WRITING SENTENCES WITH STYLE.....contd

WRITING SENTENCES WITH STYLE.....contd

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 are also be helpful.
(b) Placing the idea effectively in a sentence. The most emphatic place is at the beginning of a sentence; the 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 a hodge-podge of unrelated ideas. Such long sentences should be broken up into 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.