In my last post, I spoke about the dangers of being circumlocutory – that’s long-winded to you and me – and the importance of being direct. Here’s a by no means exhaustive list of some common culprits to avoid in your writing at all costs:
| Instead of | Try |
| As yet | Yet |
| Due to the fact that | Because |
| By virtue of the fact that | Because |
| In all probability | Probably |
| In the majority of cases | Usually |
| In close proximity to | Near |
| In excess of | More |
| In isolation | Alone |
| In many cases | Often |
| In order to | To |
| In the absence of | Without |
| In the event that | If |
| In the near future | Soon |
| Make a recommendation that | Recommend that |
| Of the opinion that | Believe |
| Prior to | Before |
| Until such time as | Until |
| With reference to | About |
If you have any favourites of your own, please share them with us!
