to be concise

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'to be concise' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to indicate that you have summarized something into a brief form or to advise someone to do the same. Example sentence: In order to make my paper more to the point, I tried to be concise when summarizing my conclusions.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A profile needs to be concise to be effective.

The Guardian

To be concise and charitable, we were not managing it.

The Guardian - Sport

The Economist's rule is to be concise where possible.

The Economist

It managed to be concise, informative, and hilarious and it brought the show a Peabody Award.

The New Yorker

This is no bad thing: the artists have to be concise.

The Guardian - Arts

Written to a two-month deadline, it had had to be concise.

The Guardian - Books

It managed to be concise, informative, and hilarious — and it brought the show a Peabody Award.

The New Yorker

These statements are limited to 100 words, so you'll need to be concise and persuasive.

The New York Times - Health

Without Mr. Wentz's words creating clutter, "Soul Punk," Mr. Stump's solo debut, figures to be concise.

The New York Times - Arts

To be concise, merge your personal statement with your skill areas to make your profile even more striking.

The Guardian

Since he is disinclined to read, any briefing memos had to be concise; he prefers to receive information orally.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to be concise" to signal to your reader that you are about to summarize a complex idea or argument. This helps manage expectations and improves clarity.

Common error

A common mistake is stating "to be concise" but then failing to deliver a brief and focused explanation. Make sure your explanation is actually succinct and avoids unnecessary details.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to be concise" functions as an introductory phrase, often used to signal the speaker's or writer's intention to be brief and to the point. It sets the expectation that what follows will be a summary or a shortened explanation, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to be concise" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression in written English. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it serves as an introductory phrase to signal brevity or summarization. It is common across various contexts including news, science, and formal business settings. When using the expression, ensure that the subsequent text is indeed brief and to the point, avoiding common mistakes such as failing to follow through with concise content. Alternative phrases include "in brief", "to summarize" and "to be brief".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to be brief

This alternative is more direct, without specifying the mode of being brief.

to put it briefly

This alternative explicitly states the intention to be brief.

in short

This alternative is a simple and direct way to indicate brevity.

in brief

This alternative offers a shorter, more direct way to indicate brevity.

for the sake of brevity

This alternative emphasizes the reason for being concise.

in summary

This alternative presents a formal summarization.

in a nutshell

This alternative is more informal and suggests a simplified summary.

to summarize

This alternative focuses on providing a summary of the key points.

to get to the point

This alternative focuses on directness and avoiding unnecessary details.

in essence

This alternative captures the fundamental nature of something.

FAQs

How can I use "to be concise" in a sentence?

You can use "to be concise" to introduce a summary or a brief explanation, like in the sentence: "To be concise, the main argument is that increased funding leads to better research outcomes."

What are some alternatives to "to be concise"?

You can use alternatives like "to be brief", "in short", or "to summarize" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "to be concise" in writing?

It is appropriate to use "to be concise" when you want to signal that you are simplifying a complex topic or providing a brief overview. This is especially useful in reports, summaries, and explanations where brevity is important.

Is it redundant to use "to be concise" if my writing is already brief?

While it might seem redundant, using "to be concise" can still be useful to explicitly signal your intention to the reader. However, avoid using it excessively, especially if the brevity is already apparent.