What is a sentence?
A sentence is a group of words, almost always containing at least one subject (the what) and one verb (the how), which expresses a complete thought or idea. Sentences always start with a capital letter, and always end with a full stop, a question mark or, in more informal writing, an exclamation mark.
Why are sentences important?
In formal written English clear structure is extremely important, and sentences are the foundation to achieving this. In order to express yourself in formal written English you must write in clear, concise, complete, well-punctuated sentences.
There are four main types of errors that can be made when writing sentences:
1) Incomplete sentences:
Look at the following example:
We decided to go out for a walk. Although it was raining.
The second sentence here is incomplete. It does not make sense by itself; it is in fact part of the first sentence. These are often referred to as sentence fragments.
2) Incorrectly punctuated sentences
This is usually a question of poor use of commas. This is when the writer separates two or more individual simple sentences with a comma, when what is needed is a linking word such as and, but, or however.
For example:
I went to a party last night, I left early because I didn’t feel well.
Should be:
I went to a party last night but left early because I didn’t feel well.
3) Sentences that are too long
The longer your sentence, the more control you need over punctuation, linking words, and use of pronouns. If you use any of these badly, then your reader will become confused. Write in fairly short sentences, maybe a maximum of around 20-25 words or a couple of lines.
4) Sentences that are too short
Don’t go to the opposite extreme and write lots of very short sentences of just a few words. Your writing will become “bitty”, and again will become tiring for the reader. Occasional short sentences can be very effective to emphasise a point, but don’t put lots of them together.
This exercise on identifying common errors in writing might be useful in helping you to develop your own style.
Adapted from Birmingham City University > Centre for Academic Success > Study guides: Writing http://library.bcu.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.29.htm
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