Clarity comes from reducing what the reader has to decode. Short paragraphs, concrete details, active voice, parallel structure.
Short paragraphs
Keep paragraphs to 4 lines maximum. Eye loses its place beyond that, concentration breaks.
Paragraph runs past 4 lines? Break it into two or cut what isn’t load-bearing.
Concrete over abstract
Use definite, specific language that invokes a mental picture.
Abstract: “Unfavourable weather conditions impacted operations.”
Concrete: “It rained every day for a week, flooding the warehouse twice.”
Concrete details stick. Abstract language slides past.
Precision matches confidence
Level of precision should reflect level of confidence.
“4.3%” implies certainty. Estimating? Use a range like “3-6%”.
False precision destroys trust. Better to admit uncertainty than pretend.
Active voice
Always prefer active over passive.
Passive: “The conference was attended by 100 companies.”
Active: “100 companies attended the conference.”
Active voice is shorter, clearer, easier to read. Passive buries the actor and weakens the sentence.
Parallel construction
In lists or bullets, expressions similar in content must follow the same grammatical pattern.
Not parallel:
- Reduce costs
- Quality improvement
- We should hire faster
Parallel (all verbs):
- Reduce costs
- Improve quality
- Hire faster
Inconsistent structure forces the reader to decode each item differently. Parallel structure creates rhythm.
Simple language
Use the simplest word that conveys the meaning.
“Use” not “utilise”. “Start” not “commence”. “Help” not “facilitate”.
Fancy words make the reader work harder.
Trim wordiness
Cut prepositional phrases and redundant expressions.
Wordy: “Despite the fact that costs increased, we maintained margins.”
Trimmed: “Even though costs increased, we maintained margins.”
Every extra word is friction.
How to use this
Look at your last email or memo.
Find paragraphs over 4 lines - break them. Find abstractions like “challenging conditions” - replace with what actually happened. Check lists for parallel structure. Replace fancy words with simple ones.
See also: Vertical Logic for the structure, Slide Mechanics for slide-specific rules.