• Play with the bottom margin. Usually if one makes it a little less than 1” one can fit an extra
line and still have a 1-inch margin. Try it and then print a page to measure.

• Use numbers instead of words sixteen=16.

• Use slash marks instead of “and” (undesired academic/social behaviors).

• Use pronouns instead of student’s name when possible.

• Go through each paragraph and see what words/phrases you can change or eliminate to make the
paragraph one line shorter. (EX: I blah, blah, blah… so that students would blah, blah, blah. )
Use “though” instead of “although” or “as” instead “because.”


• Put the Entry title in the header

• Use just one space between sentences

• Set the tab for paragraphs for 3 spaces

These are tips I learned when I was trying to fit too many lines into too few pages. I edited and
re-edited my writing until I could fit it all in. At first I was hesitant to use numerals instead
of words, etc., but I learned from an assessor that they really don’t care about things like that.
They don’t assess candidates on that—they know space is tight.

You will find that by editing and re-editing your writing will become even more concise. Many of
the words we use when writing are unnecessary and do not add to the meaning.