Are you ready to banish common writing flaws and sharpen your prose? In this guide, we’ll share five essential writing revision tips to streamline your sentences, boost clarity and keep readers hooked from the very first line.

1. Ditch Unnecessary Prepositional Phrases

Weak: After all my hard work, the superintendent’s compliment was gratifying to me.
Strong: After all my hard work, the superintendent’s compliment was gratifying.

Extra “to me”s simply weigh down your writing—trust your reader to infer the meaning.

2. Swap Weak Adverbs for Vivid Verbs

Weak: The stranger walked threateningly toward us.
Strong: The stranger stalked toward us.

Rather than an “-ly” crutch, choose a single verb that delivers impact:

• spoke softly → whispered

• crawled stealthily → crept

• spoke loudly → shouted

3. Cut Stalling Phrases

Weak: She started to search for the Last Chance Saloon.
Strong: She searched for the Last Chance Saloon.

Phrases like “started to”, “tried to” or “seemed to” stall momentum. Trim them and keep the narrative flowing.

4. Remove Meaningless “Just”

Weak: He just climbed to the top and fell asleep.
Strong: He climbed to the top and fell asleep.

Unless “just” conveys “only” or “barely” (“I had just enough flour”), it’s dead weight. Slice it out for crisper prose.

5. Avoid “It” as a Sentence Opener

Weak: It was the comment about the dog that solved the case.
Strong: The comment about the dog solved the case.

Leading with “it” creates vagueness. Begin with a concrete noun to give your sentence instant strength.

By applying these writing revision tips, you’ll eliminate filler words, sharpen your style and deliver a more engaging read. Ready to transform your draft? Tackle these writing flaws in your next revision and notice the difference immediately.