Besides working for his brother, he also trains horses.

The word comprise means to contain, consist of or embrace.Īlso and as well tend to be used redundantly: Guelph’s colleges include CBS and OAC and five others. Guelph’s colleges include CBS and OAC, to name a few.

Guelph’s colleges include CBS and OAC, among others.Guelph’s colleges are/consist of CBS, OAC, OVC, CEPS, CME, CSAHS and the College of Arts.īecause include tells the reader there are other colleges, there’s no need to end the sentence with words that suggest the same thing.Include is incorrect because all seven colleges are listed. Guelph’s colleges include CBS, OAC, OVC, CEPS, CME, CSAHS and the College of Arts.

When providing a complete list, use is, consists of, is composed of, comprises, is made up of, etc. Include implies that a complete list is NOT provided.

He entered the lab, which was on the second floor.

He entered the lab that was on the second floor.

Don’t use a comma before the restrictive clause introducing essential information: Which (or whose) introduces a non-restrictive clause.Īlways place a comma before which to set off the non-essential or extra information. A test: Remove everything between the commas, and the sentence still makes sense, even if it contains less information. Here, what’s between the commas adds information but is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Here, that introduces a restrictive clause with essential information about this particular lab.Įxample: He entered the lab, which was located on the second floor, in order to conduct the experiment. He entered the lab that researchers use to conduct their experiments. And we use Canadian rather than British spelling, including “-ize” endings (recognize, not recognise realize, not realise). Exceptions are words appearing in formal American titles: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We’re Canadian, eh? Use Canadian rather than American spelling, including -our endings (honour, not honor) and -reendings (not center, but centre). She became a licensed California attorney in 2010 and specializes in legal research and writing.Here are commonly misused words and suggestions for avoiding unnecessary words. Savannah Blackwell is a former news reporter who covered government and politics for more than a decade, mostly in San Francisco. Other word wasters to watch for is “the question of whether” or “the question as to whether.” Replace with “whether” or “the question whether.”Īlso, instead of “is authorized to,” write “can” or “may,” and instead of “pertaining to,” simply use, “about.”Įliminating these word-wasters is a first step toward more effective communication. We should pare them from every page, and replace with simple forms. Look for “compound constructions,” i.e., those using “three or four words to do the work of one or two,” as Richard Wydick recommends in his Plain English for Lawyers, a classic among legal writing guides.Ĭompound constructions crush the vitality of prose. To achieve crisp construction, edit heavily. Nobody likes a slow read – least of all, busy law clerks and judges.įor some time now, legal writing experts have advised aiming for “brisk, uncluttered sentences.”

Excess words invade our sentences like so many extra pounds, muddying our points and tiring the reader. So you’d think we would know to use them carefully and sparingly. Unnecessary words impede clarity and impact.

Another word for unnecessary verbage