How to Make Sentences in English and Avoid Grammatical Pitfalls

It is common knowledge that experienced English writers make mistakes in their write-ups too. Therefore, it is a ‘must excuse’ situation if beginners of English writing make errors in their writings. However, one can write English, more accurately by saying, ‘foreign writers’ correctly if they follow simple English grammar. Writing must not be complex. After all, everyone, more often than not, will write for someone else to read. Therefore, writing should contain simple words, and follow simple grammar rather than complicated, ambiguous and long-winded sentences. Because of complex words, readers turn to a dictionary every time they read such sentences.

According to English Grammar, people can write ‘simple’ ‘compound,’ ‘complex’, and ‘complex-compound’ sentences. All these types of sentences come into four categories. Simple sentences contain only one independent clause. They do not use dependent clauses. An example of a simple sentence is ‘the researcher goes to the forest’. This sentence contain the subject – the ‘doer’ that is the researcher, and the action that is ‘goes’ and the place he goes to which is the object. Since there is no other part of the sentence, it becomes a simple sentence.

On the other hand, a compound sentence comprises many independent clauses. But they do not carry dependent clauses. An example is ‘The farmer went to the field, and his wife stayed at home’. The same sentence can take many more independent clauses, but it does not carry dependent clauses. An example of dependent clause is ‘while he goes to town’. This clause needs an independent clause for it to become a meaningful sentence. In this sense, ‘While he goes to town, his wife stays at home’ is a meaningful sentence.

However, it falls into the category of a complex sentence because it has a dependent clause. A simple sentence with an independent clause and a dependent clause is called a complex sentence. It is tasteless if only simple sentences are written. For example, a write up with simple sentences such as ‘He wakes up in the morning.’ ‘He goes to the farm after that.’ He eats breakfast on the farm’ and so on will make the reader look down on the writer. Therefore, the writer of this piece should use simple, compound, complex as well as complex and compound sentences appropriately throughout his or her write-ups to make them attractive.

Also, writers must use ‘transition phrases or words’ to keep the ‘flow’ of expression when they write. To name a few, some transitional phrases are ‘further’ ‘furthermore’ ‘in addition to’, ‘moreover’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘arguably’ ‘Then and again’ ‘following’ and ‘in conclusion’. Furthermore, a simple sentence can make a write up more attractive and readable than a write up with many complex sentences. However, it is the clarity that readers want. No one likes to read past words without knowing their meaning. So, make sentences in English in a simple way. ‘You are eating’ rather than ‘you are in the process of eating’. Delete all the redundant words and make sentences compact and simple.