Burhanudin Ibrahim
Writing with Writers: Descriptive Writing Home. Sentence Clarity. Summary: If you're having sentence clarity problems in your papers, this handout might be just what you need. Contributors:Chris Berry, Allen BrizeeLast Edited: 2013-02-21 09:09:26 There are many strategies for improving the clarity of your sentences and your papers. Go from old to new information Introduce your readers to the "big picture" first by giving them information they already know. Then they can link what's familiar to the new information you give them. As that new information becomes familiar, it too becomes old information that can link to newer information. The following example sentence is clear and understandable because it uses old information to lead to new information: Every semester after final exams are over, I'm faced with the problem of what to do with books of lecture notes (new information).
Here is a sentence that is not as clear. Lately, most movies I've seen have been merely second-rate entertainment, but occasionally there are some with worthwhile themes. Clearer: Short Story Tips: 10 Ways to Improve Your Creative Writing.