{"id":9726,"date":"2020-01-06T17:00:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T01:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?p=9726"},"modified":"2022-12-13T07:52:16","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T15:52:16","slug":"how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all read something that makes us pause and reread the sentence or paragraph over again.<\/p>\n

Found in everything from books to blogs, and even in our own writing, confusing and unclear sentences can take their toll on readers.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m here to help you improve the clarity of your writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n

What Does Clarity in Writing<\/i> Even Mean?<\/h2>\n

Simply put, clarity refers to how clear <\/b>something is.<\/p>\n

In writing, being clear can get difficult. After all, you may be dealing with symbolism and metaphors for your English and literature essays\u2014and these literary devices<\/a> are, by definition, indirect ways of saying something. And when writing essays on virtually any topic<\/a>, you may be trying to convey complex ideas to your readers.<\/p>\n

Clarity in writing doesn\u2019t aim to \u201cdumb things down\u201d or remove your creative and unique voice. Instead, the goal is to sharpen your sentences and flow, so your readers can follow along and truly grasp your message.<\/p>\n

Writing clearly is an ongoing practice, and there are many ways to improve clarity. My goal here is not to cover every strategy for clarifying your writing (that would get overwhelming), but instead to give you a few basic tips on how to get started.<\/p>\n

How to Write Clearer Sentences<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Many people write the way they speak\u2014myself included. However, this informal style of writing can lead to run-on sentences, undefined pronouns, or just plain confusing sentence structures<\/a> that don\u2019t look right on the page.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are ways to tighten up those sentences so that they make more sense.<\/p>\n

Break up run-on sentences<\/h3>\n

Run-on sentences are those that, well, run on too long. They can typically be broken down into two or more sentences.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For example, you may write something like this: \u201cDalmations are the best dogs because they smile, have unique spotted patterns, and are very loyal that\u2019s why I love them so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, you can break it up to say \u201cDalmations are the best dogs because they smile, have unique spotted patterns, and are very loyal. That\u2019s why I love them so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Define your pronouns<\/h3>\n

Pronouns\u2014such as he, she, they, <\/i>and it\u2014<\/i>refer to people or things without always having to use the names of those people or things. However, you still have to establish who she<\/i> is or what it<\/i> is before you use those pronouns.<\/p>\n

Many times, undefined pronouns happen because there is more than one object in the sentence. For example, \u201cAlthough Mary fought Sue, she was not injured.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait…who<\/b> was not hurt? A better way to phrase this would be \u201cMary fought Sue, but Sue was not injured.\u201d Or if Mary was the one she<\/i> referred to, you could say \u201cMary fought Sue without getting injured.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reduce wordiness<\/h3>\n

We often use a lot of words to convey simple messages. Cutting out the fluff<\/a> streamlines your sentences and makes your points a lot clearer. My advice is to write as you normally would and cut out unnecessary words (what some people call weasel words<\/a>) during editing.<\/p>\n

I know that, help<\/i>, and like<\/i> are my biggest weasel words. Most writers have words they use too often that don\u2019t add any meaning to the sentence. Once you\u2019re aware of what your weasel words are, you\u2019ll use them less often. Soon, you won\u2019t have to edit as heavily to avoid them.<\/p>\n

For more ways to tackle wordy sentences, read Why Wordy Sentences Are Killing Your Writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Use active voice<\/h3>\n

Passive voice<\/a> (the opposite of active voice) relies on to be<\/i> conjugations. Examples include \u201cThe ball was thrown by Tom\u201d or \u201cSally was dancing.\u201d Stronger sentences make the action more direct: \u201cTom threw the ball\u201d or \u201cSally danced.\u201d Active voice puts the action in the hands of those performing that action.<\/p>\n

Not every instance of passive voice is wrong or unclear. But when you come across it during editing, ask yourself if active voice would be a better fit.<\/p>\n

\t<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Need help clarifying your writing?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Professional editors on standby, 24\/7.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Help me revise.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

How to Write Clearer Essays<\/h2>\n

Your sentences can be clear as crystal, but your essay as a whole might still be a bit confusing to your readers. That\u2019s because clarity in writing isn\u2019t just about the words that make up your sentences\u2014it\u2019s also about how those sentences flow together. Here are a few ways to improve the clarity of your entire essay.<\/p>\n

Use an outline<\/h3>\n

Using an outline<\/a> is the number-one way that I improve the clarity in my own writing. Outlines keep me on track and ensure one point flows logically to the next. If I didn\u2019t use outlines, I\u2019d forget what I was writing about and would likely try to explain multiple points at once. It would be a mess.<\/p>\n

Your outline can be very detailed and include your thesis statement<\/a>, as well as every point you want to make and every piece of evidence<\/a> for those points. Or you could do more of an overview of your main points. You just have to find what works best for you.<\/p>\n

I advise starting with detailed outlines<\/a> first until you know what you do and don\u2019t need from the process.<\/p>\n

Avoid tangents<\/h3>\n

Even if you use an outline, you still run the risk of going on tangents. When writing, make sure your evidence relates to the argument you\u2019re trying to make in that section. Also make sure your argument relates to the thesis<\/a> of your essay.<\/p>\n

Trust your readers<\/h3>\n

When people put too much pressure on themselves to get their points across, they often over-explain things to their readers. This leads to redundancy.<\/p>\n

When reading over your essay, mark any sentences that say essentially the same thing. If you got rid of one of those sentences, would your argument still be as strong? If so, get rid of one of the sentences.<\/p>\n

Want to practice these approaches? Try applying them to example essays from our database<\/a> and marking areas where clarity could be improved.<\/p>\n

Need Help Improving Clarity in Your Writing?<\/h2>\n

It might be easy to understand the suggestions listed above\u2014but implementing them in your own writing is another challenge altogether. With practice, you\u2019ll learn what to look out for. But no matter how experienced a writer someone is, everyone can use a little help from time to time.<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t get too down on yourself if you don\u2019t nail it the first time. Here\u2019s what you can do to get help catching wordiness or confusing sentence structures:<\/p>\n

Read out loud<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s amazing what reading out loud can do for your writing. The trick is to go a little slowly. When silently reading (especially when reading your own writing), your brain fills in missing words or changes them around to make more sense. But when you read out loud and hear<\/i> the words, it\u2019s a lot easier to identify mistakes.<\/p>\n

Have a classmate or friend read over your essay<\/h3>\n

Make sure you don\u2019t choose a friend who\u2019s a \u201cyes person.\u201d You want someone who will give you constructive criticism. Once the person’s done, ask what point she or he thinks you were trying to make. Also find out if the person tripped over some of the wording or found any of your arguments confusing.<\/p>\n

Turn to the Kibin editors<\/h3>\n

The editors here at Kibin<\/a> are trained not only to find grammatical errors, but also to improve the overall flow and clarity in your writing. They make sure you understand where the weak spots are and how to fix them, so you can do better on your own in future essays.<\/p>\n

There are many more ways to improve clarity in your writing. All it takes is a little research and continuous practice. So what are you waiting for? Go write your clearest, most cohesive essay yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all read something that makes us pause and reread the sentence or paragraph over again. Found in everything from books to blogs, and even in our own writing, confusing and unclear sentences can take their toll on readers. But I\u2019m here to help you improve the clarity of your writing, so your readers know … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/b> “How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":10350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[160],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-07T01:00:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-12-13T15:52:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/clarityinwriting.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eden Meirow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eden Meirow\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/\",\"name\":\"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-07T01:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-13T15:52:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/16816b6513faf75da88f2ae8c61e82d8\"},\"description\":\"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/\",\"name\":\"Kibin Blog\",\"description\":\"Creating Better Writers\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/16816b6513faf75da88f2ae8c61e82d8\",\"name\":\"Eden Meirow\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/EdenM-e1551551091459-100x100.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/EdenM-e1551551091459-100x100.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Eden Meirow\"},\"description\":\"is a full-time copywriter and part-time freelance writer. Along with her BS in marketing from Florida State University and MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University, she has spent the past 7 years learning how best to reach and teach people using the power of words. When she's not working, she's constantly trying to expand her creativity through music, writing, art, and animation.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/edenmeirow.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/author\/edenm\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across","description":"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across","og_description":"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/","og_site_name":"Kibin Blog","article_published_time":"2020-01-07T01:00:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-12-13T15:52:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":355,"url":"http:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/clarityinwriting.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Eden Meirow","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Eden Meirow","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/","url":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/","name":"How to Improve Clarity in Writing and Get Your Point Across","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-01-07T01:00:24+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-13T15:52:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/16816b6513faf75da88f2ae8c61e82d8"},"description":"Learn how to improve clarity in writing, so your readers know exactly what you\u2019re saying. Get strategies to help write clearer sentences and clearer essays.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-improve-clarity-in-writing\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/","name":"Kibin Blog","description":"Creating Better Writers","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/16816b6513faf75da88f2ae8c61e82d8","name":"Eden Meirow","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/EdenM-e1551551091459-100x100.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/EdenM-e1551551091459-100x100.jpg","caption":"Eden Meirow"},"description":"is a full-time copywriter and part-time freelance writer. Along with her BS in marketing from Florida State University and MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University, she has spent the past 7 years learning how best to reach and teach people using the power of words. When she's not working, she's constantly trying to expand her creativity through music, writing, art, and animation.","sameAs":["http:\/\/edenmeirow.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/author\/edenm\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9726"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9726"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10949,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9726\/revisions\/10949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}