Removing unnecessary words

Using an example, this article shows how it is possible to reduce the number of words in a text and at the same time make the text clearer to read.

The example is based on a project in which a set of old manuals was updated. By careful choice of words it was possible to reduce the number of words that were needed (this is not the same as Minimalism).

The two columns in the table below show the original text and the updated text respectively. The updated phrases are considerably shorter than the original phrases. (Obviously, within a body of text not all phrases can be similarly condensed.)

Editing reduces the length of text
Original	Updated
A feature sometimes referred to as	This is called
As a means of entering	To enter
Despite the fact that	Although
have been designed to provide	provide
is also displayed on the screen	is displayed
It is important to remember that	[none]
It should be borne in mind, however, that if	However, if
Respond with	Type
Select the command to insert the protocol entry by typing	Type
The <name> word processor provides a set of commands to allow you to	You can
The spelling checker scans the entire document from the top downwards	[none]
The system also provides you with the opportunity to create	You can also create
The text can be modified in the required fashion	Modify the text
To record the fact that	To record that
Type the exact wording of the item you want to encode	Type the new code
Using this technique also allows you to move	You can move

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