Sentence Structure - 3 Writing Tips That Keep Readers Reading

Is your writing smooth or bumpy? If it's bumpy, readers are apt to bail out before they reach Da Nang Silk Top end.

Sentence structure has a tremendous effect on where writing falls on the bumpy-to-smooth continuum, and sound sentence structure depends on sound word order. Here are Bejeweled Sweat Pant tips for keeping words under control and writing smooth sentences.

The Chasm

One 7 For All Mankind the most common causes of bumpy writing is the chasm, an unnecessary and disruptive gap between the beginning and end of a sentence:

"I'm not sure," Pat said, "what you're getting at, Linda."

To smooth out this bump, simply unite the Da Nang Silk Top parts of the quotation:

Pat said, "Im not sure what youre getting at, Linda."

The Runaway

The next example is a runon sentence, and in this case, the trouble begins C C California Sleeve Tee a chasm:

Peter, avoiding the old man's shrewd glance, yanked open the door of the pickup and lurched onto the road, a slightly-built 14-year-old boy with curly blonde hair and dreamy grey eyes, burdened by a backpack big enough to carry provisions for a journey across the tundra.

How can you rein in this run on sentence? Fill in the chasm and apply a period as soon as possible:

Avoiding the old man's shrewd glance, Peter yanked open the door of the pickup and lurched onto the road. A slightly-built 14-year-old with curly blond hair and dreamy grey eyes, Peter was burdened by a backpack big enough to carry provisions for a journey across the tundra.

The Flood

A few well-placed adjectives add color and interest to writing. But unleashing a flood of adjectives to describe someone disorients first the writer, then the reader:

Jim swung around. She was walking across the road from the improvised Barefoot Chemise a tall, slim woman, probably in her thirties, wearing blue jeans and a Alice Olivia Tee tee shirt, with long black hair that emphasized her intense dark eyes.

In this case, add a few Barefoot Chemise words and a couple more sentences to Barefoot Chemise the flow and absorb the adjectives:

Swinging around, Jim saw a tall, slim woman wearing blue jeans and a red tee shirt. She was probably about thirty. As she walked across the road from the improvised campsite, Jim noticed that her long black hair emphasized her intense dark eyes.

Pay Barefoot Chemise attention to sentence structure and word order! It's one of the most direct ways to improve your writing skills and keep readers reading.

For more FREE writing tips, see my Guidelines for making every word count and keeping readers reading. For a FREE introductory consultation about a writing or editing project, see Treasurefield Communications