Academic writers are often told to “write succinctly”…but what makes your writing succinct? One way is to use short, concise words and write short sentences.
A few years ago, I found the Columbia University biology department’s guide on “Writing a Scientific Research Article.” In order to write succinctly, it suggests five things:
- Use verbs instead of nouns
- Use strong verbs instead of “to be”
- Use short words
- Use concise terms
- Use short sentences
I’ve talked about the verbs (points nos. 1 & 2) in “3 ways to cut the clutter from your writing.” In this post, I’ll talk briefly why you should use short, concise words and write short sentences (nos. 3-5) and what specifically to look out for.
(This article was originally published in March 2020 and revised December 2025.)
Why use short, concise terms & short sentences?
Why should you use short, concise terms and short sentences? Think about why you’re writing in the first place. It’s to share your ideas so that your readers “get” what you’re saying. Difficult words—including most jargon—and long sentences force the reader to work hard. And that will make them less interested in what you have to say and less able to understand what you are saying.
TIP Writing clearly will also help you establish your credibility.
If you’re worried that you’re “dumbing down” your content (making it overly simplistic), aim to have your papers “understandable to an educated audience,” as a former editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Epidemiology reportedly said.1
3 things to look out for
So let’s look at the specifics of using short, concise words and short sentences.
1. Use short words
If you have a choice, use the shorter, more direct word rather than longer, harder (supposedly “academic”) words. Short words can be understood quickly. Using them will help your readers immediately understand your sentence, rather than using extra energy to process your words.
Here are examples of short words to use instead of their multi-syllabic relatives:
| Instead of: | Write: |
|---|---|
| possess | have |
| sufficient | enough |
| utilize | use |
| demonstrate | show |
| assistance | help |
| terminate | end |
| Source: Columbia University biology department, Writing a Scientific Research Article | |
However, if you’re writing for an international audience, the shortest words may not always be the best choice. Using the more specific, precise word may be better.
What you can do
- Check the list above and also Plain English’s A-Z of alternative words.
- Don’t worry about the words when you’re writing your draft.
- When you’re in the editing stage, look for the words on these lists—underline or highlight them, if you like—and replace them with the shorter word.
- If you know which long words you use too often, write them in a list. Look for those words and replace them when you’re editing.
2. Use concise words
If a phrase can be replaced by fewer, concise words, do so. The following are some phrases that you could replace with simpler, shorter words.
| Instead of: | Write: |
|---|---|
| prior to | before |
| due to the fact that | because |
| in a considerable number of cases | often |
| the vast majority of | most |
| during the time that | when |
| in close proximity to | near |
| Source: Columbia University biology department, Writing a Scientific Research Article | |
(BTW: Look for a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., on Columbia’s page about using a short word whenever possible.)
What you can do
- Don’t worry about this when you’re writing your draft.
- See the resources at the end of this post for more phrases that you can replace with concise words. Note down which ones you tend to use. Make a list for easy reference.
- When you’re in the editing stage, look for the wordy phrases (underline or highlight them if you like) and replace.
3. Write short sentences
Plain language proponents suggest that sentences should be no more than 15 to 20 words long.2 And the Columbia guide says: “A sentence made of more than 40 words should probably be rewritten as two sentences.”
As a writer, you’re more likely to get lost and make mistakes if you try to write long, complex sentences. Keep it simple for yourself and stick to short sentences.3
For the reader, it’s easier to process short sentences that are to the point than long, complicated, meandering ones.
What you can do
- Express one idea per sentence.
- When editing, find the long sentences (highlight or underline them) and try cutting them into smaller pieces. Make use of lists (bullet points or numbered) if appropriate.
- Look for wordier phrases (like the ones listed above) and replace with concise words.
- Use the active voice. It’s more direct and can help cut down wordiness.
The active voice can often help shorten sentences:
- Passive: The questions of the researchers were answered in a special session with Albert Einstein.
- Active: Albert Einstein answered the researchers’ questions in a special session.
(Adapted from example in “Plain Writing Tips – Passive Voice and Zombies,” Open Government at the National Archives.)
Note that who answered the questions is also unclear in the passive sentence—it could’ve been anyone. (The passive voice isn’t wrong, but be careful how you use it. For example, passive voice could help you emphasize what was done rather than who did it.)
One final reminder: Don’t let these points slow you down when you’re writing your draft. Go back to them when you’re in the editing stage.
Resources
- Columbia University, Department of Biological Sciences. n.d. “Writing a Scientific Research Article.” (There appears to be another version of this article; however, the lists are not in the latter.)
- Plain English Campaign’s A-Z of alternative words gives you plain-English alternatives to words/phrases like “advantageous” (use “useful” or “helpful” instead) and “by means of” (use “by”), “due to the fact of” (use “because”, “as”), etc.
- Martin Cutts. 2020. Oxford Guide to Plain English (affiliate link)
- Ernest Gowers. 1954. The Complete Plain Words. See especially “Chapter VI. The Choice of Words: (2) Avoiding the superfluous word.” (The book is in the public domain in Canada.) There is also a 2014 update with Rebecca Gowers (affiliate link).
- “Plain Language Guidelines: Write short sentences” gives some nice examples and is one page from their more extensive (but easy to read) guidelines.
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Footnotes
- Words of the late Dr. George Comstock, as quoted by Dr. Gary Friedman, editor of the same journal, in the course “Writing in the Sciences,” taught by Dr. Kristin Sainani, Stanford University via Coursera.
- Martin Cutts, in his Oxford Guide to Plain English (affiliate link), suggests that we “make the average sentence length 15-20 words” (p. xxvii). The ISO standard on plain language does not prescribe any length, but says to keep the sentences “reasonably short but vary sentence length to give the document a good rhythm.”
- Not all sentences must be short, and it would be boring if all sentences were the same length. Just be aware that “long” does not mean “better”—do not try to write long sentences because you think they sound more sophisticated or academic.
Excellent tips, very hopeful.
Thanks
I agree!
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Really appreciate this article. Have saved the alternative words pdf.
Thank you, SReese! I’m glad you found it helpful 😊
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