paragraph-clarity-rewriter

Paragraph Clarity Rewriter

What This Skill Does

Rewrite a single paragraph or short passage for maximum clarity — simplifying complex sentence structures, resolving ambiguity, and making the central point unmistakable to the intended reader.

When To Use This Skill

• An editor or reader has flagged a specific passage as hard to follow or unclear
• You are simplifying technical, policy, or scientific content for a general news audience
• A translated paragraph has been proofread but still reads unnaturally or densely in English
• You want to test whether a complex idea can be expressed more directly without losing its meaning

What You Need To Provide

Required: The paragraph or passage to rewrite.

Optional: Target audience (general public, secondary school level, industry specialists, non-native English readers); the specific clarity problem if known ("too many subordinate clauses", "unclear pronoun reference", "jargon-heavy", "sentences too long"); whether to preserve the original structure or rebuild entirely if needed.

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Identifies the paragraph's core point in a single sentence before touching the text — if the core point cannot be stated clearly, that itself is a clarity problem and is noted
2. Diagnoses what makes the passage unclear: overlong sentence chains, buried main clause, stacked subordinate clauses, passive constructions that hide the actor, abstract nouns standing in for verbs, ambiguous pronoun references, or unnecessary jargon
3. Rewrites prioritising: one idea per sentence, subject-verb-object structure, the main clause first, concrete language over abstract, active voice — while preserving all technical accuracy and the author's intended meaning

Output Format

The rewritten paragraph, followed by a two-to-three sentence explanation of what was changed and why. Original and rewritten word counts shown as a single line at the end.

Quality Criteria

• The core meaning is unchanged — a subject expert would confirm the rewrite says the same thing
• Average sentence length is shorter than the original
• No jargon has been introduced that was not in the original
• A reader unfamiliar with the topic can understand the rewrite on first reading
• The rewrite could replace the original in the published piece without the author needing to change the surrounding context

Example

Input

Paragraph to rewrite:

The implementation of the revised regulatory framework, which had been the subject of extensive cross-departmental consultation over the preceding eighteen months and which was ultimately adopted by the oversight body following a period of public review during which several amendments were proposed and subsequently incorporated into the final document, has, according to a number of water industry representatives who gave evidence to the parliamentary committee, resulted in a significant increase in the operational and administrative burden faced by municipal water treatment facilities of a size that falls below the threshold at which economies of scale might otherwise serve to offset these additional costs.

Target audience: General newspaper reader

Output

Rewritten paragraph:

A revised regulatory framework — developed over 18 months and amended after public review — has significantly increased the administrative workload for smaller municipal water treatment facilities. Industry representatives told a parliamentary committee the burden is hardest for operators too small to absorb the extra costs through economies of scale.

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The original contained a single sentence with four nested subordinate clauses, which buried the main point (increased workload for small operators) until the final clause. The rewrite splits it into two sentences, each with a clear subject and verb, and places the main finding first. Technical meaning is preserved; no detail has been removed.

Original: 97 words → Rewritten: 48 words

Known Limitations

• "Clarity" is context-dependent — a rewrite optimised for a general newspaper reader may feel oversimplified to a specialist audience; always specify the target reader to get a useful result.
• The skill may reduce necessary nuance in complex policy or legal arguments if not instructed to preserve it — use the "preserve complexity" optional instruction when rewriting analytical or argumentative passages.
• Cannot verify the factual accuracy of technical claims; meaning is preserved as written, not fact-checked.

Related Skills

• copy-editor
• tone-rewriter
• jargon-flagger