sentence construction - "It’s not perfectly clear to me what it is you’re trying to say" vs. "It’s not perfectly clear to me what you’re trying to say"

1. 
   

   It’s not perfectly clear to me what it is you’re trying to say.

   
   
   


2. 
   

   It’s not perfectly clear to me what you’re trying to say.

   
   

Supposing (2) is grammatical, what, if any, is the difference between it and (1)?

Anyway, is (2) good English?

Answer

They both seem fine to me. I detect no difference in meaning.

I personally think the first sentence sounds better, so I think I'd be more likely to say that one. Some people prefer to say things with fewer words when possible, so I suppose they might prefer the second. But you can use either one, really.