A clarity killer is a writing problem that makes an engineering sentence or paragraph harder to understand. Find and remove these problems during revision. section 5.3.2
Watch for these recurring patterns:
- Muddled modifiers: make the relationship between a modifier and what it modifies unmistakable. section 5.3.2
- Disconnects: finish one idea before moving to the next, keeping subjects near verbs and verbs near objects. section 5.3.2
- Vague or incorrect it/that references: replace pronouns when context does not make the referent completely clear. section 5.3.2
- Superlatives and extremes: avoid claims such as only, best, fastest, always, or never unless you can prove them. section 5.3.2
Untangle the sentence
Weak: “The new algorithm, which can significantly reduce the computational complexity and memory footprint of deep learning models by surgically removing redundant connections, had a serious bug.” Stronger writing separates the main claim from its long explanation so the reader reaches the problem sooner. section 5.3.2
