rule 13: omit needless words

vigorous writing is concise. a sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. this requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but…

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vigorous writing is concise. a sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. this requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

— william strunk jr.,
“principles of composition,”
the elements of style 

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