SHARMA`S COMMUNICATION SKILLS

WRITING SENTENCES WITH STYLE

Writing good sentences is the key to improving one‟s style of writing. It requires concentration, patience and a lot of practice. It is much more than stringing words together as they tumble out of writers‟ mind! Everyone can learn to write better sentences and improve sentences already written if writers observe the following five rules meticulously:

 Creating interest
 Making meaning clear
 Keeping sentences brief

(1) Creating interest

If one goes by the formal, academic styles that are commonplace in most writings, there is a strong tendency to „impress‟ rather to „express‟. Writings can be made more interesting by writing in an informal, conversational style. Since this style is used in everyday life, readers can understand easily. One must always remember that readers are customers and they should become receptive to writers‟ thoughts and ideas.
After all, the core purpose of the process of communication including written one, is to influence them to achieve some common objectives!

(2) Making meaning clear

Knowledge and application of various rules of grammar help us to focus the readers on the meanings we wish to convey. Once writers have clarity about an issue, grammar would take care of the conveyance of correct meanings. This involves the followings:
(i) Emphasizing the main idea
This can be ensured by:
(a) Using devices like capital letters, italics or blocking in word processing and printing. Using headings, inverted commas and other punctuations is also be helpful.
(b) Placing the idea effectively in a sentence. The most emphatic place is in the beginning of a sentence; next best is placing it at the end and the least important place is putting it anywhere in the middle of a sentence.
(ii) Avoiding wandering sentences
All parts of a sentence should contribute to one clear idea or impression. Long, winding and straggling sentences usually contain hodge-podge of unrelated ideas. Such long sentences should be broken up in to smaller ones or at the least, should move subordinate ideas in a subordinate form.
(iii) Avoiding ambiguity
Always remember that if a sentence can be misunderstood, it will be.
(iv) Making sure your modifiers say what you mean
Every modification to a sentence should improve the conveyance of clearer thought or idea.

(3) Keeping sentences brief

One can achieve brevity by dividing complex sentences in to small, bite-size ones. Writers must avoid unnecessary words and phrases. Needless repetition and elaborations must be deleted. A few suggestions are:
(i) Using strong verbs
Words are strongest in the verb form. Strong verbs liven up and electrify the sentence. The strong verbs add action to thoughts.
(ii) Using active forms
Active form is always preferable to a passive form of a sentence. It gives ones‟ writing a sense of energy, vitality and motion. In passive form, actor in the sentence is not allowed to act and the verbs are made weak and feeble. Before using a passive form, make sure that there is a strong justification for it.
(iii) Changing long modifiers to shorter ones
It enhances readability and comprehension of the thought process.