A sentence does its job when a reader understands it on the first pass and doesn't notice the mechanics behind it. Weak sentences draw attention to themselves through clutter, vague verbs, or awkward order. Better sentences are built, not just written — and the building process is learnable.
Choose verbs that do the work
Weak writing leans on "is," "was," and "there is/are" while burying the real action in a noun. "There was a decision made by the committee to postpone the meeting" hides the verb "decide" inside the noun "decision." Pull it back out: "The committee decided to postpone the meeting." Whenever you spot a sentence built around "is," scan it for a hidden verb and set it free.
Trim the distance between subject and verb
Readers hold a sentence's subject in mind while waiting for the verb that completes it. The longer that wait, the harder the sentence is to follow. "The report, which had been delayed for weeks due to a series of unrelated scheduling conflicts, finally arrived" makes readers carry "the report" through a long detour before they get "arrived." Moving the detail after the verb — "The report finally arrived, after weeks of scheduling conflicts" — resolves the sentence sooner.
Vary length on purpose
A string of similar-length sentences creates a monotone rhythm, even when each one is individually fine. Follow a longer, explanatory sentence with something short. Short sentences land hard. Use that.
- Read your paragraph aloud — if you run out of breath mid-sentence, it's too long.
- If every sentence starts with the subject ("The team...", "The plan...", "The result..."), vary the openings.
- Put the most important word at the end of the sentence when you can — that's the position readers remember.
You don't fix sentences by adding more words to explain yourself better. You fix them by removing whatever is standing between the subject and the point.
