EFFECTIVE SENTENCES

Effective Sentences Developing a Clear Style Developing a Concise Style Developing a Lively Style Developing an Emphatic Style Summary

Developing a Clear Style Don’t pad your paragraphs with sentences that run in circles, leading nowhere. Make your sentences specific.

Fix major sentence errors. Pay attention to word order.

Part One | The Basics of the Short Essay Clear, straightforward sentences keep readers from feeling as though they are lost in an Escher maze. Convex and Concave, 1955, by M. C. Escher

Developing a Concise Style Avoid deadwood constructions.

Avoid redundancy. When possible, use the active voice rather than the passive voice.

Developing a Lively Style Use specific, descriptive verbs. Use specific, precise modifiers that help the reader see, hear, or feel what you are describing.

Avoid overuse of any one kind of construction in the same sentence. Don’t change your point of view between or within sentences.

Developing an Emphatic Clear Style Word Order Coordination Subordination

Summary Here is a brief summary of what you should remember about writing effective sentences: