13 Tips For Improving Your Sentence Writing
Learn 13 simple tips to improve your sentence writing. Make your sentences clear, engaging, and easy to read with these strategies.
Are your sentences properly structured?
Maybe you think you’ve written a perfect sentence but ever you notice any mistake?
Well! Writing is an essential skill.
If you’re writing an essay, story, blog post or even an email, your sentence structure matters.
Just assume you’re reading a blog that has long, confusing, or complex sentences. Do you understand the message in one read?
No, right?
The same way your readers will struggle to understand your message with improper sentences.
But don't worry! Improving your sentence writing isn’t as hard as it sounds.
With just a few simple strategies, you can make your sentences clear, more engaging, and easy to read.
In this guide, I’ll give you 13 easy tips that will help you write better sentences and improve your overall writing.
So, let’s get started!
Why should you write good sentences?
Before we get into the tips, let’s take a moment to understand why sentence structure matters.
Good sentences are the base of strong writing!
These simple sentences help readers understand your ideas without confusion.
A well-written sentence flows smoothly, it makes your message clear and keeps the reader's attention.
As I said previously, if you’re reading something that’s hard to read. You’d probably stop reading, right?
That’s why it’s important to make each sentence clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Here you should also take help from our AI sentence writer. This tool will create all types of sentences that are well-structured and engaging.
When you make good sentences, you make your message more effective, interesting, and professional.
13 top tips to write better sentences
Well! I know writing proper sentences can be a tough task, but don’t worry. With these following tips, you can improve your sentence structure.
Now, let’s get into the 13 best tips that will help you write better sentences!
1. Start with subject and verb
One of the simplest ways to improve your sentence writing is arranging parts of sentences properly.
Start your sentence with a clear subject and verb.
But what will be the benefit?
This makes your sentences easy to understand and more direct.
Therefore, the subject tells the reader who or what the sentence is about, and the verb shows what action is happening.
Let’s take an example here:
The cat (subject) jumped (verb) onto the chair.
As you can see, this sentence is clear, simple, and to the point.
So, this way you can also make it easier for the reader to follow your message.
2. Fix sentence fragments
Maybe you were not familiar with the term sentence fragments, right?
Well! Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences that often confuse readers.
But when will it happen?
It’s when you leave out a subject, verb, or both.
To fix this, make sure every sentence has a complete thought. If you find a fragment, add the missing part to complete the sentence.
You can also expand your sentences to fix your sentence fragments. This approach will make your sentence more meaningful.
Now, understand this with the example:
Running to the store. (Fragment)
I was running to the store. (Fixed sentence)
Here I just added the subject ("I"), and it turned the fragment into a complete sentence.
3. Use active voice for clarity
Writing is made more engaging and direct by an active voice. (Passive voice)
Active voice makes your writing more engaging and direct. (Active voice)
Ok! Which sentence do you read fluently?
Of course the second one, right?
In an active sentence, the subject performs the action.
However, the active voice is clearer than the passive voice.
Whereas, the passive voice often sounds weak and confusing.
So, always check passive voice in your sentences for these sorts of issues. So, you can easily edit them and make your sentences clear and meaningful.
Let’s take one more example here:
The teacher explained the lesson. (Active voice)
The lesson was explained by the teacher. (Passive voice)
The active voice sentence is more straightforward which helps you to make it easier to read and understand.
4. Avoid excessive subordinate clauses
Subordinate clauses are parts of a sentence that are dependent and do not express a complete thought.
While using subordinate clauses can add detail. But if you use too many, it can make your sentences complex and hard to read.
So, try to keep the main part of the sentence simple and use subordinate clauses casually.
Instead, you should also try our sentence simplifier to avoid excessive use of subordinate clauses. This tool will make your sentences easy to read as well as improved.
However, also review this example:
Although the weather was cold, and even though we were running late, we still went to the park to meet our friends. (Overloaded)
Even though it was cold and we were running late, we went to the park to meet our friends. (Better)
As you can see, the second sentence removes unnecessary words and focuses on the main point. This makes it easy to read.
5. Vary lengths of your sentence
Mixing short and long sentences strengthen your writing and keep it interesting.
If every sentence is the same length, your writing can sound boring.
Short sentences create impact, while longer ones can provide more details.
So, if you balance both, it will keep your readers engaged.
You can understand it with this example:
The sun was shining. Its golden rays brighten up the clear blue sky, which spreads warmth and light everywhere. The gentle glow touched the trees, fields, and everything nearby. It created a calm and lovely scene.
This example paragraph is a mix of short and long sentences. For long sentences you can also write it using a complex-sentence creator. This AI tool will generate long sentences but meaningful ones.
So, if you combine both sentences in your writing, it helps maintain a good flow and makes your work more engaging for readers.
6. Keep verb tenses consistent
Inconsistent verb tenses can confuse readers.
Do you agree?
So when writing, make sure your verb tenses stay the same throughout the sentence unless there's a reason to change.
If you shift tenses without a reason it can make your writing complex.
For example:
She walked to the store and buys some groceries. (Inconsistent)
She walked to the store and bought some groceries. (Consistent)
Sticking to one tense (in this case, past tense) makes the sentence easy to understand.
7. Use simple and conversational words
Employing excessively intricate or overly specialized terminology can render your writing significantly challenging to comprehend.
Using overly complicated or technical language can make your writing hard to read.
Both these above sentences have the same meaning but which one you read easily?
Possibly the second one, right?
So, opt for simple and conversational words that everyone can understand. Also check the readability of your sentences to make sure it’s simple and easy to read.
Well! Writing in a way that feels natural and relatable makes your sentences clear and more engaging.
Let’s take another example:
The individual was in a state of agitation due to the delay. (Complex)
He was upset because of the delay. (Simple)
The second sentence uses plain language that’s easy for everyone to understand.
8. Correct fused sentences properly
Fused sentences happen when two independent clauses (complete sentences) are joined together without the proper punctuation or conjunction.
This can make your writing unclear and hard to understand.
To fix fused sentences, use:
- Punctuation in the sentence
- A conjunction to separate the clauses
Understand this point with this example:
I love reading books I don’t have much time to read. (Fused)
I love reading books, but I don’t have much time to read. (Corrected)
By adding punctuation and a conjunction ("but"), the sentence becomes clear and easy to follow.
9. Write with parallel structure
Parallel structure means using the same grammatical structure for items in a list or when comparing things.
It strengthens your writing and makes it more balanced and easy to read.
On the other hand, without parallel structure, your sentences can be complex and difficult to understand.
So make sure to check the grammar of your sentences to identify any difficulty or grammatical mistakes.
Let me give you an example here:
She likes reading, to swim, and cooking. (Without parallelism)
She likes reading, swimming, and cooking. (With parallelism)
The second sentence has parallel structure, which makes it smooth, clear, and easy.
10. Use colons and semicolons effectively
Colons and semicolons are powerful punctuation marks, but they can be tricky to use.
You may also be confused in using both, right?
A colon introduces a list, explanation, or example.
If you know when and how to use these, you can easily improve your sentence fluency.
Let’s review this example:
I need three things: eggs, milk, and bread. (Colon)
I love chocolate; it’s my favorite treat. (Semicolon)
Both punctuation marks can help make your writing clear, meaningful, and more interesting.
11. Keep sentences short and clear
Long sentences can be hard to follow, especially if they contain too many ideas.
While there’s a time and place for longer sentences, it’s often better to keep sentences short and to the point.
If you have multiple ideas, break them into separate sentences.
Let me show you this with an example:
The meeting was scheduled for 3 PM, but due to the unexpected traffic jam, we were delayed, and we missed the first part of the discussion, which was about the budget. (Long sentence)
The meeting was scheduled for 3 PM. However, we were delayed due to unexpected traffic. We missed the first part of the discussion about the budget. (Shorter version)
Shorter sentences are way more easy to read and also keep the reader’s attention.
12. Place commas correctly
Commas help break up sentences and clarify meaning.
If you misplace commas, it may lead to confusion.
So it’s important to know where they go.
Use commas:
- To separate items in a list
- After introductory phrases
- Before conjunctions in compound sentences
Well! In this example:
I went to the store, and bought some apples. (Incorrect)
I went to the store and bought some apples. (Correct)
Commas are simple but crucial for making your sentences clear.
13. Replace weak words smartly
Weak words like “very,” “really,” and “nice” don’t add much to your sentence.
Instead, choose stronger words that convey your meaning more effectively. This strengthens your writing and makes it more meaningful and powerful.
For example:
The movie was really good. (Weak)
The movie was excellent. (Strong)
Enhance your sentence writing skills now!
Improving your sentence structure doesn’t happen overnight, but with practice, you’ll start seeing big improvements.
Keep these 13 tips in mind and make them part of your writing routine. As you write more, your sentences will become clear, stronger, and more engaging.
Remember, writing good sentences is all about clarity and making your ideas easy to understand.
So, start practicing today! Use these tips, and soon you’ll be writing sentences that are not only clear and concise but also engaging and enjoyable to read.
Frequently asked questions
How can I improve my sentence writing?
To improve your sentence making, focus on using clear subjects and verbs. Practice writing short, direct sentences to improve clarity.
What are the rules for simple sentences?
Simple sentences have one subject and one verb. They express a complete thought without extra clauses.
What is a run-on sentence?
A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined incorrectly. It lacks proper punctuation or conjunctions to separate the clauses.