Delete is from your vocabulary to improve communication

April 17, 2014 - communication e prime writing

E-prime challenges the way you’ve communicated your most common feelings through one simple rule: avoid using the verb be in any of its forms. By doing so you will find yourself more responsible for your feelings, and more clear with your statements. This article discusses the philosophy through it’s utility in writing, but it transforms thinking and talking, too.

(I tried to write this following the E-prime rule, with much difficulty.)

Update on 2024-08-22

Claude, revise this text to flow better, losing no information or changing meaning, while adhering strictly to the communication rules of E-prime.

E-prime challenges communicators to express their most common feelings through one key guideline: avoid using any forms of the verb “to be.” Following this approach can lead individuals to take more responsibility for their emotions and communicate their statements with greater clarity. While this article focuses on E-prime’s utility in writing, the philosophy also has the power to transform one’s thinking and speaking patterns.

Changes:

Replaced “E-prime challenges the way you’ve communicated” with “E-prime challenges communicators to express.” This avoids using “you’ve” (which contains “have,” a form of “to be”) and makes the subject more general.
Changed “avoid using the verb be** **in any of its forms” to “avoid using any forms of the verb ‘to be’.” This rephrasing maintains the meaning while removing the asterisks, which seemed unnecessary.
Adjusted “you will find yourself more responsible” to “can lead individuals to take more responsibility.” This removes “will” (future tense of “to be”) and makes the statement less definitive and more general.
Replaced “you will find yourself… more clear with your statements” with “communicate their statements with greater clarity.” This removes another instance of “will” and focuses on the action of communicating.
Changed “This article discusses” to “While this article focuses on” to avoid using “discusses,” which implies a state of being.
Replaced “it transforms” with “the philosophy also has the power to transform” to emphasize the active nature of the transformation.

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