Sentence Composition

Keep sentence structure simple

Complicated sentence structure is one of the biggest barriers to strong public communication in Advocacy documents. While sentences might be grammatically correct, they can be stylistic nightmares if they are too long or contain too many clauses.

For public communication, the Office of Information encourages you to follow these guidelines.

Keep sentences short

An individual sentence should only contain one idea. For public communication, this allows readers to digest each piece of information as they go. This is especially important when conveying important conclusions, data, or arguments. While dependent clauses might seem like they aid communication, oftentimes eliminating them in favor of a shorter, more concise sentence is wise.

For a document explicitly written for public consumption like a blog post, you should aim for sentences of around 18 words. For legal or economic documents, you should aim for sentences of around 25 words. Occasionally, you will find yourself where you need longer sentences. That’s okay but use longer sentences sparingly.

Write sentences in subject-verb-object

English sentences, at their core, are ordered subject-verb-object. The subject is either the agent in the sentence or what the sentence is about. The verb is the action performed. The object is the item that the verb acts on. Ideally, sentences look something like the following one:

The Environmental Protection Agency conducted an IRFA.

In this sentence, “The Environmental Protection Agency” is the subject, “conducted” is the verb, and “IRFA” is the object. The order of events is clear, the sentence is written in active voice, and the sentence is understandable.

As you write about more complicated things, however, you may feel compelled by the tendency to add additional materials to the sentence. Frequently, you’ll need a modifier to describe the object, so our sentence looks like this:

The Environmental Protection Agency conducted an IRFA on an update to the Clean Air Act.

Again, though, the core of the sentence still reads subject-verb-object. When adding modified material, either move it to the end of the sentence, like above, or place the material in a new sentence to aid in clarity.

The Environmental Protection Agency conducted an IRFA. The IFRA referred to a proposed 2020 update to the Clean Air Act.

When writing about regulations that have an if-then form, start with the “if” clause, and list out the “then” clauses. Use multiple sentences if necessary.

Keep paragraphs short

Short paragraphs are preferable to long ones. Advocacy’s readers come to our content to look for specific information, and short paragraphs are easier to read and understand. Paragraphs should cover one idea per paragraph. Keep paragraphs to about three to eight sentences and 150 words. For complicated ideas, a paragraph can go up to about 250 words. If possible, try to subdivide those ideas. Paragraphs shorter than 150 words are acceptable, and occasional one sentence paragraphs are useful for web content.

Short paragraphs are especially important for web documents. The General Services Administration notes that website readers decide on a site’s usefulness in five seconds, 79% scan the page instead of reading, and web users read about 18% of what is on the page at any given time. Short paragraphs make skimming easier, increasing retention for users. They also encourage more concision in writing.