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Jun 7, 2021 · The craft of simple writing begins with learning how to write short sentences. Getting a complete idea across in fewer words allows you to be succinct and direct, and it improves the readability of your story. Ernest Hemingway was a master of minimalism when it came to writing.
Apr 28, 2024 · Here are some examples on why you should prefer using short sentences over longer ones in specific situations: 1. Short sentences build tension. In stories or novels, one indication that something major is going to happen is that short sentences are written more frequently. Short sentences add spice to drama, action and excitement.
- Why You Should Shorten Your Sentences
- How to Shorten Your Sentences — Tips and Tricks
- How to Shorten Your Sentences — Examples
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Short sentences can also be a way to deliver more of a “punch” to your writing or hammer home a point you’re trying to make. Bloggers and online writers know how important it is to keep sentences short and to the point. Shorter paragraphs help readers move through the text in a faster way than other kinds of sentences. It’s why you’ll often see blo...
Now that you’ve decided you want to start shortening your sentences, the next thing you need to know is how to actually do it. You’ll need to develop a strong eye for editing your writing. Check out our guide here on 25 tips to do so! Let’s go over a few ways you can start to tell if your sentences are getting too long.
One of the most famous examples of a short sentence was when Hemingway was challenged to write a short story only using 6 words. He wrote: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” On the flip side, one of the longest sentences ever written is the 36 page, 3,687 words monologue by Molly Bloom in Ulyssesby James Joyce. Now, I would never dare to say that ...
If you’re looking for more tips and resources to improve your writing, these can help. 1. On Writing Well – William Zinsser (book) 2. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft – Stephen King (book) 3. Elements of Style – William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White (book) 4. ProWritingAid(grammar software tool) 5. Grammarly(grammar software tool)
- Change Registers. David Foster Wallace uses a short sentence to provide the sole commentary in a piece otherwise filled with description and details. His short story Incarnations of Burned Children — about a horrifying moment when a pan of boiling water falls on a child — is only 3 pages, but it’s full of sentences topping the 100-word mark.
- Shock with Contrast. In Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, the most repeated phrase is “They rode on,” which is often a stand-alone sentence. Given McCarthy’s leanings toward the super-long sentence connected by “and” (a technique called Polysyndeton), these 3 word sentences crack like a rifle shot.
- Change the Voice. In Clockwork Orange, the ultra-violent Alex has to undergoes some crazy behavioral modification from the state. Of course the whole book is filled with made-up language, which makes it a thrill to read, but this simple sentence that ends the paragraph (and a whole chapter) doesn’t play with language at all.
- Create a Funnel Shape. Joan Didion is a master of tightly wound sentences, coiled and ready to spring. In the essay, “On Going Home” she writes about the friction of visiting her parents with her husband, and all the small ways her husband is at odds with her family
Mar 1, 2022 · A simple sentence is a sentence containing only one clause, or more specifically, an independent clause, with a subject and a predicate. A simple sentence is typically made up of a subject, verb, and object, or SVO, and creates a complete thought; however, since a simple predicate is a verb or verb phrase only, a simple sentence can also be ...
Mar 28, 2023 · We’re often inefficient with our language, using more words than necessary. Consider the following phrases: “Circle around” can become “circle”. “Write down” can become “write”. “Added bonus” is simply a “bonus”. “Get to the point as quickly as possible” is really “get to the point”. “Close proximity” is ...
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Sep 30, 2020 · 3. Cut out the fluff. Many writers say in twenty words what they could in five. Take this sentence, for example In this day and age, many students find themselves faced with a seemingly insurmountable number of homework assignments. Maybe it sounds intelligent, but as Shakespeare once said, brevity is the soul of wit.
