![]() Other contexts where you should avoid using “make a long story short” are testifying in court, answering interview questions, or answering an authority’s direct inquiries. Though there is an acceptable degree of storytelling in informal argument contexts, you need precise details in formal or academic styles, such as reports, essays, and evaluations. Specific tools improve an argument, but this is not one of them. “Make a long story short” is an English idiom and, therefore, too informal for formal writing and contexts.ĭon’t use this idiom if you’re writing an argumentative essay for school. For example, an academic piece needs full-color, in-depth writing so as not to miss any important factors. When Not to Use “Make a Long Story Short”ĭon’t use “make a long story short” when full detail is needed. This allows the audience to fill in the gaps, giving them a deeper connection to the story since they see the moment through their own imagination. The writer could have drawn this moment out with every detail of the story, but this version is much more compelling. Let’s return to a previous example to demonstrate the difference “make a long story short” has on a narrative. Give your audience enough to put the pieces together, but not so much that they become lost and bored in minor details. “Make a long story short” is also good when you give your audience room to figure out the story for themselves. It helps get the point across without getting lost in the details. If you don’t have time to give the full story details, this phrase is good to use. It’s also a means for a speaker or writer to leave space for their audience to fill in the gaps without having to spell out every detail. For example, we sometimes use this idiom to tell a humorous story. ![]() You can use “make a long story short” to tell a story more concisely. When Can You Use “Make a Long Story Short”? The sidewalk was icy, and, to make a long story short, I dropped the cake.To make a long story short, I dropped the cake.We’ll use “to make a long story short” because it’s more common in writing: Here’s an example of “make a long story short” at the start and in the middle of a sentence. “Make a long story short” is classified as a phrase due to lacking a subject. Phrases and dependent clauses are similar in function, but dependent clauses have a subject and a verb. It either starts or appears in the middle of a sentence. Grammatically, “make a long story short” is a phrase because it functions similarly to a dependent clause but has no subject ( source ). Use either variation of “make a long story short” in its own portion of the sentence, separated by proper punctuation. How Do You Use “Make a Long Story Short”? Long story short: I made it to work with coffee all over me.I was running late, and, to make a long story short, I made it to work covered in coffee.The meaning of “To make a long story short” and “Long story short” is the same. It literally means the speaker is telling a long story in a straightforward way, or in other words, turning a long story into a shorter one. It’s a quick way to let your audience know there are more details to the story, but you’re keeping it concise. “Make a long story short” means to describe something that happened “in a few words, without giving all the details” ( source ). What Does “Make a Long Story Short” Mean? We’ll examine its meaning, how we use it, and consider the role idioms play in English. Stay with us while we give you the crucial details of this idiom. It is correct to say “make a long story short” when you precede it with “to” or shorten it to “Long story short.” You can say, “To make a long story short, I didn’t make it on time,” or “Long story short, I didn’t make it on time.” This is a smooth way to indicate that you’re skipping the unimportant details of a story. What do you do when you have a long, intricate narrative but not enough time to get out all the details? Idioms come in handy in confusing situations like this, and the one that solves this problem is the phrase, “make a long story short.” Is that the correct phrase, though?
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