Communicating with Precision
Completion requirements
This is a nice guide for improving or "tightening up" your writing, ensuring clarity, concision, and directness, as described in the article. This is useful for any information exchange writing. Over the next week, note how often you use passive voice, are too wordy, or use cliché expressions or qualifiers.
Precise Wording
3. Avoid clichés.
Clichés are expressions that you have probably heard and used hundreds of times. They are over-used expressions that have largely lost their meaning and impact.
| Clichés | Alternatives |
| as plain as day | plainly, obvious, clear |
| ballpark figure | about, approximately |
| few and far between | rare, infrequent |
| needless to say | of course, obviously |
| last but not least | finally, lastly |
| as far as ___ is concerned | ? |