1.Pay attention to prepositions and prepositional phrases, and eliminate them where you can.
2.Pay attention to forms of the verb ‘to be,’ especially when used as an auxiliary.
3.Ask, “Who’s kicking whom?”
4.Put the sentence’s action in a direct active verb.
5.Construct the sentence to highlight its most important element. Often this means putting the subject and verb first.
6.Read your work aloud with emphasis and feeling.
A few qualifiers:
•You don't have to eliminate all prepositional phrases, but do eliminate those that clutter. The same goes for forms of ‘to be.’
•The passive voice is okay if you want to emphasize the object of the action.
•Short sentences are most often used for emphasis and/or transitions; long sentences usually contain more complex thoughts.
•Eliminate vague modifiers; make up for deletions with concrete words/specific details.
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