Boring Sentence Structure

Signs. Sentences of approximately the same length.Which is true? The average sentence length should be:
a. between one and one-and-a-half lines
b. up to three lines
c. one line, unless it contains a list, then three lines is okay
d. none of the above
e. all of the above

The answer: e. all of the above. Ideally you should vary your sentence length, establishing a rhythm for your writing. This paragraph sounds flat:

Shut off the lights and lock the door if you are the last person to leave the office at night. Also, tell the security guard the office is empty so he can set the alarm. Tell him to shut it off if you need to return to the office.

Now, note the rhythmic difference in the next paragraph, which uses a variety of sentences but states the same message:

When you’re the last one leaving the office, always shut off the lights, lock the door, and tell the security guard the office is empty. He’ll set the alarm. Need to return to the office? Tell him to shut it off again.

The sounds of writing

You may not hear violins, but writing has its own music. Some documents move quickly, with numerous short lines and repetitions. Others move slowly, developing ideas in a few long sentences then elaborating with bullets. The rhythmic difference between documents can be as extreme as the difference between an African drumbeat and a waltz. When you’re writing well, your readers will — consciously or not — hear it. The best tools for constructing a flowing melody or a startling beat are these.

Short — long — short — long sentences. A great way to set up an interesting, even dynamic, rhythm, is by juxtaposing short and long sentences. This device is great for marketing pieces, in which the musicality of the language creates a background for the message. But it’s also great for instructions, opinion pieces, argumentative letters, and even questionnaires:

You stated that BellTech, Inc., owed you back pay for vacation time. Not true. Contractors are not entitled to paid vacation time. You also stated that we owed you for extra hours — up to 60 per week. This, too, is untrue. You volunteered to stay. In fact, our managers specifically requested that you leave at 4:00 every day, repeatedly stating that your weekly pay would not increase.

Unusual punctuation. Most people stick with basic punctuation marks: commas, periods, and question marks when appropriate. But play around a little, using colons, dashes, semicolons, and ellipses — among others. Here are a few examples:

Food has always been the key factor at any successful fundraising event.

is more lively when written like this:

One factor is always key at any successful fund-raising event: food.
Similarly, this typical line:

Wonderland Toys carries bicycles, sleds, board games, swing sets, and more!

has more personality like this:

Bicycles, sleds, board games, and swing sets — Wonderland Toys carries all that and more!

And, you can write everyday messages like these:

John Robertson discussed the industry’s changing image. He’s an expert because his company has been researching the subject for years.

this way:

John Robertson discussed the industry’s changing image; his company has been researching the subject for years.

Questions. Most likely, you use questions only at the beginning of a document, if at all. Questions are a great way to punch up your writing. For starters, readers hear questions differently from other sentences. Also, you can use one, three, six, ten, or any number of words to form a question, unlike other types of sentences. Finally, questions stop the motion of your writing while the answer starts it up again, establishing a nice rhythm:

Jane Fisherman is an excellent employee who fully deserves the Employee of the Year Award. Why? The answer is simple. She understands every aspect of her position and is results driven.

Incomplete sentences. The great taboo. Incomplete sentences. The ones every grammar-check program tells us about and every editor eyes distrustfully. But incomplete sentences do have their place, especially when you’re accentuating a point. Just be sure to use incomplete sentences consciously and wisely, so your readers get absorbed in your message and don’t pause, thinking you made a grammatical mistake:

In the woods on a sunny afternoon. Thoughtful. Relaxed. Silence surrounding you. Sound like a good dream? Actually, it’s this year’s managers’ retreat at the Northern Hills Conference Center.

Sentences beginning with “and” and “but.” Here’s another great taboo. And, yes, you can begin sentences with “and” and “but” as long as your thoughts flow smoothly. In fact, these words break the sentence rhythm, placing emphasis on the words that follow. Here are a few examples:

At Hollow Crest Farms, we produce the best goat cheese and sheep’s milk anywhere. But just as important, we deliver it fresh every day. And that means superior taste and quality for our customers.

Exceptions: Although you should always vary your sentences, be aware of how sentence length and structure affect your tone. For example, colons joining two interrelated sentences make the tone more formal, while dashes make it more relaxed.