Sentence Composition Checklist

rosslaird's picture
Submitted by rosslaird on Mon, 2010-01-18 12:48

This is a short list of considerations to use when seeking to write well. Review the following items in order, after writing the first draft of every sentence.

  • The sentence contains no extra words.

  • The sentence is written in the present tense.

  • The sentence is written in active voice, using I if suitable.

  • The order of items in the sentence suits the relevance of those items. (The most important item is either at the beginning or the end.)

  • The sentence contains adverbs (-ly words) only where necessary.

  • The sentence avoids gerunds (-ing words) wherever possible. (“A dog runs” is better than “a dog is running”.)

  • The words within the sentence are strong and descriptive.

  • The imagery of the sentence is concrete and specific.

  • The sentence avoids awkward constructions (such as “there is…” and “would…”).

  • The sentence is clear, and communicates precisely what I wish to say.

  • The sentence hints at larger themes, perhaps universal themes, but is not preachy, pedantic, or pretentious. (Show, don’t tell).

  • When I read the sentence aloud, the rhythm is appealing and poetic. (If I separate the phrases of the sentence into separate lines, the sentence becomes a non-rhyming poem.)

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2 comments

rosslaird's picture

Commas and But

Submitted by rosslaird on Mon, 2010-01-25 08:50.

The word but is serviceable as a sentence-starter. It’s usually used as a kind of rhythm punctuation, a way of stopping the reader. You can use it. But it must be used carefully.

With regard to commas, the basic guideline is this: if you take a breath when reading the sentence aloud, the moment you take the breath is the place you insert the comma. Some writers almost never use the comma. See this post for a humorous take on the question.

Sentence Composition Checklist.

Submitted by Rod_CRWR_kwa on Thu, 2010-01-21 20:51.

Thank you for these sentence composition guidelines. I would appreciate clarification about commas. I often become confused with the placement of a comma. Please could you give me examples of when to use a comma.

Last year I was taught that it is in order to start a sentence with “But”. Was this a “one-off”, as they say in Canada, or is it acceptable?

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