By. This little word causes wordiness for almost every writer. However, as in other situations, writers must judge whether to rewrite "by" phrases. Not every "by" must be exterminated, although rewording can eliminate numerous and unnecessary examples.
unfairness by men
suffered X accompanied by Y and Z
suffered X, Y, and Z
prejudice by society and professionals
society and professionals' prejudice (sometimes you'll need to change the noun = prejudices)
caused by allergies
allergies cause (or caused)
People feel shocked by touching live electrical wires.
Live electrical wires shock people.
By the time, ...
When...
A child must learn to tie shoes by him or herself.
A child must learn to tie shoes independently.
scholarly texts by professionals
professionals' scholarly texts
Highlight every "by" in your writing and determine which ones can go bye-byes. Aim to wave good-bye to half and wave a pass to the other half.
Once you get to 50%, go through the text a second time and cut some more.
Judith
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