use Parallel Structure

Parallel structure helps create a natural flow in your writing by using the same grammatical structure for related ideas. When listing items or sharing connected ideas in a sentence, arranging them parallelly makes your point more clearly and concisely.

For example:

• I like to run, bike, and swim for exercise.
• She wanted to reduce clutter, simplify her possessions, and live with more open space.

Without parallel structure, those sentences would be clunky and disjointed:

• I like to run, biking, and swimming for exercise.
• She wanted reducing clutter, to simplify her possessions, and live with more open space.

Some common occasions to implement parallelism:

• In bulleted or numbered lists
• Between verbs or prepositions in a series
• Between nouns, phrases, or clauses being compared or contrasted
• In a sequence of ideas requiring the same grammatical structure

Using parallelism creates balance, rhythm, and flow in your sentences. It signals connections between concepts so readers can follow your train of thought seamlessly. Mastering parallel structure helps write more clearly, elegantly, and precisely.

Avoid Overly Complex Language

Complex language is often used in an attempt to sound more intelligent or formal. However, it usually ends up making writing less clear and harder to understand. Plain, simple language is almost always better.

Here are some examples of complex phrasing and ways to simplify them:

• Utilize -> use
• Subsequently -> then
• Numerous -> many
• Initiate -> start
• Terminate -> end
• Demonstrate -> show
• Facilitate -> help

Using plain language has many benefits:

• It's faster and easier to read. Readers don't have to spend as much time deciphering complex words and phrases.
• It reduces the chance of misinterpretation. When language is simple, the meaning is crystal clear.
• It improves comprehension. Readers grasp and retain more information when presented clearly and simply.
• It makes writing more inclusive. Simple language can be understood by a broader audience.
• It builds trust and credibility. Plain language shows the writer respects the reader's time and intelligence.

Aim to cut out unneeded complexity in your writing. Use clear, everyday words whenever possible. Your readers will thank you for it.

Be Concise

Concise writing eliminates any unnecessary words and keeps sentences focused. Ramble sentences lose the reader's attention and weaken your ideas. Follow these tips to tighten your sentences:

• Review each sentence and remove any words that don't add value. If a sentence makes sense without a word, delete it.
• Avoid stating the obvious. For example, "The car was red in color" can simply be "The car was red."
• Eliminate redundancies. Don't use two words that repeat the same idea, like "new innovation" or "unexpected surprise."
• Stay on topic in each sentence. Don't go off on tangents - keep sentences focused on one idea.
• Break up long sentences into shorter, punchier ones. Aim for 15-20 words per sentence.
• Cut unnecessary introductory phrases like "it is a known fact that" or "as everyone knows." Jump straight into your point.
• Remove filler interjections like "actually," "basically," "in a sense," etc.
• Avoid overusing adjectives and adverbs. Let strong verbs and nouns do the work.
• Be direct. Avoid overexplaining through excessive clauses, examples, and illustrations.
• Read sentences aloud. If they sound rambling, rewrite them to be tighter.
• Ask "Can this be said with fewer words?" about each sentence. Remove any excess.

Following these concise writing tips will help strengthen your sentences and remove fluff. Keep things short, direct, and focused. Every word should add value to convey your message clearly.

Vary Sentence Length

Why sentence variety matters:

Using only short or long sentences can make your writing less engaging and dynamic. Too many short sentences in a row may sound choppy and disjointed. Too many long sentences can overwhelm readers. Aim for sentence length variety to keep your writing lively and interesting.

Some examples of changing sentence lengths:

• The book was interesting. The characters were relatable. The plot had some good twists. (Only short sentences)
• The book was very interesting and had relatable characters and a plot with some good twists that kept me engaged throughout the story. (Only a long sentence)
• The book was interesting with relatable characters and a plot containing good twists. I stayed engaged throughout due to the captivating storyline. (Combines short and long sentences)

Varying your sentence structure and length keeps your writing fresh and appealing.  Short sentences are crisp, while longer sentences flow smoothly. Blending both grabs attention without tiring out readers. Strive for balance with some short punchy sentences and some longer elegant ones.

Use Precise Vocabulary

When writing, it's important to choose words carefully to convey your meaning accurately. Using vague, general language can lead to confusion, while specific, concrete words make your meaning clear. Here are some strategies for using precise vocabulary:

• Avoid vague modifiers like "really," "very," "a lot," etc. For example, "The class was very difficult" could be rewritten as "The advanced physics class was extremely challenging."
• Avoid overused words like "nice," "good," "bad," etc. Come up with a more precise descriptor like "beautiful coastal view" instead of "nice beach."
• Use concrete nouns and active verbs. For example, "The teacher facilitates energetic discussions" is more precise than "The teacher does good discussions."
• Use words that convey the exact meaning, tone, and nuance you intend. For example, "galloped" creates a much different mental image than "sauntered."
• Consider using a subject-specific vocabulary if writing about a specialized topic. This helps clearly convey complex concepts.
• Look up definitions and synonyms of common words you rely on often to find more accurate substitutes.
• Read your writing out loud to spot overly general or non-specific words that could be replaced.
• Keep asking yourself if there is a more precise way to state each phrase.

The time spent finding the perfect words will improve your writing clarity and effectiveness. Cutting out vagueness or generality prevents reader confusion and focuses your message. Mastering a robust vocabulary takes practice, but it's a key component of great writing.

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Tools to Aid Sentence Rewriting

1. Grammarly: Beyond basic spell-check, Grammarly offers suggestions for clarity, engagement, and delivery adjustments. It's a great tool for catching overused words and passive voice.
2. Hemingway App: This tool emphasizes simplicity and clarity. It highlights complex sentences and suggests simpler alternatives, helping you make your writing bold and clear.
3. QuillBot: A paraphrasing tool that can help you find new ways to express the same ideas. It's useful for overcoming writer's block or making your sentences more diverse.
4. ProWritingAid: This comprehensive tool offers style and grammar checking but goes further by providing detailed reports to help improve your writing over time.
5. Readable: This tool checks for readability, ensuring your writing is accessible to your intended audience. It evaluates sentence length and complexity.
6. Glyph: Glyph stands out by offering an innovative solution for those who work with audio content. It transcribes audio into text and then helps rewrite that text into various formats such as blogs, articles, show notes, and summaries. This tool is particularly useful for podcasters, journalists, and content creators who often start with audio recordings and need to convert these into written content. With Glyph, the transition from spoken word to compelling written material is seamless, enabling creators to efficiently produce high-quality written content from their audio files.

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Review and Revise

After you finish your initial draft, set it aside for a day or two. This allows you to look at it with fresh eyes when you revise.

When reviewing your work, read it aloud. This helps you catch awkward phrasings or confusing sentences. If something sounds off when reading out loud, revise it for clarity.

Run your text through a readability score tool like the Flesch-Kincaid scale. This gives you a grade level for the reading ease of your content. For most online writing, aim for 7th-8th grade reading level. If the score is too high, simplify the content.

Look for ways to further improve clarity and concision:

• Eliminate redundant phrases
• Break long, dense sentences into shorter ones
• Replace complex words with simpler alternatives
• Tighten wordy phrases
• Remove unnecessary adverbs and adjectives

Avoid over-editing though. Sentence length variation and some descriptive language can make writing more engaging. Stick to simplifying only what's needed.

Hiring an editor can also help identify areas needing improvement. A professional edit adds an objective eye to strengthen your work.

With mindful revision, you can hone your writing into clear, readable text. Reviewing and reworking initial drafts is key to creating simplified content that truly resonates with readers.

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