When it is possible to use short prepositions instead of multi-word prepositions, should I use the shorter one to make the meaning clear?
- As a consequence of = because of
- In addition to = besides
- In the course of = during
- In order to = to
Learn English – Multi-word prepositions and short prepositions
word-choice
Best Answer
Personally, I favor conciseness of expression, as opposed to circumlocution. The sentence I just formed, for example, could become more concise as follows:
Both conciseness and circumlocution are forms of expression, so why use the word expression? Personally is not wrong, but I will suffice. Not that we need always to be concise, succinct, and pithy, but expressions such as
are unnecessarily prolix and can become habitual. Sometimes a simple because will suffice.
The same can be said of your exemplars:
As TrevorD and Kristen Ramos point out, there is nothing wrong with being prolix, and in informal situations the extra, unnecessary words can give us time to think of what we want to say next! "Beating around the bush" is perfectly normal in many impromptu, spontaneous conversations. After all, who really stops to count one's words in a casual conversation?
In formal situations, however (as in a speech, for example), wordiness can make an audience weary and can delay the speaker's "getting to the point" expeditiously and efficiently!