Here are some tips to help you write clear and effective sentences.

1. Read Aloud for Clarity and Flow
Description: Reading your sentences aloud can help you identify awkward or unclear phrasing, as well as ensure that your writing flows smoothly.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “The cat was suddenly on the table, knocking off the vase.” (Awkward phrasing)
  • Improved: “The cat suddenly jumped onto the table, knocking over the vase.” (Clearer and smoother)

Tip: Reading aloud allows you to catch errors and refine your sentences for better readability.

 

2. Use a Variety of Sentence Structures
Description: Employing different sentence structures can make your writing more engaging and dynamic. Avoiding monotonous sentence patterns keeps readers interested.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “I woke up early. I had breakfast. I went to work.”
  • Improved: “Rising early, I enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading to work. I sped ahead of the wave of other commuters on the highway, and in my rearview mirror, I could see thousands of cars behind me as I raced to my important meeting. I walked in — right on time.”

Tip: Experiment with different sentence types, including simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

 

3. Pay Attention to Grammar and Punctuation Rules

Description: Grammar and punctuation errors can disrupt the clarity and coherence of your sentences. Following rules is essential for effective communication.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “Their going to the park it’s going to be fun.”
  • Improved: “They’re going to the park; it’s going to be fun.” (Corrected grammar and punctuation)

Tip: Brush up on grammar and punctuation rules, and proofread your work to eliminate errors.

 

4. Avoid Ambiguity and Misinterpretation

Description: Ensure that your sentences are not open to multiple interpretations or misinterpretation, as this can confuse readers.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “I saw the man with the telescope.” (Unclear – Did I have the telescope, or did the man?)
  • Improved: “I saw the man who had the telescope.” (Clearer)

Tip: Clarify ambiguous elements and structure sentences to convey your intended meaning.

 

5. Maintain Consistency

Description: Consistency in style, tone, and point of view within a sentence is crucial for coherent writing.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “He wanted to visit the museum, eating pizza, and hiking.” (Inconsistent activities)
  • Improved: “He wanted to visit the museum, eat pizza, and hike.” (Consistent activities)

Tip: Ensure that all elements within a sentence align in terms of tense, voice, and structure.

 

6. Use Appropriate Transitions

Description: Transitions like “however,” “in addition,” and “therefore” help connect ideas and guide readers through your writing.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “I love ice cream. I don’t like chocolate.”
  • Improved: “I love ice cream; however, I don’t like chocolate.” (Transitional phrase)

Tip: Incorporate transitional words and phrases to enhance the flow of your sentences.

Note: In the past, writers often used extended transitions — of one or more sentences — to tie concepts together. Today, writers tend to be more brief and concise, in part, due to the difficulties of reading on a screen rather than on printed paper.

Below is a list of brief transitional words and phrases to remember for your own writing.

Addition:

  • Additionally
  • Furthermore
  • Moreover
  • In addition
  • Also
  • Likewise
  • Besides
  • Furthermore

Contrast:

  • However
  • On the other hand
  • Nevertheless
  • Yet
  • Although
  • Even though
  • In contrast
  • Conversely
  • While

Comparison:

  • Similarly
  • Likewise
  • In the same way
  • Just as
  • So, too
  • Comparable to
  • By the same token
  • In comparison

Cause and Effect:

  • Therefore
  • Thus
  • Consequently
  • For this reason
  • Because
  • Since
  • As a result
  • Due to
  • Owing to

Time Sequence:

  • First
  • Second
  • Third
  • Initially
  • Subsequently
  • Meanwhile
  • Before
  • Afterward
  • Later
  • Simultaneously
  • During
  • Soon
  • Finally

Illustration and Example:

  • For example
  • Such as
  • To illustrate
  • Specifically
  • In other words
  • To demonstrate
  • As an illustration
  • In this case

Conclusion:

  • In conclusion
  • To sum up
  • Finally
  • To conclude
  • Therefore
  • In summary
  • Overall
  • Consequently
  • All in all

 

7. Eliminate Redundancy

Description: Redundant phrases or words can make your sentences wordy and less effective.

Example:

  • Ineffective: “She accepted a free gift.” (Redundant – A gift is already free.)
  • Improved: “She accepted a gift.” (Concise)

Tip: Review your sentences for unnecessary repetition and trim redundant elements.

 

8. Consider Your Audience

Description: Tailor your sentence construction to your intended audience’s level of comprehension and familiarity with the topic.

Example:

  • Ineffective (for children): “The concept of quantum physics can be perplexing.”
  • Improved (for adults): “Understanding quantum physics can be challenging.”

Tip: Adjust your sentence complexity and vocabulary to suit your readers’ needs.

 

9. Use Active Voice

Description: Active voice sentences are typically clearer and more direct than passive voice sentences.

Example:

  • Ineffective (passive): “The book was read by Mary.”
  • Improved (active): “Mary read the book.”

Tip: Whenever possible, opt for active voice to convey actions more forcefully.

 

10. Vary Sentence Length

Description: Varying sentence length adds rhythm to your writing and can emphasize important points.

Example:

  • Ineffective (monotonous length): “The day was hot. The sun was shining. I went to the beach.”
  • Improved (variety): “The day was hot, the sun blazing in the cloudless sky, so I decided to head to the beach for some relief.”

Tip: Experiment with sentence length to maintain reader interest and convey different moods or ideas.

 

Writing Style Suggestions

Pro-tip: In 1918, William Strunk, Jr. wrote a simple book on writing well. It was popular but became dated. So, in 1959, E.B. White — the author of Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web — expanded and revised it. Since then the revised book, The Elements of Style, is regarded as “one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English.” American poet Dorothy Parker once said:

If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.

Much of what is regarded as good writing today is described (prescribed?) in the so-called “Strunk & White.” You can read this 85-page book another time. However, for a few helpful writing tips, here are some of the headings of the (very brief chapters of the) book to consider:

  • Avoid fancy words.
  • Be clear.
  • Do not affect a breezy manner.
  • Do not inject opinion.
  • Do not overstate.
  • Do not overwrite.
  • Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.
  • Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.
  • Omit needless words.
  • Place yourself in the background.
  • Prefer the standard to the offbeat.
  • Put statements in positive form.
  • Revise and rewrite.
  • Use definite, specific, concrete language.
  • Use figures of speech sparingly.
  • Use orthodox spelling.
  • Use the active voice.
  • Write in a way that comes naturally.