English Grammar for the Utterly Confused - Laurie Rozakis 2003
Choosing Sentence Types
Chapter 8 Writing Correct and Complete Sentences
Part 3 Sentence Sense
You now have four different types of sentences to use as you craft your ideas into language: simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Which ones should you use?
Should you write mainly simple sentences, as Ernest Hemingway did? Perhaps you should use complex sentences, favored by Charles Dickens and William Faulkner. Consider the Big Three—purpose, audience, and subject—as you craft your sentences:
• Purpose. Always consider your purpose for writing before you select a sentence type. Are you trying to entertain, persuade, tell a story, or describe? Sentences that describe are often long, while those that persuade may be much shorter. However, this guideline isn’t firm: The length and complexity of your sentences also depends on your audience, topic, and personal style.
• Audience. Your choice of sentences also depends on your audience. For example, the more sophisticated your audience, the longer and more complex your sentences can be. Conversely, the less sophisticated your audience, the shorter and simpler your sentences should be.
• Subject. Your choice of sentence types also depends on your subject matter. The more complex your ideas, the simpler your sentences should be. This helps your audience grasp your ideas.
Overall, most effective sentences are concise, conveying their meaning in as few words as possible. Effective sentences stress the main point or the most important detail. This ensures that your readers understand your point. Most writers—professional as well as amateur—use a combination of all four sentence types to convey their meaning.
Quick Tip
No matter which sentence form you select, remember that every sentence must provide clear and complete information.