Improving Sentence Style
1. Eliminate all “to be” verbs.
2. How long are your sentences? Count words in the paper, count sentences.
3. Find your longest sentence. What is the length of the sentence before it?
After it? If that long sentence is not either preceded or followed by a short
sentence, change one of them to a short sentence.
4. What forms are your sentences? Count simple, compound, and compoundcomplex sentences. If you do not have a variety, rewrite some of the
sentences to include all of these types.
5. How do your sentences begin? If more than half of your sentences begin with
the subject, rewrite them in a way that varies the beginning.
6. Check your comma use by applying these 4 rules:
 Use a comma between 3+ items in a series.
 Use comma(s) to set off parenthetical expressions and appositives.
 Use a comma before “and,” “but,” “or,” “so,” and “yet” when those
words join independent clauses.
 Use a comma after introductory phrases.
7. Have you used any semicolons? If not, find a pair of sentences that would be
better punctuated with a semicolon and rewrite.
8. Have you used any dashes? If not, find a sentence that would improve with a
dash and rewrite.
9. Find all “which” clauses and rewrite most of them to eliminate “which.”
10. Eliminate as many “of,” “in,” “to,” and “by” as possible.
11. Find all instances of “there is” or “there are” and eliminate.
12. Find all instances of “it” with no antecedent and eliminate.
13. Find all instances of “this” or “that” used without a noun. Add a noun or
rewrite.
14. Have you used quotation marks? Check for correctness.
15. Have you used apostrophes or colons? Do you need to?
16. Is your diction appropriate for your audience and topic? Check for slang,
trite expressions, and empty words. Eliminate as necessary.