Short Sentences, Simple Punctuation, and Fine Foods

Short sentences tend to be easier for writers to punctuate correctly and easier for busy readers to follow.

Here’s a sentence that’s correctly punctuated but could still slow readers down because it’s 46 words long:

Last year, the Olive Center released a surprising study, based on laboratory and sensory testing, that found that 69 percent of imported extra-virgin olive oils — including big brands like Bertolli, Filippo Berio and Carapelli — bought off the shelves of California supermarkets failed to meet international standards.

You don’t need to keep a careful eye on wandering verb phrases and nonessential clauses when you limit each sentence to two or three ideas:

Last year, the Olive Center released a surprising study based on laboratory and sensory testing. Researchers found that 69 percent of imported extra-virgin olive oils bought off the shelves of California supermarkets failed to meet international standards. Big brands like Bertolli, Filippo Berio and Carapelli were included in the study.

Those three sentences boil down to 15, 22, and 13 words long. We recommend that you keep most sentences in business documents under 25 words.

When your sentences feel convoluted, try cutting them down to size with more periods, stricter word counts, and just a few ideas each.

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Write It Well’s book Essential Grammarincludes a chapter on sentence mechanics and two more on punctuation. We’ve made all the book’s exercises available as a free download here to accompany the e-book, which is now available on Amazon.com!

Do you have an important document but not enough time to clarify your thoughts and double-check your punctuation and grammar? Just use Write It Well’s editing services to make sure your readers follow your ideas and respect your voice.

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