Discover what good writing is all about
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.