Style: Too Many Little Words

Too many little words turn a straightforward sentence into the L.A. Freeway:

One of the most troublesome habits in student writing is the tendency to substitute long phrases full of little words for short phrases which will help the sentence to go where it wants to go and avoid the byways which direct a sentence from its true meaning into something really insignificant.

Translation: Student writers should tighten up their prose.

When editing your sentences, circle all the little words: prepositions, conjunctions, and connectives, and then try to "translate from the English." Sometimes it helps to think of type as money. Charge yourself a penny for each word, then pay yourself back for each word you edit out. The better you get at this business, the more economical your prose. Maybe you'll even get rich.

   Passive Voice
   Intransitive Verbs
   Too Many Little Words
   Adverbitis
   Hitchhikers, Babblers, and Jaw-Flappers
   Windy and Pretentious Language
   Balance and Consistency