Which sentence is the most concise given the goal to avoid wordiness?

• A. The reason the plan failed was due to insufficient funding.
• B. The project failed due to insufficient funding.
• C. The project failing was due to insufficient funding.
• D. The project failed because funding was insufficient.

Answer: (D)

Focusing on conciseness means expressing the cause and effect with as few words as needed while staying clear. The best choice keeps the main idea in a single, direct sentence: it states the project failed and immediately explains why with a simple because clause. Saying “The project failed because funding was insufficient” avoids extra filler and sticks to a straightforward cause-and-effect structure, making it crisp and easy to read.

The other options add unnecessary padding or awkward phrasing. Starting with “The reason” and then saying “was due to” doubles the link to the cause and adds extra words. A phrasing like “The project failing was due to” switches to a less natural, participle form, which weakens the sentence. And while “due to” is correct, it tends to be less direct than a simple “because,” so this version remains the most concise and direct while preserving the meaning.