Good writing is simple and clear. When you revise for clarity, ask yourself two questions about each line: what am I really trying to say? Have I said that in the clearest way possible?

Below are some tips for making your writing more clear.

1. Explain It Out Loud

Sometimes I highlight an unclear passage of a student’s essay and ask her to explain what she means. She explains, and I say, “That’s great. Write that.”

“Really?” she replies. “I can write it just like that?”

Yes. You can write it just like that.

Try explaining an unclear passage to a friend. If all of your friends are sick to death of your personal statement, talk out loud to yourself.

2. Make Sure You Know What You Mean

Sometimes an unclear passage reflects not a failure of communication but a failure of thought. It’s surprising how often we 1) don’t know what we mean, and 2) don’t even realize that we don’t know what we mean. People say things like, “I just can’t explain it,” when in fact they aren’t sure what they’re trying to explain.

Clear writing reflects clear thinking. Unclear writing often reflects unclear thinking.

Before you try to fix the writing, you’ll have to figure out what you mean. Once again, it helps to talk out loud. If it turns out that you’re not saying anything substantive, delete the passage.

3. Say It Simply

Complicated is easy. Simple is hard. Boil your ideas down to their essence. Use clear, straightforward language unless you have a good reason not to.

Exercise: Clarifying and Simplifying

Some of these sentences should be rewritten entirely. Others have phrases that should be clarified or simplified. Click on each one and do your best, then click on “Answer” to see my edit. Don’t despair if your edit doesn’t look like mine: there are many ways to improve each example.

1. In talking with my mom and looking back at her life and how it has affected my life has made me more eager to want to do something to help others that make bad decisions.

After talking to my mother about her mistakes, I’m eager to help others who make bad decisions.

2. I have spoken with many women of Turkish and Arab descent who are experiencing complications in balancing work and family.

I have spoken with many women of Turkish and Arab descent who have trouble balancing work and family.

3. My eventual attainment of fluency in the three most widely spoken Middle Eastern languages will make me a strong competitor in the field of international law.

Becoming fluent in the three most widely spoken Middle Eastern languages will help me succeed in international law.

4. My future career as an attorney will allow me to utilize the knowledge I’ve obtained concerning the Middle East and my passion to promote the civil rights of women.

As an attorney, I’ll be able to draw on my knowledge of the Middle East and my passion for promoting the civil rights of women.

5. This work introduced me to the sobering historical realities that spawned recent conflicts in Togo, Pakistan, and Nepal.

This work taught me about the recent conflicts in Togo, Pakistan, and Nepal.

Or:

This work taught me about the conditions that led to the recent conflicts in Togo, Pakistan, and Nepal.

6. Akira was new to a managerial position and was unaccustomed to teaching others, which consequently shaped her reluctance in giving feedback.

Akira was a new manager. She wasn’t used to training her employees, and she was reluctant to give me feedback.

7. The cold Detroit winter was an unforgiving host, and for many residents of Freedom House, it was utterly foreign.

Many residents of the Freedom House had never experienced winter, let alone a cold Detroit winter.

8. Although logistics was not the first industry I would have thought of entering, I believed that working overseas would expand my horizons by helping me find the confidence to forge my own path.

I believed that working overseas would show me new career possibilities and build my confidence.