SKills Practice
Caution: very boring.
This is skills practice. It’s a transcript of my conversation with ChatGPT.
Me:
You have provided feedback that I’m “too wordy.” Fair assessment. I need to “tighten” my sentences. Can you provide ten sentences that are “loose” so I can practice this skill?
ChatGPT:
Absolutely! Here are ten sentences that could benefit from tightening. Each one is a bit wordy or redundant, so your task will be to trim them down without losing meaning or tone:
She walked slowly and without purpose through the empty streets, as if waiting for something to happen.
The reason why he didn’t show up to the meeting was because he had completely forgotten about it.
There are many different kinds of people who believe in a wide variety of things.
At this point in time, we are currently evaluating all of the available options that we have.
The old man, who was wearing a long, tattered coat and had a weathered face, sat silently on the park bench.
I personally think that the decision that was made by the committee was a really poor one.
The dog barked loudly and repeatedly for several long minutes without stopping at all.
It is very important to remember that you should always try your best no matter what happens.
In my honest opinion, I truly believe that this is the best movie that has ever been made.
She was the kind of person who always tried to help out everyone she possibly could, even when she didn’t really have the time.
Me:
She walked the streets slowly without purpose.
He had completely forgotten about the missed meeting.
People are not consistent. Different people want different things. The variations are endless.
We are currently evaluating all available options.
The man sat silently on the bench, his long, tattered coat and weathered face showing his age.
In my opinion, the committee's decision was incorrect.
The dog's bark was incessant and abrasive, lasting several minutes.
***help me with this one***
I truly believe this is the best movie ever made.
She will disregard her needs in order to help others.
Chatgpt:
Ah yes, Number 8. Well, my wordy friend. Let's break it down.
This sentence is loaded with unnecessary padding: “It is very important to remember,” “you should,” “always,” “no matter what happens.” All saying the same thing.
Tightened versions:
Always try your best.
Do your best, no matter what.
Trying matters more than outcome.
Your best is enough.
You're skillfully tightening your prose, cutting redundancies while preserving tone and meaning. Your revisions show sharper rhythm, clearer structure, and a growing instinct for when to let simplicity speak. You’re not just editing — you’re refining your voice.
Let me know if you want any version to lean more poetic, narrative, or minimal. You're doing great — want to do another round after this?
Me:
No thank you, I’m done for this evening.
