Cut Unnecessary Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

We all want to write elegantly. That calls for tightening lines. One way to rid excess verbiage is to cut all unnecessary prepositions and prepositional phrases. I say unnecessary because, as writers, we are also concerned about how a line sings. Sometimes prepositional phrases are needed to keep a meter, portray the voice of a persona, or enhance the lilt of the line. Barring that, here are some ways to cut unnecessary prepositions and prepositional phrases.

6 Ways to rework prepositions

1. Avoid unnecessary use of the word to.

Giving something to someone can be simplified, unless there are a number of characters involved. “I gave the tool to him.” This line can become “I gave him the tool.” If we know who is involved, “He said to me …” can easily become “He said …”

2. Use possessive nouns.

“The opinion of the doctor was not helpful.” That line can become “The doctor’s opinion was not helpful.”

3. Cut to the critical information.

Don’t make your lines heavy (unless you’re going for a heavy beat in a poem), by piling up the prepositional phrases. Like this line: “We fed the birds flitting through the trees in the woods beyond our deck.” When you really want to place a thing, or an activity, decide which information is the important information. Is it the fact that the birds are flitting through the trees, the fact that the trees are in the woods, or the fact that it’s all happening beyond our deck? Keeping this to two prepositional phrases would ease the flow of the line. Better yet, use one phrase if that one is the important bit of info. “We fed the birds in the woods.”

Also, rely on context. If the subject of the writing is clear, the repeated use of the phrase “of the company,” (for example) is not needed.

4. Avoid qualifying prepositional phrases such as: “with regard to,” “along the same lines,” “at the same time.” These can all be shortened to words like, concerning, like, and simultaneously.

5. Use the active voice. We like strong sentences. Give agency to the subject of the sentence. Passive sentences often use the preposition by. Here’s a passive line: “Her acting was admired by the agent.” Get rid of the by and write “The agent admired her acting.”

6. Use stronger verbs, adjectives and adverbs. “Mary met his accusation with protestations.” With can easily be cut so that the line becomes “Mary protested his accusation.” A stronger line.

Exceptions:

Aren’t there always exceptions? We writers cover a variety of emotions, moods, and characteristics of our characters/personae. If we want the voice of someone thoughtful, or hesitant, we might use more qualifying prepositional phrases such as “in consideration of …” So the voice a writer chooses for a piece will impact word choice—even those pesky prepositions.

However, when your lines begin to feel heavy, or like they’re wandering off, check your prepositional phrases. There are even some guidelines as to how many prepositions a sentence might use. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends a ratio of one preposition for every 10 to 15 words. Don’t worry—no need to religiously adhere to rules. But do think about your prepositions and their phrases as you revise for clarity and elegance.

Resources:

• GrammarPhile Blog
• https://www.grammarly.com/blog/prepositional-phrase/
• https://www.aje.com/arc/editing-tip-avoiding-preposition-overuse/

Reprinted with permission of the FSPA publication: Of Poets and Poetry.