Writing is a form of preserved talk,
talk that has been pinned down on paper
so the words can be heard again. The basic
principles of good writing, apart, from
grammatical correctness, might be presented
as follows:
1) written sentences should sound like
natural speech;
2) the words we use must be exact, fresh,
full of strength and vitality. Picture
making words are better than vague, general
words;
3) fresh point of view will give flavor
to the style;
4) humor will lighten it.
Though, it is true that written sentences
should sound like natural speech, they
fully present an image of the natural
speech. The reasons for this are fairly
obvious: natural speech is a great deal
more than words; it is also tone of voice,
facial expression, gestures, and even
the speaker's appearance.
The whole point of writing is to create
something better than we really talk -
something more interesting, more thoughtful,
and more effective in every way, for "effectiveness
is what matters, and if an expression
is confusing, ambiguous or unintentionally
vague, it can hardly be an effective use
of the language." (C.R.E.Parker).
The only thing we must borrow from the
natural speech to achieve an air of naturalness
is the rhythm of speech. Now before we
speak of sentence rhythm at more length,
we shall consider one of the major qualities
of writing - sentence length.
To begin with, fashions in sentence length
constantly change. Past generation were
more hospitable to the long sentences
than we are, and prose writers sometimes
created sentences 200-300 words long.
They are often well-arranged sentences
too; after all, the thought they convey
is complex and can be hardly skimmed through.
Indeed, some of them present the works
of art.
In the twentieth century, the tendency
in writing has been toward shorter, easier-to-grasp-at-one
glance sentences.
- This tendency can be easily explained
by the spread of the literacy among masses
of people.
- Consequently, the style of writing
should be clear and comprehensive for
everybody, and aimed at satisfying the
demand in easy and interesting reading.
- The increase in the tempo of living
and absence of leisure-reading matter
must be fitted to the needs of those who
read only in the odd moments of their
lives, between household chores and television
programs, business meetings and social
duties.
Hence, what can be inferred from the
length of the sentences the writer uses?
Indeed, sentence length and grammatical
complexity vary from writer to writer,
from idea to idea, from sentence to sentence.
There can't be any general rules, which
every person, who starts writing should
strictly stick to. However, there are
a handful of good ideas that can be applied
by the writers.
Sentence length depends greatly on the
complexity of the idea to be expressed.
In our time, the average length of sentences
is somewhere between 20-30 words. Now
the simplicity and naturalness of the
written and spoken language is deemphasized.
So, the usage of short sentences became
the custom of the day.
Short sentences can infuse a fresh spirit
into the way you write and speak. Get
to know why?
* The writer, who wants to persuade the
audience, should remember that he will
succeed best when the argument is couched
in brief, even staccato sentences.
* In most readers' mind, the short sentence
carries an unmistakable sense of wisdom,
because down through the ages it has acted
as the setting for all the familiar gems
of "truth".
* Since there is no room in a very short
sentence for anything but one elaborated
thought, it follows that an idea to set
forth in such a sentence will receive
a large degree of emphasis.
* The short sentences can be used to
express the feeling of suspense, excitement,
or even horror. What would be a crime
thriller be like without the terse, clipped
sentences that portend a tense episode?
The concentration upon a few bare facts
adds a peculiar sense of horror or vice
verse excitement to the narrative.
* The very absence of elaboration gives
a writer a great opportunity to deliver
the message to the reader in a simple
and comprehensive way.
* The short sentences give unity to the
expressed ideas, relieve monotony of too
many clauses, and in general, make the
expression more exact and accurate.
Undoubtedly, every writer should pay
special attention to the length of the
sentences he uses. Thus, the primary concern
in writing and speaking must always be
that our sentences fit the thoughts they
are communicating.
This article was posted on December
10, 2005
