1. Crafting effective sentences
and paragraphs

2. Going from thinking to writing
Writing is not the same as thinking out loud. There is
another stage involved after thinking, in which words are
sifted and selected, and then crafted and combined,
in order to create a memorable impression. In this
process, each sentence…is both designed and built by
the writer. Good sentences do not just happen: there
is no such thing as an automatic flow of writing.
John Peck and Martin Coyle, The Student's Guide to
Writing

3. Your aim
"Words are our trade. It is not enough to get the news. We must be
able to put it across. Meaning must be unmistakable, and it must
also be succinct. Every word must be understood by the ordinary
reader, every sentence must be clear at one glance".
Harold Evans, former editor of The Times and the Sunday Times
Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers

4. Understanding syntax
The arrangement of words in a
sentence. From the Greek,
"arrange together".

5. What are the basic components
of a sentence?

7. Simple sentence construction

8. Simple sentence construction
At the most basic level, sentences must include a
subject and a verb and may have an object.
A subject is the thing or person being described
A verb expresses an action
Sentences may also contain an object, which is
the thing or person affected by the action
described in the verb .

9. Simple sentence examples
I (subject) walk (verb)
I (subject) walk (verb) the dog (object)

10. Different types of sentences

11. Simple
A simple sentence contains only one
verb.
He ran up the hill.

12. Compound
A compound sentence contains two or more
main verbs and is made up of two sentences
joined using a conjunction (while, and, but, etc.)
He ran up the hill while she waited at
the bottom.

13. Independent clauses
An independent clause is a complete
sentence.
The house stands on top of the hill.

14. Dependent clauses
A dependent (also known as ‘subordinate’)
clause is a related part of a sentence that
does not express a complete thought
on its own.
The house, which was built in 1970, stands
on top of the hill.

15. Complex sentences
A complex sentence contains one or more
main verbs and one or more subsidiary
verbs.
He ran up the hill while she waited at
the bottom and timed him using a
stopwatch.

16. Combining sentences
Sentences can be combined using connecting
words called conjunctions, e.g. ‘but’, ‘and’, ‘or’, etc.
John likes reading but his wife prefers to
watch TV.

17. Some common conjunctions
(joining words)

18. What can go wrong?

19. Commas not conjunctions
Sentences are combined using commas rather
than conjunctions to separate them.
John reads, Jane likes to listen to the radio

20. Fragmented sentences
Sentences do not make sense in their own right
because they are disconnected from the main
clause. These are called fragmented sentences
I like puddings. Including cakes, trifles and ice
cream.

21. Pleonasms
Sentences become over-long and full of
unnecessary words which may mean the
same thing. These are called pleonasms
It is absolutely necessary and essential
that you attend this meeting.

22. Run-on sentences
Two sentences are wrongly made into one because
they are not separated by some kind of punctuation
mark. These are called run-on sentences
He only told me he was coming today he should have
told me yesterday.

23. Mixed tenses
Verb tenses are mixed
People who were living in the
refugee camps are not able to get
enough to eat.

24. Questions
Can you start a sentences with
'And' or ‘But’?
It is grammatically correct to start
sentences ‘And’ or ‘But.’ Both are
commonly used for dramatic impact in
news writing.

25. And
The commission says 10 million people are not
saving into any pension scheme. And those who
are in a scheme often get charged too much for
a service that is inefficient.

26. But
When John Stafford left his house on the morning
of 6 July 1979, he believed his wife and daughter
would be waiting for him at the bus station. But
just an hour later, he received a phone call telling
him that they were dead.

27. Questions
Active or passive?
Which of these intros makes you sit up and take notice?
“There were riots in several towns in Northern England last
night, in which police clashed with stone-throwing youths.”
(passive)
“‘Youths throwing stones clashed with police during riots in
several towns in Northern England last night.” (active)
Active voice - A does B Passive voice - B is done (usually by A)

28. Questions
Can I end a sentence with a preposition?
Debatable, according to grammarians. But for
journalism try and avoid it where possible.

29. Some common prepositions
(words that indicate time/location)

30. How not to use a preposition to
end a sentence
The new policy was something the Prime
Minister had not previously thought of.
Sentences that end in prepositions can sound clumsy
so try and avoid it. This sentence does not flow and the
term 'thought of' is colloquial. The word 'considered'
could replace the last two words.

31. When should I start a new
paragraph?
You should start a new paragraph when
you have a fresh point to make.
Paragraphs must be used to present
information in a logical and interesting
way.

32. Paragraph length - news
In journalism, short paragraphs are used because the text is laid out
in columns. Journalists also use concise paragraphs to hold
reader’s attention, particularly when writing for the web.
A man has died and his wife has been seriously injured
during an attack by a horse in Lancashire.
They were towing a horse box on the A56 in Haslingden on
Wednesday evening when the horse became agitated,
police said.
(BBC NEWS website)

33. Paragraph length – academic
writing
In academic writing, longer paragraphs
are used to display information and
develop ideas and arguments.

34. Five questions to consider when
crafting sentences and
paragraphs
- Is this a sentence?
- Am I in control of the different elements of the sentence
(clauses, etc)
- Have I got the words in the right order?
- Does each sentence lead on from the sentence before?
- Do the separate sentences combine to form an effective
paragraph?