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ACEING ACADEMIA #15: Avoid Extremely Long Sentences

The problem highlighted by this next ACEing Academia tip is an incredibly common way researchers tend to write which, in turn, has a tendency to make the reader grumpy because the sentence can go on and on so the reader is unsure how it began and what the main point was by the time they get to the end of it; it becomes even more complicated once semi-colons are added to the mix and, while I’m on the topic, don’t get me started on the problem of improperly used semi-colons.

And that is why extremely long sentences should be avoided.

Much like paragraphs that turn into a wall of text (ACEing Academia #7), sentences that are too long are challenging for the reader to follow. However, once you’re aware they’re a problem, avoiding them is actually fairly straightforward.

1️⃣ WATCH THE LENGTH: Keep an eye on the length of each sentence when you’re revising a grant proposal or paper. I have heard of universities who limit their students and staff to 20-30 words per sentence. I won’t be that prescriptive, but it’s probably too long If it starts drifting past three or four lines of text in Word.

2️⃣ ONE IDEA PER SENTENCE: Much like ACEing Academia #11 (one idea per paragraph please!), each sentence should focus on one thing. Trying to fit too many topics into a sentence just makes it hard for the reader to follow your thought process.

3️⃣ READ YOUR DOCUMENT OUT LOUD: Taking the time to read your document to yourself can catch a multitude of common errors. If you feel like you’re going to run out of breath before you get to the end of the sentence, it’s probably too long.

So, let’s try this again.

It is incredibly common for researchers to write extremely long sentences. However, this can confuse the reader because they lose track of the main message. Focusing on one idea at a time and keeping an eye on the length will help ensure your academic writing is clear and easy to follow. If sentences are too long, they can be split into two or more separate sentences. Semi-colons can also be used to combine two complete sentences if needed; however, they must be used correctly.

See the other posts in the ACEing Academia series:

♠  Content
♦  Clarity
♣  Structure
♥  Style