Writing Style 6

Last updated on: June 4, 2011 at 7:00 am by Joel Willitts

Writing Style 6 2011-06-04T07:00:54-04:00 Joel Willitts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I continue my series on writing style with lesson 6 in Williams and Colomb’s book Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace (10th Edition). This lesson is the last of part 2 of the book’s five parts. Part 2 is the longest in the book and the subject has been clarity. In the previous lesson, Williams and Colomb’s focused on the importance of writing sentences that begin with the more familiar material, allowing new and more difficult material to be placed at the end of a sentence. Additionally, we learned that the subjects of sentences in a passage should be few, should relate to each other, and should contain the topic of the passage and these should be short and as concrete as possible. By doing this, readers will think our writing is both cohesive and coherent.

This lesson moves the focus to the end of the sentence where they make two primary points: one about clarity and the other emphasis.

Concerning Clarity. Williams and Colombs make the useful observation that the momentum built in an easy first nine or ten words of a sentence will carry a reader through more complicated material at the tail end. So it is important to put complex ideas and technical terms at the end of a sentence. Readers will find this more readable. “The general principle is to carry the reader not from complexity to simplicity, but from simplicity to complexity”.

In general, your sentences should begin with elements that are relatively short: a short introductory phrase or clause, followed by a short, concrete subject, followed by a verb expressing a specific action. After the verb, the sentence can go on for several lines, if it is well constructed (85).

Concerning Emphasis. The other point with respect to the end of a sentence is stress or emphasis. The end of the sentence is where the stress falls. Consequently, it is important to thoughtfully construct the ending of sentences so that the most important and most memorable material is placed at the end of a sentence. They put it concisely: “Just as you look at the first few words of your sentence for focus, you can look at the last few words for emphasis” (87).

To revise sentences to ensure that you emphasis the right things and end your sentences strongly, the authors recommend four strategies:

1. Trim dead weight off the end of your sentences.
2. Shift peripheral ideas to the left.
3. Shift new information to the right.
4. Avoid repeating words at the end.

Here’s a tip:

You can easily check whether you have stressed the right words by reading sentences aloud [by the way, I was told Tom Wright reads all his writing out loud, although I’m not certain that this is accurate information]: as you speak the last few words, raise your voice and tap the table with your fingers. If you’ve stressed the wrong words, your voice and table thumping will feel wrong (89).

One final recommendation about the end of a sentence that is very important:

Put key words in the stress position of the first sentence of a passage [paragraph or even essay] in order to emphasize the key ideas that form a connecting thread through the rest of the passage.

I learned something similar in my homiletics course at Dallas Theological Seminary as part of the introduction of a sermon (called the “preview”) and Dr. Bruce Winter taught me a similar lesson early in my studies at Cambridge when writing an academic paper or essay. Provide a sentence in the introduction that makes mention of the key ideas of the essay. I’ve used this technique ever since.

Writing

Previous Post

June 4, 2011

Ascension Means WIJD

Next Post

June 4, 2011 Ascension Day Reflection

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw a vision of a valley full of dry bones?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Daniel Ezekiel Amos Micah

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »