How to write a sentence

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words to use when learning how to write a sentence

Writing is an important element of anyone’s life, more so if you choose a profession that requires a great deal of communication via email. The way you write defines you before a person ever meets you. If you send a letter or an email with sentences full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes then you are sending a negative message about yourself.

The basics of writing begin by learning how correctly to write a sentence. Once upon a time, we were all taught that writing a good sentence meant that a sentence had to have a noun and a verb in it. While a noun and a verb do meet the basic qualifications for a sentence, they do not necessarily make a good sentence. For example, the following is an example of a sentence that contains the bare minimum requirements. He talked.

Now, if you are working at a police station and you have been interrogating a witness, then writing down he talked might cut it for a descriptive sentence. However, in the world of business, that just is not going to do. There are some basic considerations to make when writing a sentence.

What to include in a strong sentence

To write a strong sentence that meets more than the bare minimum for a sentence structure you should consider including the following:

  • Noun – a person, place, or thing (ex. The girl, Oklahoma, my purse)
  • Adjective – a word that describes a noun (ex. A pretty girl)
  • Verb – an action, state or condition (ex. He ran, he’s excited, he’s sick)
  • Adverb – a word, or words that modify a sentence, usually ends in an ly (ex. Unfortunately, quickly, happily)
  • Preposition – links a noun to other words in a sentence (ex. To, in, after, of)

While you may not be able to get every suggestion into a sentence, in general you should be able to include at least four of them to complete a sentence.

This may seem like a lot, but consider the following sentences:

  • Ann ran excitedly to her mother.

"Ann" is the noun. "Run" is the verb. "Excitedly" is the adverb. "T"o is the preposition.

  • The mean dog chased the crying child around the park bench.

In this sentence there are two nouns, "dog" and "child". The adjectives are "mean" and "crying" because they describe the nouns (mean dog, crying child). "Crying" in this case is not the verb because it is used to describe the child. The verb is "chased". The preposition is "around".

The key questions to ask yourself when you are writing a sentence is did you answer the question who and what. Who is the sentence about and what are they doing, if you have answered these questions then you have a successful sentence. If you have answered these questions using at least four of the grammatical standards above, then you have a strong sentence.

What about readability

With Microsoft Word, there came spelling and grammar check. These two devices have changed the lives of typists everywhere. However, is Word always right, or should writers be pressing the ignore button more often than not. Simply put, that is not an easy question to answer. Here are some of the more common “mistakes” that MS Word marks within sentences:

  • Passive sentences – these are sentences that contain a passive word before a verb rather than an active word – (ex. His assistance with the matter was appreciated.) Was appreciated is the passive voice in this sentence, in order to remove the passive voice then the sentence must be restructured. (ex. We appreciated Toney’s assistance with the matter.)
  • Using contractions – contractions are words that are shortened with the omitted letter being marked with an apostrophe (ex. He will = he’ll, can’t = cannot, don’t = do not)
  • Split Infinitive – “an infinitive is a verb with no specific reference to a tense, person, or subject. It is usually preceded by the word to.” (Encarta Dictionary) (ex. To do, to leave, to want, etc). A split infinitive is the separation of the infinitive by another word (ex. You need to quickly run to the store.)

None of these grammar uses is necessarily wrong. For example, passive sentences are appropriate when the writer is deliberately trying to be vague about how a specific thing happened or if you do not want to specifically mention a person or group by name. However, avoid using passive sentences whenever possible simply because passive sentences sound just that, passive. If you cannot find a phrasing that works without using passive voice, do not sweat it too much, a few passive sentences are not going to ruin a letter or report.

Contractions are not grammatically incorrect either, however, any time you are writing for a professional venue, whether it is college, work, a technical paper, etc. contractions should not be used. Not because they are grammatically incorrect, but because they are very casual and you should avoid cause verbiage when there is required professionalism.

Spilt infinitives have been the source of great debate for a number of years. While technically not grammatically correct, most scholars accept the necessity of split infinitives. While most split infinitives can be changed to be grammatically correct, at times the new sentences sound awkward or wrong. If possible, avoid using split infinitives in sentences, however if a rewording of a sentence produces a sentence that sound off, then do not worry, no one is going to call a writer out for a split infinitive, unless of course you are an English major, and then you should avoid them at all costs.

Of course, like any writing, when writing a sentence, make sure that you check your punctuation, spelling and grammar to ensure that you produce the best work possible for your readers.