People like to ramble sound official (I refer attorneys to Judge Painter). So we use more words than necessary. Strunk said it best, "Omit Needless words," (scroll down to 13) because the excess clouds meaning.
Phrases such as "the question as to whether," "this is a subject which," and "due to the fact that" can be cut in favor of whether, this subject, and because, respectively. The web presents endless other examples of the need to trim the fat from our language.
But we can't see it. These roundabout phrases have become so commonplace that they slide past our eyes, despite the inner editor's vigilance. Alchemist searches out and highlights these phrases, allowing the inner editor the contrast to assess recognize and assess them.
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