{"id":88699,"date":"2023-01-14T17:10:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T21:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=88699"},"modified":"2023-01-17T16:58:25","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T20:58:25","slug":"how-to-write-concisely-and-clearly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-write-concisely-and-clearly\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write Concisely and Clearly: 4 Lessons From Jeff Bezos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When is it better to use words of Anglo-Saxon origin rather than words of Latin or Greek origin? How should you use qualifiers? What’s parallel structure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simplicity is the most important communication principle that Carmine Gallo discusses in The Bezos Blueprint<\/em>. Simplicity is clarity: If you want your audience to understand and act on your message, keep it simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how to write concisely<\/a> and clearly so that you get your message across effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Write Concisely and Clearly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to advice on how to write concisely and clearly, Gallo offers a number of tips he derived from studying Bezos\u2019s letters. As we discuss these tips, we\u2019ll illustrate each with a famous Bezos quotation that shows the principle in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #1: Use Short Sentences and Simple Vocabulary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gallo advises that you use short sentences and simple words most of the time<\/strong>. Gallo argues that, the more complex, important, or stressful the subject matter, the more important it is to write plainly. He specifically recommends choosing words of Anglo-Saxon origin rather than those of Latin or Greek origin\u2014for example, a Latinate word might facilitate<\/em> your efforts to sound smart, but an Anglo-Saxon word will help<\/em> your audience understand you. Note how plain Bezos\u2019s language is even while connecting Amazon\u2019s mission to its stock value: \u201cIn short, what\u2019s good for customers is good for shareholders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The Elements of Style<\/em><\/a>, William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White give similar advice but clarify that good word choice isn\u2019t just about choosing shorter, blunter words\u2014it\u2019s about developing a good ear for language so that you can tell which word is best for the situation. Above all, they recommend being precise but not pretentious. For instance, if we rewrote the above line as, \u201cTo summarize, that which accrues values to customers is likewise beneficial to shareholders,\u201d we\u2019d show off our vocabulary at the cost of clarity, reading comprehension<\/a>, and overall impact.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #2: Write Actively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gallo also recommends writing actively whenever possible. Begin sentences with clear subjects and vivid verbs<\/strong>\u2014this keeps the \u201caction\u201d moving and keeps your audience engaged. For example, even when constructing more complex sentences, Bezos tends to start with a clear action: \u201cWe love to be pioneers, it\u2019s in the DNA of the company, and it\u2019s a good thing, too, because we\u2019ll need that pioneering spirit to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In his essay \u201cPolitics and the English Language<\/a>,\u201d George Orwell says you can strengthen your verb choices by choosing single words over complex (and less direct) phrases. For example, instead of saying that an initiative \u201cproved to be ineffective,\u201d simply say it \u201cfailed.\u201d Similarly, Strunk and White advise choosing verbs that are precise enough not to require adverbs. For instance, instead of saying that someone \u201cread the document closely,\u201d say that they \u201cscrutinized the document.\u201d To illustrate the importance of good verb choice, imagine how much less clear the above Bezos quotation would be if we replaced \u201clove\u201d with a more complex and less precise verb phrase such as, \u201cWe have shown a strong affinity for being pioneers\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, favor active voice over passive voice<\/strong>. In active voice, the subject performs<\/em> the action of the verb, as in this simple Bezos statement: \u201cCustomers love Prime.\u201d In passive voice, the subject receives<\/em> the action of the verb, as in this rewritten version: \u201cPrime is loved by customers.\u201d Active voice is generally clearer, more concise, and more assertive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Note that in addition to being wordier and less natural sounding, the passive voice version also shifts your attention from \u201ccustomers\u201d to \u201cPrime\u201d as the main topic of the sentence. Most of the time, you\u2019ll want to stick to active voice to keep the emphasis on the actor (as Bezos does with \u201ccustomers,\u201d who, as we\u2019ll see, are typically the core of his message). But in a few cases, passive voice is the clearer option<\/a>. For example, if the recipient of the action is your main topic and the actor is comparatively unimportant, a passive construction might serve best: \u201cThe Internet was created in the 1980s, and by the 2000s, it had changed the world.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #3: Avoid Qualifiers and Hedge Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gallo points out that an easy way to keep sentences shorter and more direct is to avoid qualifiers and hedge words\u2014they add fluff and feel indecisive. By contrast, Bezos wasn\u2019t afraid to be concise to the point of bluntness in the slogan, \u201cGet big fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Qualifiers Carefully<\/strong>

Gallo is correct that qualifiers often function as filler. For example, the above Bezos quotation gains nothing (and loses all its power) if we rewrite it as, \u201cIn general, it\u2019s often a good idea to get fairly big relatively fast.\u201d

However, qualifiers are appropriate when you need to be precise about the scope of your claims<\/a>. Consider the following statements:

\u2022 \u201cMany business leaders are poor communicators.\u201d
\u2022 \u201cSome business leaders are poor communicators.\u201d
\u2022 \u201cBusiness leaders are poor communicators.\u201d

In these examples, the qualifiers \u201cmany\u201d and \u201csome\u201d aren\u2019t fluff nor are they indecisive. They determine the meaning of the sentences, and without them, we\u2019re left with an unjustifiably sweeping claim.

To prune your writing while retaining accuracy, find each qualifier, then ask yourself whether the sentence would mean the same thing without it. If so, cut it. If not, keep it. In our rewrite of, \u201cGet big fast,\u201d none of the extra words add clarity or change the meaning\u2014they only pad out Bezos\u2019s original, streamlined statement, so they should be cut.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tip #4: Pay Attention to Sentence Structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, though he favors shorter, simpler sentences, Gallo notes that effective writers vary sentence length and structure<\/strong>. Readers and listeners tune you out if every sentence has the same rhythm. Gallo notes that Bezos frequently varies his sentence length, as in this passage with sentence lengths of 11, 3, 12, and 17 words: \u201cAlong the way, we\u2019ve created $1.6 trillion of wealth for shareowners. Who are they? Your Chair is one, and my Amazon shares have made me wealthy. But more than 7\/8ths of the shares, representing $1.4 trillion of wealth creation, is owned by others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In addition to varying sentence length, as Gallo discusses, note how Bezos also alters the flow of his sentences using devices such as introductory phrases, embedded clauses, and rhetorical questions. These choices make the passage more engaging than if every sentence used an identical structure. Similarly, in On Writing Well<\/em><\/a>, William Zinsser recommends that you also vary your paragraph length<\/a> to keep your audience interested and control the pace of the piece. Long paragraphs give you room to explore detailed ideas but can fatigue audiences. Short paragraphs convey urgency or simplicity but can feel choppy. As with sentences, an artful variety is best.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When writing longer, more complex sentences, keep them simple and reader-friendly by using parallel structure<\/strong>\u2014that is, by using the same grammatical form to express multiple ideas. For example, when Bezos wrote, \u201cThe keys to success are patience, persistence, and obsessive attention to detail<\/a>,\u201d he made each item in the list grammatically consistent. Contrast that with this rewrite, which loses its clarity and impact by changing the grammatical form for each list item: \u201cThe keys to success are patience, to be persistent, and obsessively attending to detail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Parallel structure isn\u2019t just a matter of stylistic preference\u2014language science suggests that parallel structure reduces the work your audience has to do to understand your words and makes it easier for them to grasp complex ideas. Researchers believe that\u2019s because the human brain is built to look for parallel structures<\/a> when processing language. In fact, studies have found that you more easily understand a sentence when it\u2019s structurally similar to the preceding sentence<\/a>\u2014or when clauses within it are structurally similar to each other, as with Bezos\u2019s example above.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When is it better to use words of Anglo-Saxon origin rather than words of Latin or Greek origin? How should you use qualifiers? What’s parallel structure? Simplicity is the most important communication principle that Carmine Gallo discusses in The Bezos Blueprint. Simplicity is clarity: If you want your audience to understand and act on your message, keep it simple. Keep reading to learn how to write concisely and clearly so that you get your message across effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":88703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,34,43],"tags":[853],"class_list":["post-88699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-communication","category-self-improvement","tag-the-bezos-blueprint","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Write Concisely and Clearly: 4 Lessons From Jeff Bezos - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you want to learn how to write concisely and clearly? 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