Good Writing Part 3 ~ Variety - Basic Writing Skills

Good writing has four major characteristics: conciseness (economy), clarity, variety, and unity.

3. Varying Sentences

To keep your readers interested, introduce variety into your writing. Vary both the length and the type of sentence.

Sentence Length

As we have noted, conciseness is always a desirable goal. By avoiding padding and unnecessary words, you can create a concise sentence. Concise sentences don’t necessarily mean short ones, though. The following sentences use words economically but vary in length.

SHORT: Throw caution to the wind.

LONGER: If we had wings, we would soar like eagles.

STILL LONGER: Only one thing is better than winning, and that is winning fairly.

Sentence Type

For variety, use an occasional question, exclamation, or command, but don’t overdo.

QUESTION: Where did I leave my tennis racket?

EXCLAMATION: I just remembered—the public courts!

COMMAND: Call the pro shop and say I’m on my way.

POLITE REQUEST: Please let my mother know I’ll be late 

Subject-Not-First Sentence

Avoid monotony by not beginning every sentence with the subject. When a shift in placement is both natural and effective, begin a sentence with a word other than the subject. Formations that can work well at the start of a sentence are listed below. Again, don’t overdo.

ADVERB: Wearily, the home team went onto the field for the fifteenth inning.

*ADVERB CLAUSE: Although yellow sweet corn is more abundant in our area, Dad and I prefer the white.

*ADVERB PHRASE: After much soul-searching, Henry decided to enroll in a premed course.
THERE: There are still many undiscovered galaxies.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: Contrary to popular belief, a person’s hair cannot turn white overnight.

PARTICIPIAL PHRASE: Finding the passage blocked, the cave explorers retraced their steps.

INFINITIVE PHRASE: To melt its way through spring snows, the skunk cabbage runs temperatures higher than its surroundings.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE WITH GERUND: Before starting the car, adjust seat belts and rearview mirrors. 

Appositives

Use appositives to achieve conciseness and vary the sentence structure.

WITHOUT APPOSITIVES: The eagle, which is the U.S. national symbol, won out over the turkey, which was Benjamin Franklin’s choice.

WITH APPOSITIVES: The eagle, the U.S. national symbol, won out over the turkey, Benjamin Franklin’s choice.

WITHOUT APPOSITIVES: The medieval dinner plate was often a thick slice of stale bread and was called a trencher.

WITH APPOSITIVES: The medieval dinner plate, the trencher, was often a thick slice of stale bread. 

Compound Subjects and Predicates

Using compound subjects or predicates can help streamline writing. The following examples show how. When possible, combine two separate sentences into a single sentence with a compound subject.

TWO SENTENCES: 

• Leah supported the new cafeteria regulations.
• The twins also supported them.

COMPOUND SUBJECT: Leah and the twins supported the new cafeteria regulations.

Another way to make your writing flow is to avoid the and I, and we, and they habit. For instance, read the following sentence:

They saw the laptop computer, and they borrowed it without asking permission.

You can avoid needless repetition by getting rid of the second “they”:

They saw the laptop computer and borrowed it without asking permission.

Use an occasional compound predicate instead of a compound sentence or two separate sentences.

COMPOUND SENTENCE: I visited the local library and I found the latest mystery by Janet Evanovich.

COMPOUND PREDICATE: I visited the local library and found the latest mystery by Janet Evanovich.

TWO SENTENCES: Gone with the Wind was rejected many times. It was finally published.
COMPOUND PREDICATE: Gone with the Wind was rejected many times but was finally published.

Complex Sentences

A string of simple or compound sentences can make for dull reading. Use complex sentences to add variety and show more accurately the connection between ideas. By using complex sentences, you can avoid overusing and, but, and so.

SIMPLE SENTENCES: Thomas Edison was still in possession of his sight. He found braille preferable to visual reading.

COMPLEX SENTENCE: Though he was still in possession of his sight, Thomas Edison found braille preferable to visual reading.

COMPOUND SENTENCE: The thin atmosphere at 12,000 feet above sea level barely supports fire, and La Paz, Bolivia, is nearly a fireproof city.

COMPLEX SENTENCE: Because the thin atmosphere at 12,000 feet above sea level barely supports fire, La Paz, Bolivia, is nearly a fireproof city 

Verbals

For variety, introduce verbals into your writing.

WITHOUT PARTICIPLE: I discovered an interest in various kinds of mushrooms. I decided to take a course in botany.

WITH PARTICIPLE: Having discovered an interest in various kinds of mushrooms, I decided to take a course in botany.

WITHOUT GERUND: We all celebrated after we had won the softball championship.

WITH GERUND: We all celebrated after winning the softball championship.

WITHOUT INFINITIVE: Lars read Plutarch’s Lives in order that he might learn more about the Roman emperors.

WITH INFINITIVE: Lars read Plutarch’s Lives to learn more about the Roman emperor


Previous: Clarity                                                                                                         Next: Unity