Technique # 3: Rearrange words, phrases and sentences. Often, merely rearranging words within a sentence will shorten that sentence. The trick here is to find prepositions and eliminate them. Break down long sentences that contain two or more ideas. You'll get rid of more conjunctions, articles and prepositions that way.

Technique # 4: Are you being redundant? If you used something like "absolutely complete," "ask question," "for a span of one month," or "factual information," then you've managed to be redundant. It's either complete or not -- you don't have to add "absolutely" to make your point. Do you ask a statement? Of course not! So it's fine if you use "ask." You say "for one month." You don't have to add "a span of." And lastly, save yourself trouble and use "facts" instead of "factual information."

Technique # 5: Get rid of dangling modifiers and participles, awkward prepositional phrases, and unnecessary adjectives. Look over your work to see if you have cliches. You may have overdone your metaphors and analogies too. Find them and cut them out.

Apply 5 re-writing techniques on your article and you'll get a leaner, meaner and more polished piece. And *that* will get your piece published in more ezines and sites!

So...have you just used 5 techniques on that article you were about to send a while ago?

If you have, then don't keep that article sitting on your computer -- Send it NOW!

1. Bad grammar: He can't hardly wait for his present to arrive.

Good grammar: He can hardly wait for his present to arrive.

2. Bad grammar: They didn't hardly have enough food left.

Good grammar: They hardly have enough food left.

3. Bad grammar: She isn't but a homeless little girl.

Good grammar: She is but a homeless little girl.

4. Bad grammar: They seldom ever visit us.

Good grammar: They seldom visit us.

5. Bad grammar: Because of illness, he just merely weighs one hundred and ten pounds.

Good grammar: Because of his illness, he weighs merely one hundred and ten pounds.

* Writing activity

Ok, now it's your turn to transform sentences with double negatives into grammatically correct sentences:

1. You aren't barely old enough to live on your own.

2. Why can't you hardly wait for your parents to pick you up?

3. She was so disappointed because she couldn't go neither.

4. My father had to sell our car because he didn't scarcely have enough money anymore.

5. I have so much to do that I haven't ever got time to rest.

6. You aren't but a minority.

7. She just merely recalled how poor they used to be.

8. The new accountant hasn't worked here except three months.

9. The blanket didn't barely protect their shivering bodies.

10. Her daughters seldom ever visit her at hospital.