5 ms·
Alternating between single clause sentences and sentences with two clauses, as the author of the article mostly does, is also not an example of good writing. It
by blockwriter 5y ago
Alternating between single clause sentences and sentences with two clauses, as the author of the article mostly does, is also not an example of good writing. It is perfectly efficient, just not particularly good. The clauses themselves should patter, creating ventricles that, like the heart, comprise contrasting units through which the gist is substantiated. A lot of the reader's cognitive overhead can be offloaded to the interest of a sentence's construction.
- andrei_says_ 5y agoThis sounds very interesting but I have trouble picturing it. Could you provide an example of text with this structure/rhythm?
- sidedishes 5y agoI agree -- that sort of rhythm may be to the point and good for some goals of technical writing, but is pretty sterile. My favourite quote about sentence pacing: > This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important. (Gary Provost)
- vpavicic 5y agoI enjoyed reading this very much! Thank you!
- AstralStorm 5y agoAnd then Google Translate is applied and it all turns to mush or worse.
- chrisweekly 5y agoGood point. Speaking of the art of writing good sentences, I heartily recommend "First You Write a Sentence" by Joe Moran.