Wordiness

Academic Writing Skills

Content

01 02 03
Discuss Evaluate how Review
wordiness in wordiness can sentences to
essays be avoided make them
more efficient
 A Teamwork is becoming more
important in the workplace
Group interviews
are becoming
more popular
when interviewing B If more people are involved in the
interview process, it is less likely
people for a job. that a “bad” candidate will be hired
What could be the
reason for this?
Which of these C It allows interviewers to see how
potential employees interact with
apply? other people
Wording
 Read the sentences from a paragraph about
preparing for a group interview, and answer the
questions?
• To prepare for a group interview, do Internet research and talk to anyone you
know who works for the company. During the interview, find opportunities to
ask the interviewers questions that demonstrate your knowledge. If you show
them what you know about the company, you will stand out from the crowd.
• 1 Which synonym has the writer used for the word demonstrate?
• 2 Which phrase has the writer used instead of the word knowledge?
• 3 Which pronoun has the writer used to refer to interviewers?
 1 Do not expect small organizations to offer group interviews.
Usually, only large companies can afford them.
Read the 2 Researching the company before an interview is important. Talking
sentences and to people who work for the company in addition to researching the
company is also important.
decide if they
are repetitive 3 If possible, introduce yourself to the interviewers. You may stand
out from the group more if you introduce yourself to the interviewers.
or not. Write R 4 It is a good idea to demonstrate leadership skills in a group. One
for Repetitive way to show your leadership skills in a group is to be an active
listener.
or NR for Not
Repetitive. 5 Make sure you understand the duties of the job. If you are not aware
of the job responsibilities, you may not succeed in the interview.
 6 Successful candidates make eye contact with the others in the group.
Making eye contact with the interviewers is another characteristic of
successful candidates.

Read the 7 You might be asked to introduce yourself in a group interview.

sentences and Therefore, it is advisable to prepare a short presentation about your
background and experiences before the meeting.

decide if they 8 Afterward, make sure to thank the interviewers. In addition, be sure to
are repetitive show your appreciation of the other candidates.

or not. Write R 9 Pay close attention to any instructions. In order to impress the
for Repetitive interviewers, you will have to show that you can follow complex
directions.
or NR for Not 10 Remember to smile. Smiling indicates friendliness and confidence
Repetitive.
Match the sentences (1–
5) with a sentence from
the same paragraph (a–
e). Look for synonyms,
pronouns, and different
word forms to help you.
Read the paragraph and decide if the writer uses
synonyms, pronouns, and different word forms to avoid
repeating key words. Write YES or NO.

• Showing that you are a team player is important in a group interview. Good
team players share a number of personal qualities. One important personal
quality that team players have in common is being a good listener. Companies
value people who can actively listen to the ideas of others. People who can
actively listen are better able to understand and summarize ideas. They do this
without judging or arguing with ideas that are different from their own.
Essentially, good team players listen first and then speak. Carefully considering
information before acting on it is an essential skill for teamwork.
Now complete the same paragraph with the correct words
and phrases.
Quiz time!
Quiz time!
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be
careful not to change the meaning of the original sentences.
Some may be correct.
• 1. Arthur asked the bald-headed man if he polished his head.
• 2. To save money, Eleanor had a combination of bologna
sandwich and potato chips for dinner.
• 3. Funds were stolen by the student body president.
• 4. Power companies must give advance notice before shutting off
electricity to homes with delinquent bills.
• 5. The city is lax about making arrests of prostitutes.
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be
careful not to change the meaning of the original sentences.
Some may be correct.
• 6. New innovations in technology have improved life in the 21st
century.
• 7. Vandals damaged the ATM machine Sunday.
• 8. Because students were angry over the fee increase, the board of
regents gave consideration to rescinding its vote.
• 9. Because the Cooper County prosecutor had an open-and-shut case
against him, Seth agreed to plead guilty if he wouldn’t have to serve
jail time.
• 10. Karl was kicked in his private parts by Bill.
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be careful
not to change the meaning of the original sentences. Some
may be correct.
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be
careful not to change the meaning of the original
sentences. Some may be correct.
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be
careful not to change the meaning of the original
sentences. Some may be correct.
• There is no good excuse for operating watercraft without enough life vests for
all passengers.
• A total of three armed bandits held up the First Bank of Heartland in broad
daylight Monday.
• The campaign group is discovering that it is easier said than done to get
voters to support approval of the middle school bond issue.
• A car was totalled completely Sunday by an accident at the intersection of 36th
Street and Frederick Avenue.
• It will be the opening day of firearms deer season Saturday at 6 a.m.
Correct wordiness errors in the following exercises. Be
careful not to change the meaning of the original
sentences. Some may be correct.
• A crushing blow was dealt to the Citizens for Progress campaign Friday by
the Missouri Court of Appeals’ refusal to hear their appeal.
• Fire totally destroyed a Heartland home Thursday in spite of the fact that three
companies of the Heartland Fire Department battled three hours.
• The vote by the Heartland School Board Monday to close the aging Horace
Mann Elementary School was completely unanimous.
• The Christian Radio Network announced times for church services on Easter
Sunday.
• A Heartland police officer remained as cool as a cucumber Saturday when he helped
deliver baby twins.
The End!