Ohio University College of Business Communication Standards

short, and to the point. Most importantly, good business paragraphs develop one idea at a
time.
In business letters and memos, one-sentence paragraphs are not uncommon, especially in the
first and last paragraphs. In reports, one- and two-sentence paragraphs make the report seem
too choppy.
The number of lines in a paragraph can be used to judge proper length. Paragraphs in letters
and memos are easiest to read if they do not exceed 4-5 printed lines. In reports, paragraphs
of 7-9 lines are acceptable. Longer paragraphs always appear difficult and uninviting to
read.
Check the words per sentence in your document for conciseness. If your average sentence
length is too long, try these techniques to reduce the length: (1) Check for wordiness-eliminate
all unnecessary words. (2) Change passive sentences to active sentences. (3)
Break long sentences into two or more sentences. (4) Use a vertical list for a series of items.
Items 3 and 4 are especially useful if you have any sentences over 40 words.
If your average sentence length is short, your writing may be choppy. Check to see how
many sentences have fewer than 10 words and combine some of your short sentences into
complex or compound sentences, as shown below.
The company usually does not give semi-annual raises. However, all employees will
receive a raise in June.
Revision: Although the company usually does not give semi-annual raises, all
employees will receive a raise in June. (complex sentence with a
dependent clause)
Revision: The company usually does not give semi-annual raises, but all employees
will receive a raise this June. (compound sentence with two independent
clauses joined by a conjunction)
Readability
Too many passive sentences should be avoided in business writing. An analysis of wellwritten
business letters and memos reveals that about 80 percent of the verbs are active. In
other words, only one out of five sentences should be passive. If your work contains more
than 20 percent of passive sentences, please revise the sentences using active verbs. In
general, the active voice is more effective in business communications than the passive voice
for two reasons: (1) The sentences are usually more concise. (2) The writing is more
interesting because the subject of the sentence is taking the action implied in the verb.
Passive: The decision was made by the manager at the last moment.
Active: The manager decided at the last moment.
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