1.1Write simple: short sentences & concrete words
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Clarity first: understood effortlessly — one idea per sentence and the active voice (“you save”).
- Concrete vs jargon: replace the abstract (“synergies”) with concrete words the audience would really say.
- Cut + test: if a word can go without losing meaning, cut it — and read aloud.
Running mini-case — Mehdi and the unreadable product page
Mehdi, freelance copywriter in Algiers, writes a food-processor page for an online shop: “It is important to note that our solution optimises all your operational synergies.” Zero orders. Applying the three passes (short sentences, concrete words, cut), he rewrites: “Our robot saves you 1 hour a day in the kitchen.” Orders take off.
This same case runs through the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge — and continues in 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.
1. Clarity before style
Copywriting’s #1 priority isn’t elegance, it’s clarity: understood effortlessly. A reader who has to re-read a sentence drops off. Writing simply isn’t writing poorly — it’s the sign of controlled thinking.
Two immediate levers: short sentences (one idea per sentence) and the active voice, where the subject does the action (“you save 2h” rather than “2h are saved”). The active voice is more direct, livelier, more persuasive.
2. Hunt jargon and abstraction
Jargon — technical or abstract vocabulary the audience doesn’t use — blocks understanding. “Optimize your synergies” means nothing to anyone. Replace it with what the audience would actually say.
Prefer concrete words: terms that evoke a real image or experience (pan, plug, minute) rather than vague abstraction (solution, device, experience). The brain pictures the concrete; the abstract slides off without a trace.
3. Cut the filler and test aloud
Every word must earn its place. Cut filler (“it’s important to note that,” “in the context of”), useless adverbs, repetitions. The rule: if a word can be removed without losing meaning, remove it.
The best fluency test: reading aloud. If you stumble, run out of breath or trip up, the sentence needs shortening or rewriting. The ear catches what the eye lets pass.
🔎 Concrete example — Lightening a corporate sentence
A typical corporate site sentence, rewritten to be clear.
Before: "It’s important to note that our solution enables the optimization of all your operational synergies."
After: "Our tool saves you time on your daily tasks."Result: jargon removed, concrete word (time), active voice, half as long.
Test: read both aloud — the second flows without a hitch.
Section vocabulary
- Clarity
- The quality of a text understood effortlessly; copywriting’s #1 priority, before style.
Simple example: Mehdi rewrites his page: the customer grasps in one read what the robot does.
What it is not: believing clarity means impoverishing vocabulary or ideas.
Reflex: reread each sentence asking “understood with no re-read?”.
- Active voice
- Construction where the subject does the action (“you save”); more direct and lively than the passive.
Simple example: “You gain 1 hour” rather than “1 hour is gained”.
What it is not: systematically using the passive to “sound serious”.
Reflex: spot “is + participle” and flip to active.
- Jargon
- Technical or abstract vocabulary the audience doesn’t naturally use; a barrier to understanding.
Simple example: “Optimize your synergies” on Mehdi’s page: nobody says that in a kitchen.
What it is not: keeping internal jargon because it “sounds serious”.
Reflex: replace any word the audience wouldn’t say out loud.
- Concrete word
- A term evoking a real image or experience (pan, plug, minute) vs vague abstraction.
Simple example: Mehdi writes “1 hour”, “kitchen”, “robot”: the customer pictures the scene.
What it is not: piling up abstractions (“solution”, “device”, “experience”).
Reflex: for each abstraction, find the image or figure behind it.
- Reading aloud
- A fluency test: if you stumble or run out of breath, the sentence needs shortening/rewriting.
Simple example: Mehdi reads his page: he stumbles on the first sentence and cuts it in two.
What it is not: settling for a silent on-screen re-read.
Reflex: always read aloud before publishing.
In practice — Rewrite a paragraph for clarity
- Take an existing paragraph (yours or from a site). Count the average sentence length.
- Cut every sentence over 25 words in two, and put everything in the present, active voice.
- Spot each abstract word or jargon and replace it with a concrete word the audience would say.
- Read the result aloud and remove any word whose absence changes nothing.
Ready-to-use script — present a simplified version (20s)
"I shortened each sentence to one idea, used the active voice and replaced jargon with your words. Read aloud: if you stumble anywhere, I’ll cut again."
Say when presenting a rewrite to a customer: clarity is proven by ear.
Copy-paste template — simple-sentence canvas
ORIGINAL SENTENCE: _______________
SINGLE IDEA KEPT: _______________
SHORT VERSION + ACTIVE VOICE: _______________
JARGON REPLACED (abstract → concrete): _______________
WORDS CUT WITH NO LOSS: _______________
READ-ALOUD TEST (fluent? yes/no): _______________Small business / tight budget
With no tool or proofreader: one rule is enough — any sentence over 25 words is cut in two, then re-read aloud on the phone.
Algerian SME
Customers mixing French, dialectal Arabic and technical terms: replace each acronym with its spoken equivalent (“the plug”, “the invoice”) and have someone outside the trade re-read.
Product page
One page = one concrete benefit per sentence: “you gain 1 hour”, “cleans in 2 minutes” — never two promises in one sentence.
Business email
Subject and first sentence ultra-short, active voice, zero filler: the hurried recipient understands in 5 seconds.
✓ Best practices
- One idea per sentence: as soon as a sentence carries two ideas, split it.
- Systematically replace the abstract with the concrete: you picture an image, not a concept.
- Always read aloud before publishing: the ear catches heaviness the eye misses.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Confusing writing simple with writing poor: clarity is a sign of mastery.
- Keeping internal jargon because it “sounds serious”: it pushes the reader away.
- Leaving filler (“it’s important to note that”) that dilutes the message.
Key takeaways
- Clarity is priority #1: understood effortlessly, before style.
- Short sentences + active voice = direct, lively text.
- Concrete words rather than abstract: the brain pictures the concrete.
- Cut the filler and test aloud: the ear catches heaviness.
48h Challenge — apply tomorrow
Take 1 real text (page, post, email), cut sentences over 25 words, replace 3 abstract words with concrete ones and read aloud. Note the deleted words.
- I can cite the 3 passes (short sentences, concrete words, cut + read aloud).
- I can turn a sentence into the active voice with an example.
- I’ve rewritten 1 real paragraph making it clearer.
Frequently asked questions
Aren’t short sentences too “simplistic”?
No: the best copywriters write short. A short sentence carries one crisp idea and reads effortlessly. You can vary the rhythm, but clarity always beats sophistication.
How to spot jargon in my own text?
Ask: would my audience use this word in a conversation? Have someone outside the field read it: every time they hesitate, you’ve found jargon to replace.
Mehdi re-reads his page: 30-word sentences, passive voice, “operational synergies”. What’s the best first reflex?