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When speaking, many of us stall with filler words and phrases like “um,” “you know,” and “basically,” or we lose our train of thought while we’re on our way to a good point.

So too in writing—filler phrases like “needless to say” or “essentially” can clog up the page, while our rambling thoughts can turn a linear argument into a sea of three-line sentences and half-page paragraphs.

The most effective writing is concise—free of filler words, with just the right tone to get your point across.

Grammarly’s clarity suggestions are built for taming these tendencies. Here’s how they can help make your writing concise and clear.

Cut unnecessary words and phrases
Filling your sentences with unnecessary fluff is common when you’re writing a first draft. But if you’re writing a quick but important email or working on a deadline, you may not always have time to trim the fat.

Grammarly’s conciseness suggestions help identify redundant, overused, and unnecessary phrases that may get in the way of what you’re trying to express—words and phrases like “for what it’s worth,” “actually,” and “really.”