Sentences

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Writing in English
  • Types of sentence

    There are four main types of sentence in English: simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.

    Simple

    Exemple adequatRegistration begins on 14 September.


    Compound

    Exemple adequatRegistration begins on 14 September, but courses do not start until 1 October.


    Complex

    Exemple adequatAlthough registration starts on 14 September, courses do not start until 1 October.


    Compound-complex

    Exemple adequatAlthough registration starts on 14 September, courses do not start until 1 October and payment is not due until the middle of November.


  • Sentence variety

    For texts to be interesting, readable and easily understandable, they must do the following:

    Combine sentences of the four types mentioned above. In other words, they should contain a variety of simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences.

    Have sentences of different lengths. In other words, although short sentences may be more understandable than long ones, avoid a telegraphic style by writing short, medium and (sometimes) long sentences. Aim for an average length of between 15 and 20 words and beware of excessively long sentences with more than one subordination and too many parenthetical elements.

    Contain sentences that begin in different ways. In other words, combine subject + verb sentences (Professor Puig will speak in the main lecture theatre.) with sentences that use prepositional phrases (During the meeting this morning, we discussed the new procedure.), infinitive phrases (To register correctly, you must first log into the official website.) and participle phrases (On arriving at their host university, mobility students should get an appointment with their tutor.).

  • End weight

    The principle of end weight states that shorter structures tend to come before longer structures in sentences. That is to say, a typical English sentence has a short subject immediately followed by the verb and then a long complement/object. If sentences are structured this way, they can be understood more easily. Therefore, not

    Exemple no admissibleThe fact that many mobility students arrived in September and had to return home almost immediately because their papers were not in order is unfortunate.


    but

    Exemple adequatIt is unfortunate that many mobility students arrived in September and had to return home almost immediately because their papers were not in order.


    In the first of the two sentences above, the subject is long and complex and the verb is the second-to-last word in the sentence. This requires readers to keep a lot of information in their short-term memory before they reach the verb, which makes the sentence more difficult to read. The second sentence changes the structure so that the subject is short, and the verb is positioned towards the beginning of the sentence followed by the longer, more complex sequence.  

  • End focus

    The principle of end focus states that the new information — that is, the information that the writer is giving readers for the first time and wants them to focus on — should be placed at the end of clauses and sentences. Therefore, not

    Exemple no admissibleThe ability to communicate ideas to others is the single most important skill that undergraduate students must acquire.


    but

    Exemple adequatThe single most important skill that undergraduate students must acquire is the ability to communicate ideas to others.
Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics
Darrera actualització: 24-10-2023
Recommended citation:
«Sentences» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2462> [consulta: 23 novembre 2024].