From the course: Tips for Better Business Writing

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Write in short sentences and paragraphs

Write in short sentences and paragraphs

From the course: Tips for Better Business Writing

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Write in short sentences and paragraphs

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- Some sentences are too long to read and understand easily. Some paragraphs include too much information to process quickly. People often have to read sentences twice when they're longer than 30 words. As a general rule, craft each sentence to include just one or two thoughts, and keep each sentence between about 18 and 25 words. When you use technical or unusual terms, drop the count to 15 to 18 words. Does that mean you're counting the number of each words in each sentence? No, it doesn't. It means that if you have a gut feeling that the sentence you just wrote seems long, you should take another look at it. If you're still not sure, you can count the words. Should every sentence be the same length? No. Including shorter and longer sentences can add rhythm and variation to your document. The longer sentences should be especially clear. Now for paragraphs. As a general rule, each paragraph should focus on one main point. Many of us learned that the first sentence in a paragraph…

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