Rewrite sentences in different styles, look up academic synonyms, and learn style transformation patterns.
| Informal / Weak | Formal / Strong | Why it's better |
|---|---|---|
| The thing that caused this was… | The primary cause of this was… | Eliminates vague "thing"; uses precise noun phrase |
| A lot of people think that… | Many scholars contend that… / A significant portion of the population believes that… | Quantifies vague "a lot"; upgrades "think" to disciplinary verb |
| This shows that the author is trying to… | This suggests that the author seeks to… / This illustrates the author's intent to… | Removes weak "shows"; "trying" implies failure — "seeks" is stronger |
| The book is about… | The novel explores… / The text examines… | "About" is too generic; active verbs convey analytical engagement |
| There are many reasons why… | Several factors contribute to… / Multiple causes account for… | Eliminates weak "there are" construction; uses specific noun |
| In today's society… | In contemporary society… / In the modern era… / Currently… | Cliché opener; replace with specific or omit entirely |
| Since the beginning of time… | Throughout history… / Historically… / Since antiquity… | Overreaching claim; more precise alternatives |
| It is very important that… | It is essential that… / Crucially, … / Of critical importance is… | "Very important" is redundant; "essential" or "crucial" is stronger |
| Wordy | Concise | Principle |
|---|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because | Replace wordy phrases with single words |
| at this point in time | now / currently | Eliminate filler phrases |
| in order to | to | "In order" is almost always unnecessary |
| has the ability to | can | Replace noun phrases with strong verbs |
| the majority of | most | Concise quantifier |
| is reflective of | reflects | Convert noun phrases to verbs |
| with regard to | regarding / about | Replace prepositional clusters |
| it is important to note that | [delete — or start with the actual point] | Meta-commentary rarely adds meaning |
| in spite of the fact that | although / despite | One word does the same work |
| Passive (weak) | Active (strong) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The experiment was conducted by the scientists. | The scientists conducted the experiment. | Subject → verb order clarifies who acts |
| Mistakes were made. | The administration made mistakes. | Passive hides responsibility |
| The law was passed by Congress in 1965. | Congress passed the law in 1965. | More direct; shorter |
| It was decided that the meeting would be postponed. | The committee decided to postpone the meeting. | Identifies who decided |
| The poem is widely considered to be… | Critics widely consider the poem to be… | Specifies the agent |
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Simple → Compound | The character lies. He also manipulates others. → The character lies and manipulates others to achieve his goals. |
| Start with a gerund | By examining the evidence, we can conclude that… |
| Start with an adverb | Ultimately, the policy failed to address the root causes of inequality. |
| Inverted emphasis | What the author achieves here is not merely description but revelation. |
| Periodic sentence | Despite years of opposition, mounting evidence, and public outcry, the committee refused to act. |
| Cumulative sentence | The economy collapsed, leaving millions unemployed, draining public coffers, and eroding trust in institutions. |
| Rhetorical question | But what does freedom mean if it is not equally accessible to all? |