BREVITY
Use plain words rather than “fancy” ones, and use fewer words, rather than more.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. – Leonardo da Vinci
Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge. Broadly speaking,
the short words are the best, and the old words when short are best of all. –
Winston Churchill
My great-grandfather used to say to his wife, my great- grandmother, who
in turn told her daughter, my grandmother, who repeated it to her daughter,
my mother, who used to remind her daughter, my own sister, that to talk
well and eloquently was a very great art, but that an equally great one was
to know the right moment to stop. – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one
will do. – Thomas Jefferson
When reviewing your draft, look for opportunities to omit unnecessary words and replace complex words with simple ones that convey your meaning correctly. For example, “utilize” is rarely used correctly; just say “use.” Likewise, “methodology” is almost never used correctly in engineering reports. Use “method” if you mean “method.”