Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s talk about sentence length. First off: it matters and you should pay attention to it. Shorter sentences tend to be clearer, and we should always strive for clarity. But clarity does not always require the shortest-possible sentence; most thoughts can be properly conveyed in a number of longer or shorter ways. Let’s call this the “length-clarity spectrum.” So long as your sentence falls in the not-too-ambiguous portion of the spectrum, you can choose the appropriate sentence to express your thoughts.
Sentence length, along with word choice and sentence structure, is a key element in pacing your writing. You can take the same set of facts and completely change a reader’s’ perception of those facts through sentence length. As an example, the next two paragraphs demonstrate how much size matters when it comes to sentences. To emphasize the importance of sentence length, both examples are written in active voice with near-identical, mostly-neutral language.
As Tommy neared the stop sign, he hit his brakes and looked both ways to see if there was any traffic at the intersection. Because it was dark, Tommy could not see Billy’s sport utility vehicle, which was also approaching the intersection. As Tommy pulled into the intersection, he heard the sound of a car horn and looked up to see Billy’s sport utility vehicle, with a panicked Billy behind the wheel, also entering the intersection. Both of the drivers, who were trying to avoid a collision, applied their brakes…
Tommy neared the stop sign. He hit his brakes, looking both ways. It was dark. Tommy did not see Billy’s SUV approaching. Tommy pulled into the intersection. He heard a car horn. Looking up, Tommy saw Billy’s SUV entering the intersection. Billy was panicking. Tommy applied his brakes. Billy applied his brakes. Both tried to avoid the collision…
Both examples describe the same incident. The only real difference is that Example #1 contains four sentences and ninety words, for an average of just over 22 words/sentence. Example #2, on the other hand, has eleven sentences and fifty-eight words, for an average of just over 5 words/sentence. Both fall into an acceptable range on the length-clarity spectrum. But as you can see, even though they both give the same facts, they tell a different story.
Example #1 unfolds more slowly, and the pacing does not foreshadow any impending action. Example #2 moves quicker, jerkier, leading us quickly from one fact to the next without allowing us to meander around at any point of the narrative. Even with both paragraphs written in active voice with nearly-identical word choice, sentence length changes the narrative. More could be done to differentiate the pacing, and hence a reader’s perception of the facts, through word choice and sentence structure, but we are only exploring sentence length here.
Is there an optimal sentence length? It depends on what you are trying to do. Are you trying to speed up the story, get to the action? Opt for shorter sentences. Are you trying to draw it out, slow down the story and give your reader the perception that things aren’t happening quite so fast? Go with longer sentences.
I’m interested in your thoughts on this topic. Does size matter when it comes to sentence length? Let me know in the comments.
I do prefer short sentences, also. The rule I’ve learned is to express one thought in one sentence rather than confusing the reader by squeezing multiple thoughts into one sentence. I followed that rule my entire “educational career” and it serves me especially well in law school.
I just recently had to look back at this topic and came across Mark Twain’s advice:
At times the writer may indulge himself with a long one, but he will make sure there are no folds in it, no vagueness, no parenthetical interruptions of its view as a whole; when he has done with it, it won’t be a sea-serpent with half of its arches under wanted; it will be a torchlight procession.
Anyhow, good work, Joshua. Always exciting to see what topic you’ll pick next!
I agree that single-thought sentences are better as a general rule; they certainly help with clarity. The single-thought sentence could be it’s own topic, too. We’ll get into more style issues in the future. And style will be a focus of many of the seminar and course offerings that are coming soon.
Thanks for commenting! And I love advice from Twain, always worth paying attention to him. Are there other topics you would like to see covered? I’ve got a few lined up, but am always on the lookout for discussions readers are interested in.
How about semicolons? Is there an universal rule for those? I use them when my gut tells me that they are proper. That’s probably not the best way to do it.
Semicolons are my all-time favorite punctuation mark and grammar tool! I’ll get a post on them soon. I want to make sure I do the semicolon justice; it may take more than one post. Great idea!