3. Composing Effective Sentences

The most compelling and effective messages contain a variety of sentence patterns and avoid common sentence faults. You can create successful messages with sentence variety by understanding the four sentence types, controlling the length of your sentences, and avoiding fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.

Identify the correct pattern of a complex sentence.

One independent clause with a subject and a predicate verb

Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction, a semicolon, or a conjunctive adverb

An independent clause and a dependent clause

Identify the sentence pattern of the following sentence.

Katherine should proofread the recommendation report, and you should finish the slide deck for the presentation.

Compound-complex

Simple

Compound

Sentence length also impacts the reception of your message.

Complete the following sentence.

Controlling sentence length will help the of your message.

The three most common sentence errors are fragments, run-ons, and comma splices. If you can identify the common types of sentence errors, you will be more likely to avoid making them.

Read the following selections and identify the sentence error.

Typing an e-mail message is a form of message encoding, an idea is converted into written language.

Comma splice

Fragment

Run-on

Avoiding the most common sentence faults helps you maintain professional credibility and craft more effective messages.

Select the correct version of each pair of the following sentences.

Local markets have become saturated, so companies now look to other countries for further expansion.

Local markets have become saturated companies now look to other countries for further expansion.

If you can write well, you can represent your company well.

If you can write well; you can represent your company well.

Employees today arent hired only for their knowledge, their ability to learn new things is also vital.

Employees today arent hired only for their knowledge. Their ability to learn new things is also vital.

The communication process works fluidly it moves from one step to the next often without pause.

The communication process works fluidly. It moves from one step to the next often without pause.

To ensure clear communication, use precise words to convey your ideas.

To ensure clear communication; use precise words to convey your ideas.