My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is now available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor explains why you don’t want more than six words in between the main subject and verb of your sentence, and how to integrated plain language writing strategies into your work: “Reducing the weight of your words: How to lightenContinue reading “#AskDrEditor: Reducing the weight of your words”
Tag Archives: sentence structure
Making paragraphs flow
We all know that good paragraphs cohere around a single topic and are book-ended by strong, analytical take-away sentences. But how can a disjointed, staccato-sounding paragraph be made to have flow? Flow is an elusive quality — it’s the sense that sentences move logically and seamlessly without repetition or heavy-handed transitioning. Sometimes this flow comesContinue reading “Making paragraphs flow”
Favour the active voice
Active voice sentences are shorter and clearer than passive voice ones. When you write in the passive voice, the person who is doing the action is removed from the story you’re telling. Think of the difference between these two (fictional) headlines: Funding for Scientific Research Cut (passive voice) Trudeau Cuts Scientific Research Funding (active voice)Continue reading “Favour the active voice”