I’d like to take this opportunity to write a little bit about preambles. While it’s important to add that they do nothing more than pad one’s writing with excess wording, it’s equally important to note that they’re completely unnecessary. In addition …
Enough preambles for you? Me too.
Preambles came up during a Clear Writing seminar I was facilitating last week. We listed some of the most common ones:
- I would like to take this opportunity …
- It’s important to add that …
- It is interesting to note that …
A preamble, when used well, is an introductory statement that outlines a document’s purpose. It’s a way to set the stage for what’s to come. But when used poorly, it’s a meaningless phrase attached to the “meat and potatoes” of a sentence. It does nothing but add excess and fluff to your writing.
For example, instead of writing, “I would like to take this opportunity to extend to you a hearty congratulations”, you could simply write, “Congratulations!” In just one word, you could convey exactly the same message as you might with 14 words.
In school, we’re taught to pad our essays with transitional phrases. My children have even come home with lists of the phrases they should try to include at every opportunity. Unfortunately, they’re nothing more than preambles.
In the business world, we can live without them. If you have an important message, just write it – simply, concisely, and without excess wording. Save yourself time; save your reader time.