Why do I leave words when writing
Executive summary
You often omit words when writing because style guides and real-world practice treat dates, numbers and short expressions inconsistently — many authorities recommend abbreviation or numerals in some contexts and writing out words in others (e.g., years as numerals except at sentence start) [1]. Different writing authorities (Grammarly, IELTS/IDP, university style guides) give distinct rules about when to spell words out and when to use numerals, so what looks like “leaving words out” can be a style choice rather than an error [1] [2] [3].
1. Style rules vs. habits: why omissions look like mistakes
Writers frequently omit words or replace words with numerals because style guides treat compact forms as acceptable or preferable in many settings. Grammarly notes that years are normally numerals except at the beginning of a sentence, which explains why someone might write “2023” rather than “two thousand twenty‑three” in the middle of a sentence [1]. University and institutional guides similarly prefer concise numeric dates in routine contexts, so omission is often conformity to a rule, not laziness [3].
2. Different authorities, different prescriptions — the friction point
Confusion grows because guides disagree. IELTS/IDP instructs test‑takers to use formats that avoid spelling mistakes and says in formal writing you shouldn’t omit the year, recommending full dates in formal letters [2]. Grammarly and other style outlets allow numeric years in most positions. Those competing prescriptions create uncertainty: following one source makes your text look concise; following another makes it look incomplete [2] [1].
3. Practical reasons people “leave words”
Practical conventions push writers toward brevity: tests and forms sometimes limit word counts or allow only one‑word answers, prompting numeric entries (IELTS/IDP recommends numeric date formats to comply with one‑word answers) [2]. Other contexts — tables, forms, quick notes — commonly use digits for speed and clarity, and that habit can bleed into prose [2] [1].
4. What counts as omission: dates, ordinals and punctuation
Some omissions are specific stylistic rules. Several style guides advise against ordinal indicators for dates in formal prose — write “July 27” not “July 27th” — which looks like an omitted “th” but is a convention [4]. Others insist commas after years in American prose (“December 14, 1957, to April 23, 2017”) rather than dropping punctuation that some writers treat as optional [5]. Knowing those particular rules explains many small “left out” elements [4] [5].
5. When omission is a problem
Omission becomes an issue when it reduces clarity or violates the expectations of your audience. IELTS/IDP warns that in formal letters you should use full date forms and never omit the year — doing otherwise risks appearing informal or mistaken [2]. Likewise, institutional writing guides (University of Portland, Western Michigan) set standards you must follow for official communications; ignoring them will be treated as wrong, not stylistic [3] [4].
6. How to decide what to write or omit
Choose by audience and purpose. For formal letters or documents follow the stricter guides (spell out dates appropriately and include the year) [2]. For internal notes, lists, or where brevity matters, using numerals and compact formats is supported by many mainstream style outlets [1] [5]. When in doubt, “when in doubt, write it out” remains a common recommendation across several guides [1].
7. Quick practical checklist
- Formal letter or official doc: write full date forms and include year [2].
- Mid-sentence years: use numerals except at sentence start [1].
- Dates in lists/form fields: use numeric formats to avoid ambiguity [2] [5].
- Avoid ordinals like “27th” in formal prose unless local convention requires them [4].
8. Limitations and competing views
Available sources cover date and number omissions extensively but do not analyze psychological causes (e.g., attention, dysgraphia) or give step‑by‑step editing strategies beyond format rules; those topics are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting). The sources also present competing prescriptions — what’s correct in one context (numeric years) can be wrong in another (formal letters) — so no single “right” rule applies across all writing tasks [2] [1].
If you want, I can turn those checklist rules into a short style guide tailored to the kinds of writing you do (emails, academic, social media) using the exact recommendations from these sources.