A guide to writing simple sentences

Attention, over-writers! It's time to make your communications simpler and more impactful. Find out how to use short, engaging sentences to get your message across.

How to write simple sentences

There are many great reasons to keep your sentences simple when speaking or writing. Most importantly, it can help make your communications clearer for:

• People who have had limited access to education

• People whose first language is not English

• People with sight or hearing issues

• People with mental illness

• People who are simply busy, tired or have limited time or capacity to digest information.

When editing a business communication, one of the first things I ask myself is, 'Can I make this sentence simpler?'

To write a simple sentence, we must clearly express one complete thought. That thought could be:

• A statement: The worker was in the office.

• A question: Was the worker in the office?

• A command: Please go to the office!

• An exclamation: What a great office!

Our simple sentence will typically consist of a subject, verb and noun.

• The subject is the person or thing acting in the sentence.

• The verb is the action in the sentence.

• The noun is an object, person, animal or place in the sentence.

Example:

The worker was in the office.

By stringing together short sentences like these, we can create a clear, engaging story that almost anyone can understand.

Not only that, but short sentences can be more impactful and prevent us from overthinking.

In a world where the battle for attention wages on, short sentences can be the difference between people getting your point—or not.

So, next time you're communicating, ask yourself, 'Am I getting my message across in as few words as possible?'

Have you got a tip for simplifying sentences? If so, pop it in the comment box below!

Communication expert Victoria Hall explains how to write simple sentences

About Victoria Hall

Victoria believes that great communication has the power to change the world. She's passionate about helping organisations to lift their profiles, inspire action and achieve remarkable results by crafting and delivering their stories and messages in a clear, compelling and persuasive way. If you've got a question about how to produce high-quality communication plans or content, you can contact Victoria here or connect with her on LinkedIn.