Varying Sentence Structure

To add interest, improve flow, and illustrate your sophistication as a writer, always try to vary the sentence structure within paragraphs. Many writers get into the Sally, Dick, and Jane rut, where their sentences are simple constructions of subject-verb-object. This makes for dull reading†¦ but it also can insult the intelligence of the average reader, who is capable of processing information that is presented in sentences of varying lengths and diverse constructions. We’ll use an example from Atlas Shrugged. (Everyone is always suspicious that I harbor Objectivist tendencies when I gush over Ayn Rand, however, this interest was abandoned long ago. Ayn Rand’s writing, and her obsession with perfection, is still to be admired. Sure, she was a little bats, but her writing is incredible.) The following excerpt is written using the same sentence structure, over and over: Her leg was sculptured by the tight sheen of the stocking. Its long line ran straight over an arched instep to the tip of a high-heeled pump. It had a feminine elegance that seemed out of place in the dusty train car. It was also oddly incongruous with the rest of her. Ayn Rand’s original: Her leg, sculptured by the tight sheen of the stocking, its long line running straight, over an arched instep, to the tip of a foot in a high-heeled pump, had a feminine elegance which seemed out of place in the dusty train car and oddly incongruous with the rest of her. While this type of writing contains too much flourish for article writing, and the sentence presents information in a more complex manner than you would want to, notice how the description joins like elements into a seamless whole without butchering it into jarring pieces (just like Dagny’s leg is a long, unbroken line). Whether you’re writing about Dagny Taggart’s sexy games, or the health benefits of carrots, you can still create flow that makes reading and absorbing information interesting. Carrots are healthy. They contain large amounts of vitamin A. Eating carrots is good for your eyes. There is some evidence that eating carrots will help you see in the dark. Better sentence structure: Carrots, which contain large amounts of vitamin A, are extremely healthy. In fact, carrots are great for eye health, and there is some evidence that eating carrots will help you see in the dark. Learning new ways to construct sentences is as simple as opening up a magazine, reading from a respected online publication, or picking up your favorite classic. Of course, you should always adapt your writing style for your topic, your audience, and clarity. However, what you learn from others can always be distilled into basic principles to use to improve your own skills.