A few rules can make sentence construction easy and empower you to bring variety to your writing. Read about 5 sentence structures for variety in a paragraph.
- Specific Versus General
When you elaborate details, your sentence appears better:
A number of birds flock on the tree outside my window.
This sentence gets better when we get specific:
Mynas, wood peckers, doves and sparrows flock on the peepal tree outside my bedroom window. Check out these brilliant writing tips here
- Combine Compound and Complex Sentences
A compound sentence combines two independent clauses; whereas, a complex sentence has an independent clause and a dependent clause. To combine the two-compound and complex sentences, we place a central clause between two clauses.
For example:
Once you have decided to buy a house, you can approach a broker, unless you want to do your own research.
- Correct Conjunctions and Transition Words
Conjunctions show addition, contrast, comparison, cause and effect or alternatives. Transition words bring in a new idea, show addition, emphasis, comparison and contrast, cause and effect and time. Learn about conjunctions- transition here
- Do Away with Fluff Words
Delete unnecessary words for better sentence construction. Phrases like “as I mentioned earlier”, “There is”, “just because”, “that being said” are words which are wordy and if deleted, they are not missed! Learn about 13 common, clunky sentences
- Semi-colon Applied in Two Ways
A comma between two clauses can be replaced with a semicolon.
Or you could follow this sequence- main clause, semi-colon, conjunctive adverb, main clause
- Placing the Subordinate Clause Correctly
The main idea should be placed as a main clause; but not as a subordinate clause.
For example:
The weather was dreary and wet, although we decided to go ahead with our plans to travel.
The above sentence construction sounds better as:
Although the weather was dreary and wet, we decided to go ahead with our plans to travel.