How to Cut Unnecessary Words

Legal documents tend to be long and difficult to read. While this is to a great extent simply the nature of the beast, a number of things can be done to avoid wasting words. Here are a few suggestions.

1) Watch the use of which. This word is frequently used unnecessarily, usually involving further unnecessary verbiage. For example, the sentence:

These situations are governed by agreements which are made between different entities.

may be reduced to:

These situations are governed by agreements between different entities.

2) Use pronouns where possible. The use of pronouns avoids repetition of nouns, which is useful particularly where lengthy noun phrases (such as the names of documents or laws) are involved. For instance, try to avoid writing sentences like this:

The 2010 Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services within the Metalwork and Woodwork Sectors are now in force. The 2010 Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services within the Metalwork and Woodwork Sectors replace the large number of different agreements previously used.

Write instead:

The 2010 Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services within the Metalwork and Woodwork Sectors are now in force. They replace the large number of different agreements previously used.

Or, even better:

The 2010 Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services within the Metalwork and Woodwork Sectors are now in force, and replace the large number of different agreements previously used.

However, as discussed in an earlier post, one of the most common reasons for ambiguity in a text is where a sentence contains two or more nouns together with one pronoun in such a way that it becomes unclear which noun the pronoun is intended to replace. So only use a pronoun when it is crystal clear to what it relates.

3) Use verbs instead of nouns where possible. It is all too easy to write long and dreary sentences using conceptual nouns. For example:

It is important to effect a reduction of operating costs during the implementation of the agreement.

However, by converting reduction and implementation into verbs, this sentence could be rewritten as follows:

It is important to reduce operating costs when implementing the agreement.