Test Yourself

Sentence Style

[Harbrace 11a - 11c, 11f, 11h, & 12a - 12d] 

Review

See Introduction to Sentence Style below 

Introduction

Good writers write emphatic, varied, and effective sentences. 

Below are several hints to help you strengthen your sentences. These are suggestions for effective sentences, not rules. 

1. Dramatize an important idea by placing it at the end of the sentence. [Harbrace 11a & 11c] 
   

2. Forcefully introduce an important idea by placing it at the beginning of a sentence. [Harbrace 11a] 
   

3. Place a less important idea in a subordinate clause; place a more important idea in a main clause. [Harbrace 11b] 
   

4. Use the loose or cumulative sentence (a sentence in which the main idea is stated first and supporting details follow) to lead a reader directly to your point. [Harbrace 11b] 
   

5. Use the periodic sentence (a sentence in which subordinate details and modifiers lead up to the main idea) to build suspense. [Harbrace 11b] 
   

6. Mix long and short sentences; mix simple, compound, and complex sentences. [Harbrace 11h & 12a-12c] 
   

7. Occasionally reverse the usual sentence order by using a delayed subject (a verb-subject or an object-subject-verb pattern). [Harbrace 11f & 12d]