I am trying to write a book about rock piles and along with some curiosity about how one paragraph is supposed to flow into the next, and some abstract interest in what works and what doesn't, I am noticing the need to edit sentences that have too many un-necessary words in them. This is starting to be a kind of "theory". I have a young friend who reminds me it is only Strunk and White but, here are some notes on my personal version of it. These apply when you are writing a longer work and need to worry about not exhausting the reader; when you need to keep things "light".
Don't worry about losing the noun, unless another noun is introduced. You can use indefinite articles and avoid restating the noun.
Don't add emphasis: "He was very strong" vs "He was strong"
Don't be redundant for specious clarification: "He was, in the past" vs "He was"
Don't waste words: "They were able to" vs "They could".
Do use contractions: "He could have" vs "He could've"
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