I stayed there for a moment, and then got out of bed. I padded across to the window. I opened it to hear the birds outside. It looked like it was going to be a good day.
Notice how sentence variety changes the feel of the piece:. I opened my eyes to the warmth of the sun that was beaming through the window. Turning towards it, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. Moments later I got out of bed and padded across to the window. I opened it. I heard the birds outside. I knew it was going to be a good day. Sentence variety Demonstrating variety within a piece of writing Using a variety of sentences can help you to create pace and tension in your writing.
Varying sentence length Use your sentence lengths to reflect the pace of the action in the narrative. Here is an example using a long sentence: He looked out of the window, noticing the girl who at that moment was walking towards the heavy door to the library. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. This resource presents methods for adding sentence variety and complexity to writing that may sound repetitive or boring.
Sections are divided into general tips for varying structure, a discussion of sentence types, and specific parts of speech which can aid in sentence variety. Adding sentence variety to prose can give it life and rhythm. Too many sentences with the same structure and length can grow monotonous for readers. Varying sentence style and structure can also reduce repetition and add emphasis.
Long sentences work well for incorporating a lot of information, and short sentences can often maximize crucial points. These general tips may help add variety to similar sentences. Several sentences of the same length can make for bland writing. To enliven paragraphs, write sentences of different lengths.
This will also allow for effective emphasis. If too many sentences start with the same word, especially The , It , This , or I , prose can grow tedious for readers, so changing opening words and phrases can be refreshing. Below are alternative openings for a fairly standard sentence. Notice that different beginnings can alter not only the structure but also the emphasis of the sentence. They may also require rephrasing in sentences before or after this one, meaning that one change could lead to an abundance of sentence variety.
Strategies for Variation Summary: This resource presents methods for adding sentence variety and complexity to writing that may sound repetitive or boring. A series of short sentences slows the reader down , building suspense, Clark writes. They serve as cliff-hangers, propelling the reader through the copy. Long sentences, on the other hand, can create a breathless, slow-motion, stream-of-consciousness scene.
Notice how the two short sentences and medium-length sentence launch that word one. The long sentence would be much less effective without the setup.
Want one more example? So make some sentences very short, others very long. One dramatic technique is to write a longer, more complex sentence, then follow it with a one- or two-word sentence or paragraph. Yes, the research says. The shorter your message, the more likely readers are to read it, understand it and make good decisions based on it. So how long is too long? Your paragraphs? Your sentences? Your words? Find out at Rev Up Readability — our tight-writing workshop, which starts Dec.
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning series. Your email address will not be published. Target readers with PR writing Relevant releases quotes Organize PR writing Leads for releases Press release first paragraph: Try features Quotes on press release leads Body for releases Quotes on short releases Boilerplate for releases Quotations Quotes about public relations quotes Readability for PR Quotes on the ideal press release length Headlines, display copy for PR Headlines for releases Visuals for releases Resources on press releases Quotes on press releases Readability Why readability?
Information overload Information overload resources Information overload quotes Continuous partial attention syndrome quotes Resources on the importance of readability Resources on classic readability studies Measure readability Story length Why short content? Quotes on short form and long form content Measure A.
0コメント