Oxford Essential Guide To Writing

CHAPTER20The Well-Written Sentence:(1) ConcisionAside from being grammatical, a well-written sentence mustbe clear and interesting. Clarity means that it says to thereader what the writer intended to say; interesting, that itreads well, attracting us by its economy, novelty, sound, andrhythm. To a considerable degree these virtues are a matterof diction, that is, of word choice; and in the section on dictionwe shall look at them again from that point of view. Butthey also depend on sentence structure. In this chapter andthe next we consider how sentence structure in itself contributesto clarity and interest. It does so by aiming at concision,emphasis, rhythm, and variety.Concision is brevity relative to purpose. It is not to be confusedwith absolute brevity. A sentence of seven words isbrief; but if the idea can be conveyed with equal clarity infive, the sentence is not concise. On the other hand, a sentenceof fifty words is in no sense brief, but it is concise if the pointcan be made in no fewer words. Observing a few general rulesof sentence construction will help you avoid certain kinds ofwordiness.