What is sentence fluency?
Fluency:
The smoothness or flow with which sounds, syllables, words or phrases are joined together when
speaking quickly.
This also applies to writing – creating an overall flow to your writing
Which sounds better? Why?
1. We came home. We ate cookies. We played games. We ate supper. We went to bed.
2. After school, we rode our bikes home and shared a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Then we decided to play a quick game of Chinese checkers followed by our favorite, Monopoly.
Sentence Fluency
Sentence fluency is about the sound and rhythm of language
The way in which sentences are woven together affects not only the overall tone and voice of a
piece, but also the clarity and meaning.
Different depending on the purpose (business – may rely on short, direct, succinct sentences,
narrative – may have a poetic, almost musical sound to it)
- Rhythmic patterns
- Natural
- Easy-on-the-ear flow
- Easy to read aloud
- Poetic, musical
- Variety
- Effective use of fragments
Notice how your sentences begin.
This person wrote beginning sentences that are repetitive and boring:
“We went to the beach. We had fun. We saw seagulls. We went home.”
Yawn! Vary the openings and combine very short sentences:
“Despite being overrun with pesky seagulls, we had fun at the beach.”
Don’t let sentences drift on too long either. If a sentence feels wildly out of control, slice it in half and make
two sentences.
Read your work aloud and listen to the rhythm and flow of the words. Does the fluency match the mood and
content? -- Think long and flowing where the piece is descriptive and thoughtful, and short and snappy
where you need to make a point.
HERE IS A READ-ALOUD
SENTENCE FLUENCY CHECKLIST
The best way to evaluate sentence fluency in a writing piece, is to listen to it read
aloud. As it is read aloud, ask the following questions.
1. Does the reader have any areas where he runs out of breath? If so, look at those
areas for possible run-on sentences.
2. Do any areas of the reading sound short and choppy? If so, check those areas
for fragments and an overuse of simple sentences. Combine some of the
sentences.
3. Are there any fragments, or incomplete thoughts? If so, do they add to the
message? If not, rewrite the fragments so that they are complete sentences.
4. Do several sentences begin in the same way? If so, rewrite the sentences so that
they have different beginnings.
5. Do several sentences sound the same? If so, rework some of the sentence
structures.
6. Do the sentences all seem to be of the same length? If so, rewrite some of the
sentences to add variety in the length.
7. Does the reader get lost and have to backtrack in any areas? If so, look at how
the sentences are connected to each other. Rewrite them so that their
relationship is more clear.
8. Does it sound like the way a person would normally speak? If not, rewrite the
sentences to sound the way a person would talk.
9. Do any areas of the reading sound effortless, flowing, and rhythmic?
areas contain good sentence fluency.
If so, these
10.
Do any areas invite expressive, oral reading? If so, they contain good
sentence fluency.