What is the average sentence length when attempting to keep sentences short

Most people, even prolific authors, have difficulty constructing sentences to convey their intended meaning. It's a question of selecting the most suitable vocabulary, following the rules of grammar, and finding the best word order to make the sentence flow.

Here are some tips for writing sentences:

• Rule No.1 - Just write! Get your ideas down on paper. Do not get bogged down with sentence construction before you have even completed the first section of your document. It is hard enough to get started with a writing task anyway!
• Avoid leaving it to the last minute to write an important document. If you do this you will likely fail to write good sentences. It will be a case of reading your own work when it is too late and thinking "why did I write that!".
• Take a look at the tips on Good Grammar. It is often a case that the habits people have in starting a sentence makes it difficult to finish.
• Keeping your sentences short is the best and easiest tip to follow. Instead of putting an idea into one long sentence, try to put it into two. The recommended maximum length of a sentence is 20 words. Generally, if a sentence is longer than 15 words it is poorly constructed. (see example 1 )
• Look for unnecessary words in sentences you write. It is often the case that your first attempt to write a sentence results in the inclusion of words that have little value to the overall meaning. (see example 2 )

Example 1: Break sentence into two

Here is an example of a long sentence written by a student. It has 53 words.

"Government funding is one of the major sources of income that keep the sport and recreation industry alive other than the funds that the industry receives from the government would have to rely so much on sponsors for money that the small business and local clubs and organisation would slowly just fade away."

This sentence could be broken into two as follows:

"Government funding and sponsorship are major sources of income for sport and recreation organisations. Income from these two sources helps to keep clubs and organisations from fading away."

Example 2: Remove unnecessary words

Here is an example of a long sentence written by a student. It has 24 words.

"However, putting that aside, Marist Swimming Club has several strategies that the club has adopted to promote itself better and in a broader context." (24 words)

In most cases, the shorter the sentence, the better. This is because in today’s age, many readers have shorter attention spans and want rapid information. But, there’s more to sentence length than just keeping them short. Read on to learn about why short sentences are effective, why it’s important to vary sentence length, and when it’s okay to write long sentences.

How Short Can a Sentence Be?

Technically, a sentence can be just one word. For example, “yes,” “no,” and “hurry” are words that are sentences on their own. Granted, if you write just those words with no context, you’ll leave your readers confused. But a long, wordy, and winding sentence can leave your readers just as puzzled.

A golden rule of effective writing is that if you can express your message in less words, do so. Writing shorter sentences may seem easier than the alternative, but it’s actually a skill that takes practice.

I was extremely happy because I got to see my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, who I hadn’t seen in five years because they live in New Zealand.

I was ecstatic when I saw my family from New Zealand because I hadn’t seen them in five years.

One way to shorten sentences is to reduce wordiness:

In order to apply for the scholarship, you have to fill out all three pages.

To apply for the scholarship, you have to fill out all three pages.

Another way to make a long sentence short is by figuring out the main points. Then, each point can be written as its own separate sentence. Similarly, if a sentence has more than one subordinate clause, it can be split up into two or more sentences:

Our professor won’t be coming to class today because she is sick and has to go see a doctor.

Our professor won’t be coming to class today. She is sick and has to go see a doctor.

Quick Tip

Wordy phrases are very much a part of our everyday vocabulary and can slip into our writing. Not only can LanguageTool—your intelligent spelling and grammar checker—detect these phrases and offer alternatives, it’ll also warn you when a sentence is too long.

Varying Sentence Length

In today’s age, keeping a reader tuned into your writing can seem like an impossible feat. Varying the length of sentences in your text can help achieve this.

Your writing should have a rhythm. Sentences of the same length create a boring tune. Instead, mix up the number of words in your sentence and watch how your readers will enjoy the tempo of your writing. That being said, a long sentence is okay in the appropriate setting. For example, if you’re writing a creative work, not only is a long sentence acceptable, but they’re necessary to create a desired effect, like drama or suspense. Keep in mind that when writing long sentences, commas and other punctuations, like em dashes, can help improve readability.

The Length of Sentences Matter

Sentence length makes all the difference. It determines whether a reader will stick with your writing and absorb what you have to say, or whether they move on to the next piece of content. When in doubt, play it safe and keep your sentences short by removing any wordy phrases and using the main points of a long sentence to break it down. But remember, it’s critical to vary sentence length. One short sentence after another can bore your reader just as much as an extremely long and complicated sentence.

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