Creating variety in writing

It is a common practice for writers to combine different sentence structures to add variety to their academic writing.

You can think of the sentence types as different structures at the writer's disposal. Usually, the purpose of different types of sentences can be described as follows:

  • A simple sentence expresses a thought with one main part.
  • A compound sentence expresses a thought with two related main parts.
  • A complex sentence expresses a thought with a main part with additional contextual or relational parts.
  • A compound-complex sentence expresses a thought with two related main parts and additional contextual or relational parts.

To use a variety of sentence structures in your writing, you need to consider your communication purposes. The following points can help you to decide which type of sentence structure suits your purpose best:

  • Think about what information can stand alone in a sentence as a complete idea, and which information extends, or adds detail.
  • Reflect on the relationships between different parts within a sentence; think about the purpose or function they serve.
  • Identify subjects and verbs to identify the clauses more easily.
  • Remember that subjects in academic English can sometimes be quite long. Use your growing intuition for English to identify boundaries between different parts of a sentence.

Example

Let’s look at an example of how a writer can combine different types of sentences in their article:

[1] Student engagement has been a hot topic in higher education policy, research and practice for more than a decade. [2] There is little agreement about what defines “engagement,” yet this phenomenon is typically characterised by students’ “vigour, dedication and absorption” in their learning, together with a sense of belonging to their learning communities (Baron & Corbin, 2012, p. 763). [3] Disengagement is associated with a “surface” approach to learning (Trowler, 2010), when feelings of alienation and a lack of community spirit on campus appear (McInnis & Hartley, 2002).

Legend: [1] A simple sentence; [2] A compound sentence; [3] A complex sentence.

Adapted from: Green, W. (2019). Engaging students in international education: Rethinking student engagement in a globalized world. Journal of Studies in International Education, 23(1), 3-9.

It is OK to keep things simple

If written clearly, all sentence structures can be equally valuable for clear communication. Therefore, avoid thinking of simple sentences as 'basic' or inferior to other types, and complex sentences being more sophisticated or valued in writing than others.

The following simple sentence is an example of how a rich and complex idea can be expressed effectively in a simple sentence:

“The aesthetic, moral and poetic impact of Dante's writing on the literary landscape of Italy and Europe more generally is a subject of ongoing intense scholarly debate and informed deliberation.”