Sentence Construction
Sentence - A group of orderly arranged words gives a complete sense.
Definition
Examples
Declarative
A sentence that makes a statement is called a Declarative Sentence.
He is going to school.
Interrogative
A Sentence that makes a question is called an interrogative sentence.
What is your name?
Imperative
A sentence that expresses a command or request is called an Imperative Sentence.
Don’t move.
Exclamatory
A sentence that expresses a sudden feeling is called an Exclamatory sentence
What a beautiful flower this is?
At school we might have learnt that there are various types of sentences on the basis of their structure: simple, compound, complex .When we prepare technical documents you might use all these types of sentences. Mixing of long and short sentences not only arouse interest in the reader but also break the monotony of reading the same type of sentences.
Simple Sentence: A Sentence that has one main clause is called Simple Sentence.
Ex: In spite of his poverty he helps others.(he helps others –one main clause)
Compound Sentence: A sentence that has two or more main clauses is called Compound Sentence.
Ex: He is poor but he helps others.(He is poor, he helps others – two main clauses)
Complex Sentence: A sentence that has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses is called a Complex sentence.
Ex: Though he is poor, he helps others.(He helps others – one main clause ) (Though he is poor – one subordinate clause)
Try to write simple sentences with conscious effort so as to reach the maximum number of people. A writer should always bear in mind always about the person with the lowest communication and who has less knowledge about the subject. Writing should be clearly understood with simplicity and can be always preferred to something that is laborious.
Few examples to understand how you can frame sentences for the audience.
Ex: 1. A doctor-patient interaction
When the doctor diagnoses the disease, he/she says:
To the layman patient: ‘You have some fault in your blood’
To a knowledgeable patient: ‘You have your WBC counting low’
To a doctor: ‘Your T-lymphocyte count is low’
Guidelines for effectiveness
Try to use short sentences
Break the sentence
Write stringent words
Avoid using clutter phrases
Avoid using redundant phrases
Avoid using roundabout expressions
Avoid needless repetition
Try to use less emphatic sentences
Use active to passive voice
Use ambiguous sentences
Try to use short sentences
Shorter sentences convey meaning better than longer ones. If too many ideas are stuffed in a sentence through words, the meaning can be lost and the reader is left in a confused state. Therefore, better put less information into a sentence at a time.
Preferring shorter sentences does not mean that one cannot use long sentences at all. One can use them if required, but construct them meticulously so that there can be clarity. While giving a speech, one can use long sentences to good effect by using appropriate pauses, intonation and body language.
You must be very familiar with the various types of sentences on the basis of their structure: Simple, Compound and Complex.
Example: Simple sentence - Mohan plays cricket, I speak English.(single clause/main clause)
Compound Sentence - He came and dined with me.(connectivity of words such as and, but, or, yet, to, so, either)
Complex sentence - They smiled as if they meant it.(as if)
When you prepare documents, you may use all these types of sentences. Remember to use a judicious mix of long and short sentences, as they arouse interest in the reader. You can write simple and short sentences by a. breaking too long sentences into two simple sentences. b. using words economically.
Long sentences are usually harder to understand than the shorter ones as readers can absorb only a few words per glance. Hence they may tend to kip some words and not grasp the full meaning. Nevertheless, long sentences are well suited for some purposes such as summarizing, combining ideas or listing. It is appropriate to use medium-length sentences for linking ideas. Though there is no rule about the length of a sentence, most effective business writing has an average length of 20 words per sentence or fewer.
Break the Sentence: When a sentence is loaded with a lot of information, it becomes very difficult to decipher the meaning. The long and meandering sentences are difficult to understand while the shorter ones convey the message more easily. In each sentence the difficulty in understanding can be attributed to the length of the sentence. The shorter sentence emphasizes the content and the subject matter as a whole.
Example
The experiment was over. I completed the report. I shut down the power supply. I submitted the report to the instructor. I left the laboratory.
I completed the report as soon as the experiment was over. After shutting down the power supply, I submitted the report to my instructor.
Be stringent with words
Shorten sentences by being frugal with words. One idea can be expressed in a number of ways, one way can be shorter than the other. Usually the briefly worded sentences save the time of the reader apart from being clearer and more attractive.
Avoid cluttering phrases
Sentences often become too long because of cluttering phrases. It can be replaced with shorter words, without loss of meaning. Let us look at the example:
I take this opportunity to tell you that you are an excellent leader.
You are an excellent leader.
Commonly used cluttering phrases that you should avoid
Cluttering phrases Better substitute
Owing to the fact because
On the occasion of when
There is a chance that May
In the meantime Meanwhile
Avoid using roundabout expressions
It is possible to write a sentence in innumerable ways, some ways are more direct than others. Let us observe the sentence:
If there are any points on which you require explanations or further details, we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.
The better substitute is
If you have any questions, please contact us over telephone.
Phrases like the ones given below are needlessly roundabout. Avoid them in your writing and practice using more direct substitutes to achieve a more crisp, business-like effect.
Phrases V Substitute
is aware of
knows
has knowledge of
knows
is taking
takes
are indications indicate
are suggestive suggest
considering the fact
consider
Avoid using needless repetition
Repetition of a word or idea unnecessarily lengthens the sentence, without in any way adding to the meaning. Most of the time, it serves no purpose at all as you can observe in this sentence.
I was born in summer, the month of July
I was born in July conveys the same meaning
Some more examples can be past memories, various differences, true facts, future plans, past history, sudden crisis are illogical and cannot be justified.
Prefer right ordering and Proper emphasis: In order to convey the exact meaning of what you wish to say, you must put words in the right order. A lot of information goes into a sentence but all of it is not necessarily of equal importance. As in technical reports, the introduction and conclusion are more important than the rest of the elements. You already know that the sentence length affects the emphasis. It is a short sentence which carries more emphasis than the larger ones. It stands out of the rest of the sentences and calls attention to its contents giving a single uninterrupted message.
Longer sentences which contain many ideas are a little confusing as the emphasis gets diluted across the contents.
To highlight varying emphasis, let us see the example
· The report was completed in time. The completion took place in spite of difficulties.
· Although we faced difficulties, the report was completed in time.
Less Emphatic: We feel we are missing some patients and therefore losing revenue by using this system.
More Emphatic: By using this system, we are missing some patients and therefore losing revenue.
Less emphatic: Two of our members heard you speak in Delhi and praised you highly for your dynamic presentation when they returned.
More Emphatic: Two of our members heard you speak in Delhi and when they returned praised you highly for your dynamic presentation.
Prefer Active to Passive voice
Passive constructions often result in vagueness. They also make passive sentences longer since they need helping verbs (like has been)You can use passive voice occasionally, wherever you want to avoid the use of personal pronouns, otherwise, it is preferable to use active voice.
Passive voice: My first visit to your organization will always be remembered
Active voice: I will always remember my first visit to your organization.
Passive voice: There are many positive aspects of cheque collection that are not brought out in this report
Active voice: This report does not bring out many positive aspects of cheque collection
Avoid using ambiguous sentences
Ambiguity is a hindrance to clarity which in turn results in our communication going awry. The fault construction of sentences gives rise to ambiguity. Ambiguity rises mainly because of misplaced modifiers in sentences.( A modifier is a word/phrase/clause which tells us something more about verb, noun, adjective in the sentence)The position of a modifier is important whether it is a word, phrase, clause it should be placed as near as possible to the word it modifies( misplaced modifiers lead to ambiguity)
Example: 1. The delay in transit nearly drove the manager frantic
The delay in transit drove the manager nearly frantic.
2. He noticed a large stain in the rug that was right in the center.
He noticed a large stain in the center of the rug.
