If your ear tells you something is unclear, confused, or irrelevant, identify that section, sentence or word and rewrite it. Look at this example. Portfolio theory is still a young discipline and we can be sure of this because before we can begin to feel comfortable with the market we are again reminded that the future is still uncertain as the market acts to again cause debate and argument throughout the finance academia. The eye and ear are equally confused. Let s attack this sentence in two ways to improve it.
Portfolio theory is still a young discipline.
We can be sure of this because, before we can begin to feel comfortable with the market, it acts to remind us again that the future is still uncertain, and this causes debate and argument throughout the finance academia. Better, but still too wordy. Now grammar, punctuation, and an improved structure have combined to grasp the essentials of the original piece. This is the essence of style. We had taken up an oil stove once, but never again .