A person needs to learn to walk before they can run. Unfortunately, many English as a second language learners find themselves thrown into the process of writing whole essays while their basic sentence writing skills are less than satisfactory.
It is important to remember some basic principles behind writing sentences:
- A sentence ought to represent a single idea.
- The sentence should be written in a style appropriate to the context at hand. Translation usually makes for poor sentences.
- Be clear. There must be a logic to your sentence. It must make sense both in itself and in connection with the surrounding sentences and the whole writing piece.
- Be simple. Don't try to show off. Get your point across quickly and clearly. This is quite different from many cultures and even many academics. Avoid "million dollar words" that most people don't know. The democratic ethos is that the ordinary person should be able to understand what you have written. (But don't write too simply -- you mustn't appear to be an 8-year-old.)
- Be brief. If you can express your idea sufficiently in ten words, then use ten words, not twenty.
- Remember your reader, particularly if you are writing longer sentences. Is the sentence easy to understand? Longer (usually compound and wordy) sentences can be a challenge for readers. Think about the motivation and knowledge of the person/s who will read what you have written. While you may understand your sentence, they may not.
The following webpages/websites provide some excellent information, tips and practice related to writing sentences. Explore them and bookmark them.
The Complete Sentence (an excellent overview)
Different sentence structures
Syntax - English Sentence Structure
Building Sentences
Sentence Structure Writing Practice
Sentence Correction Worksheets with Answers (beginners to advanced)
The Elements of Style (e-book -- one of the best references)
An excellent essay on writing English as a second language
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