La scrittura concisa

Concise Writing in Italian

At C1 level, Italian writing demands precision and economy of expression. Two key skills set advanced writers apart: eliminating redundancies and mastering active voice.

1. Eliminating Redundancies

Redundancies weaken your prose. Common Italian traps include pleonasms like salire su (just salire), scendere giù (just scendere), and uscire fuori (just uscire). At C1 level, also watch for conceptual repetition: il risultato finale can often be just il risultato, and collaborare insieme should simply be collaborare.

Strategy: After drafting, re-read each sentence asking: "Does every word earn its place?"

2. Active vs. Passive Voice

Active voice (Il comitato ha approvato la proposta) is more direct and vigorous than passive (La proposta è stata approvata dal comitato). While passive voice has legitimate uses — emphasising the object or when the agent is unknown — overuse makes writing heavy and impersonal.

Transform: Sono state effettuate delle modifiche → Abbiamo effettuato delle modifiche

C1 tip: Combine both techniques. Replace È stata presa la decisione finale di eliminare with Abbiamo deciso di eliminare — shorter, clearer, and more assertive.