Minimalism

Apply the following guidelines for a minimalist approach:

  1. Keep sentences short.

    • Short sentences are easier to understand and less likely to contain disambiguities. The Global English Styleguide recommends a sentence length of max. 20 words for instructions and 25 words for conceptual information.

    • If your sentences have many subclauses, convert these into separate sentences, especially if there are nested subclauses or if the logical relationship is unclear. Consider using an unordered list if the sentence contains several equally relevant statements.

  2. Use lists for itemization.

    • Itemization in running text is harder to identify and to comprehend. If an itemization contains three or more items, use a list to organize the information.

  3. Avoid repetitions in lists.

    • Short and simple list items are easier to comprehend.

    • If each item of a list ends with the same word or phrase, check if the list and its introduction can be rephrased.

  4. Do not use meaningless words.

    • Do not use meaningless words and avoid commonly used words that provide no value to the sentence or paragraph. Prefer simple verbs and phrases. Words that can be removed in most cases:

      • kind of, actually, generally, practically, basically

      • completely, really, quite, totally, very, rather, much

      • essentially, particular, certain, various

      • easy, quick, interesting