Time is money in any business environment. To be successful in the business world, you must be able to create concise and easy-to-read messages. As you revise, eliminate flabby expressions, long lead-ins, fillers, redundancies, and empty words. Your audience will appreciate your brevity.

Which of the following sentences contain flabby expressions? Check all that apply.

In addition to the above, the client is of the opinion that, as a general rule, Comic Sans font is childish.

Help yourself to the cookies in the break room.

I worked on the MarkMaster campaign for the period of 35 hours last week.

Until our copier is replaced, please use the one on the third floor.

In very few cases will he return text messages.

Complete the sentence with the most concise option.

are canceled this week.

Read the following paragraph, and choose the best revision for one of its sentences.

Dr. Blake is retiring at the end of the month. There will be an unoccupied office upon his departure, and it is big in size. Because every other office is occupied, we should convert Dr. Blake’s office into a lounge. It is absolutely essential that this issue is discussed at the next staff meeting.

Because every other office is filled, we should convert Dr. Blake’s office into a lounge.

Because every other office is occupied, it’s recommended that we should convert Dr. Blake’s office into a lounge.

Evaluate each of the following sentences, and choose the most concise revision.

There are many ways one can help a user when answering the phone.

You can assist callers in many ways.

At this point in time, the great majority of users can be helped in many different ways.

At this point in time, one can help a user in many ways.

This memo is to inform you that the team has compiled the basic fundamentals of the accounting procedure, and we have noted that there is a serious interest in column D of the Excel spreadsheet.

The team has finished the accounting assignment. Please review our questions in column D.

This memo is to inform you that the team has put together the accounting assignment. There is a potential opportunity for error in column D of the Excel spreadsheet.

The team has reached an end result with the accounting assignment. Please take a serious interest in column D of the Excel spreadsheet.

I would like to inform you that the Johnson report might not be complete by the deadline.

I am unsure as to whether or not the Johnson report will be complete by the deadline.

The Johnson report might not be complete by the deadline.

Identify the redundancy in the sentence.

It is absolutely essential this format is followed when responding to the Request for Proposal (RFP) from the client.