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Showing posts from July, 2011

Writing a Cleverly Crafted Sentence

Suggestion N รบ mero Uno The sentence is an elegant invention; it communicates easily using logic, rhetoric, and grammar.   The tiniest sentence can measure one word (or less: “Wha.   . . ?”), but its length has no bounds (to date the longest has measured 469,375 words). A well-constructed sentence is a thing of beauty. The only way to improve one’s writing is by immersing oneself in the written language (by reading mentor texts for good examples), and by emulating good construction with practice (by copying a good sentence onto paper and substituting one’s own words onto the form). Memorizing a myriad of grammar rules does not improve one’s writing; internalization comes only through deliberate study and use. Since I want to learn how to construct better sentences, I search for those that pique my interest. I look for them in published writing, and I highlight them or make marginal notes. I study their form and practice them, using them in my own writing. The next time you are