A sentence works best when the reader's immediately comfortable with it. Try to make each sentence start strongly then, on that basis, bring in the rest of its information.
A sentence's opening should (1) focus on something useful, (2) set up the main point, and/or (3) connect to the previous sentence.
| Good writing offers many advantages. The main advantage is ensuring its author's ideas and interests are taken seriously. | |
| (1) | "The main advantage is" = Instantly shows what the author wants to focus on. |
| (2) | "The main advantage is" = The reader knows what to expect in the rest of the sentence. |
| (3) | "The main advantage is" = Connects to "advantage" in the previous sentence: the ideas work together. |
COMMON MISTAKE
Avoid empty or irrelevant sentence openings. They're usually a lost opportunity.
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X Good writing offers many advantages. Among other things, getting the author's ideas and interests taken seriously is the main advantage. |
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| (1) | "Among other things" = This qualifies the author's point, but isn't part of the point itself - the reader's left floating. |
| (2) | "Getting the author's ideas and..." = The reader doesn't immediately see what this new sentence will do. |
| (3) | "Getting the author's ideas and..." = The reader doesn't immediately see what this has got to do with the previous point. |