Picture of Inigo Montoya, whose friend, Wesley, was mostly dead in the movie, The Princess Bride, a beloved film from the 1980s.

There are many particular phrases that are guilty of this. If you think that grammar doesn’t matter, look at the following 17–they are some of the worst offenders.

• At a later time
• During the course of
• In order to/in order for
• In the event of
• Due to the fact that
• At the present time
• For a period of
• Has a requirement for
• In close proximity to
• In relation to
• In the amount of
• In view of
• In the process of
• Is responsible for
• The use of
• Time period
• With the exception of

Let’s take a closer look at how a few of these wordy phrases might play out in normal writing.

Saving Time and Space

During the course of the meeting, you mentioned that at the present time you were swamped, and in order for you to get healthy, you’d need to rest for an undetermined period of time. (34 words)

The problem we have is—due to the fact that you’re out—the marketing department has a requirement for an analyst, and in view of your situation, we are in the process of finding a suitable candidate. In the event of your quick return, we’d be willing to compensate you in the amount of $6,000 per month for the use of anything you need, and for a time period of one year. With the exception of Margaret, who, as you know, is responsible for market research, this will make you the highest paid person in the department. (98 words)

During the meeting, you mentioned that you were swamped and you’d need to rest to get healthy. (17 words as opposed to 34.)

The Problem

The problem is—because you’re out—the marketing department needs an analyst, and we are looking for suitable candidates. If you return quickly, we’ll pay you $6,000 per month for one year. Except for Margaret, head of market research, you will then be the highest paid person in the department. (51 words as opposed to 98.)

To summarize—the fluffy example took 132 words to write, while the concise version took 68 words. We saved 64 words—without losing clarity. (Notice I didn’t say without losing any clarity. That’s because I didn’t need the word any to make my point.)

Few people, if any, make all these mistakes, but enough of us are guilty of misusing some of them, and every word counts.

Every time you write something, look it over and ask—“Which words aren’t needed?” and “How can I clarify this?”

Now that we’ve resolved that issue, let’s look at the 17 phrases and analyze them. First, we’ll show what too many people say, then, in the table beside it, what they could say.

Saying Grammar Doesn’t Matter is the Root of the Problem

And These Seventeen Phrases Prove It

As you can see—I hope—from these examples, many of these words are not needed. The key is ~~being able to~~ recognizing the ones you don’t need and eliminating them, or making substitutions. The easiest ~~method~~ way of doing that is either removing the word/phrase, or substituting another for it. If the meaning of the sentence changes, you have a problem, but if it doesn’t change, proceed
Two of the worst offenders are ‘at the present time’ and ‘in the process of.’ I think I hear these more than any, and they take up so much space. I asked a friend last week what he was doing, and he said, at the present time, nothing. He could have just said nothing. He wasted all those words ~~for nothing.~~

And before you dismiss this advice as useless or nonsensical, or say that grammar doesn’t matter,  remember, one of those snickers you hear behind your back might be coming from your boss.

By the way, you get this and so much more when you buy the No Mistakes Grammar, Volume I book, Misused Words.

If you enjoyed this post, please share.

Giacomo Giammatteo is the author of gritty crime dramas about murder, mystery, and family. And he also writes non-fiction books including the No Mistakes Careers series as well as books about grammar and publishing. See the complete list here.

He lives in Texas where he and his wife have an animal sanctuary with 45 loving “friends.