Writing Clearly and Concisely
Overview
Write with clarity and force. This skill covers what to do (Strunk) and what not to do (AI patterns).
Limited Context Strategy
When context is tight:
- Write your draft using judgment
- If native delegation is available, assign a read-only review role the draft and one relevant section file
- Have that role return a copyedited revision without writing files; the main context accepts or adjusts it
- If delegation is unavailable, load that one section and perform the copyedit sequentially in the main context
Loading a single section (~1,000-4,500 tokens) instead of everything saves significant context.
Use the current CLI's built-in explorer/reviewer; do not require a custom agent name or vendor-specific task schema.
Elements of Style
William Strunk Jr.'s The Elements of Style (1918) is the reference. The rules most violated in practice:
- Use active voice — passive buries the agent and weakens sentences
- Put statements in positive form — "he was not honest" → "he was dishonest"
- Use definite, specific, concrete language — vague nouns and abstract claims lose readers
- Omit needless words — every word should do work
- Place emphatic words at end of sentence — the last word is the most memorable position
For complete rules with examples, load the relevant section:
| Section |
File |
~Tokens |
| Grammar, punctuation, comma rules |
02-elementary-rules-of-usage.md |
2,500 |
| Paragraph structure, active voice, concision |
03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md |
4,500 |
| Headings, quotations, formatting |
04-a-few-matters-of-form.md |
1,000 |
| Word choice, common errors |
05-words-and-expressions-commonly-misused.md |
4,000 |
Most tasks need only 03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md — it covers active voice, positive form, concrete language, and omitting needless words.
AI Writing Patterns to Avoid
LLMs regress to statistical means, producing generic, puffy prose. Avoid:
- Puffery: pivotal, crucial, vital, testament, enduring legacy
- Empty "-ing" phrases: ensuring reliability, showcasing features, highlighting capabilities
- Promotional adjectives: groundbreaking, seamless, robust, cutting-edge
- Overused AI vocabulary: delve, leverage, multifaceted, foster, realm, tapestry
- Formatting overuse: excessive bullets, emoji decorations, bold on every other word
Be specific, not grandiose. Say what it actually does.
For comprehensive research on why these patterns occur, see signs-of-ai-writing.md. Wikipedia editors developed this guide to detect AI-generated submissions — their patterns are well-documented and field-tested.
Bottom Line
Writing for humans? Load the relevant section from elements-of-style/ and apply the rules. For most tasks, 03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md covers what matters most.
1---2name: writing-clearly-and-concisely3description: Use when writing prose humans will read—documentation, commit messages, error messages, explanations, reports, or UI text. Applies Strunk's timeless rules for clearer, stronger, more professional writing.4---56# Writing Clearly and Concisely78## Overview910Write with clarity and force. This skill covers what to do (Strunk) and what not to do (AI patterns).1112## Limited Context Strategy1314When context is tight:15161. Write your draft using judgment172. If native delegation is available, assign a **read-only review role** the draft and one relevant section file183. Have that role return a copyedited revision without writing files; the main context accepts or adjusts it194. If delegation is unavailable, load that one section and perform the copyedit sequentially in the main context2021Loading a single section (~1,000-4,500 tokens) instead of everything saves significant context.22Use the current CLI's built-in explorer/reviewer; do not require a custom agent name or vendor-specific task schema.2324## Elements of Style2526William Strunk Jr.'s *The Elements of Style* (1918) is the reference. The rules most violated in practice:2728- **Use active voice** — passive buries the agent and weakens sentences29- **Put statements in positive form** — "he was not honest" → "he was dishonest"30- **Use definite, specific, concrete language** — vague nouns and abstract claims lose readers31- **Omit needless words** — every word should do work32- **Place emphatic words at end of sentence** — the last word is the most memorable position3334For complete rules with examples, load the relevant section:3536| Section | File | ~Tokens |37|---------|------|---------|38| Grammar, punctuation, comma rules | `02-elementary-rules-of-usage.md` | 2,500 |39| Paragraph structure, active voice, concision | `03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md` | 4,500 |40| Headings, quotations, formatting | `04-a-few-matters-of-form.md` | 1,000 |41| Word choice, common errors | `05-words-and-expressions-commonly-misused.md` | 4,000 |4243**Most tasks need only `03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md`** — it covers active voice, positive form, concrete language, and omitting needless words.4445## AI Writing Patterns to Avoid4647LLMs regress to statistical means, producing generic, puffy prose. Avoid:4849- **Puffery:** pivotal, crucial, vital, testament, enduring legacy50- **Empty "-ing" phrases:** ensuring reliability, showcasing features, highlighting capabilities51- **Promotional adjectives:** groundbreaking, seamless, robust, cutting-edge52- **Overused AI vocabulary:** delve, leverage, multifaceted, foster, realm, tapestry53- **Formatting overuse:** excessive bullets, emoji decorations, bold on every other word5455Be specific, not grandiose. Say what it actually does.5657For comprehensive research on why these patterns occur, see `signs-of-ai-writing.md`. Wikipedia editors developed this guide to detect AI-generated submissions — their patterns are well-documented and field-tested.5859## Bottom Line6061Writing for humans? Load the relevant section from `elements-of-style/` and apply the rules. For most tasks, `03-elementary-principles-of-composition.md` covers what matters most.
Dannykkh