The Power of Short Sentences
One of the most celebrated minimalist writers is Ernest Hemmingway. He was so dense on writing flowery adjective and gets straight to the point. The finest demonstration of his intellect is when he was challenged to write an entire story and he wrote it in just 6 words. He wrote: “For sale baby shoes never used.” And one of his tips to write effectively is to write in short sentences. To help you more, here are some tips to guide you in doing your copy.
Longer sentences will bore readers so maintain directness through short paragraphs. The average length of your short sentence must not exceed 23 – 25 words. The average reduction of sentences on English prose during Elizabethan times to 19th century is ½ to 2/3. This trend still continues although in a slower phase.
Always remember that readers easily get tired on what they’re reading; short sentences are sufficient on themselves. Avoid being stuffy so that sentences will be easier to read. Most letters can be lessened and can still express the same thing. Since fuzzy words hinder clarity and make your copy difficult to understand and read, trim unessential terms on your writing. It will be good to spend a minute to organize complex details and minimize lengthy sentences.
Manage sentence length by looking into the number of lines on each sentence. A line of an average handwriting or typewritten line consists of 10 – 12 words on the average. Maintain varied sentence lengths but be wary of those which run more than 2 lines. Short sentences between longer ones can break up your copy and can present a chatty style of writing. This will also help you vary your copy’s pace and can hold the reader’s interest.
To have short sentences, use shorter words. This is the rule that is oftentimes being violated. Writers use 3 words when only 1 can explain it. Writers cannot avoid the use of 4-syllable words. Saxon words are shorter and can be a replacement to multi-syllable Latin words. Instead of using “use” and “change”, “utilize” and “modify” has commonly been used. Complicating a sentence is more of a habit which is too hard to overcome since people are unconsciously doing it.
You can also try numbered points or tick bullets. Tick bullets are more eye-catching than bullet points and can present only the most important terms on the sentences. This can thus appear only as checklist. Numbered points are also effective and serve as an introduction.
Use simple tense and avoid complicated syntax. Phrases which use future tense will let the readers read slower and tend to feel clunky. Pretend you’re writing as an English learner and avoid using continuous past tense and sophisticated grammar structures.
Make sure that your copy is simple yet understandable and this will be done by using shorter sentences. Your aim must be to keep control of your readers so that they will not switch off you. Always aim to produce a copy that conveys your message clearly to entice the readers. Use powerful short sentences and watch the success of your site from now on.
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