Make short sentences

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Follow the rule “One idea, one sentence.”

Don’t put too much information into one sentence.

Long sentences make it difficult to understand a text because they consume a lot of short-term memory.

It’s not so much of a problem if you have just one long sentence. It’s a big problem, however, if you have a succession of many long sentences.

Instructions (procedures) need especially short sentences because users must both read and act almost simultaneously, which limits their short-term memory. Never describe more than two actions within one sentence.

Write so that your reader has to read each sentence only once. Most readers aren’t willing to read a sentence a second time.

If readers who didn’t understand a sentence do read a sentence a second time: They’ll be angry that you’ve stolen their precious time.

If readers who didn’t understand a sentence don’t read a sentence a second time: They’ll miss an important piece of information. Maybe they even fail to use your product correctly.

Short sentences force you, the author, to be clear. This can be hard when writing a text, but it’s essential for your readers. If you can’t shorten all sentences, even occasional shorter sentences are helpful.

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What’s a good sentence length?

As a rule of thumb, 10 to 15 words per sentence is a good average sentence length.

In normal text, individual sentences with subordinate clauses may be up to about 25 words long.

In instructions, the longest sentences shouldn’t be longer than approximately 20 words.

Tip:
When in doubt, read your own sentence. If you can’t repeat the sentence from memory, it’s too long.

There may be additional factors that further limit the acceptable maximum sentence length:

Users with a low educational level need shorter sentences than users with a high educational level.

Users who speak the document’s language as a second language need shorter sentences than native speakers.

Users who have little time to read a text need shorter sentences—especially in stressful and dangerous situations. (Example: Instructions on a fire extinguisher.)

Users who are standing in a hot, noisy production hall need shorter sentences than users who are sitting in a quiet office or at home.

Tips for splitting long sentences

Search for the words and and or. Often, these words signal the easiest and most sensible places to split a long sentence.

Convert comma-separated lists into bulleted lists (see Writing lists) or tables (see Writing tables).

Convert “if-then” structures into bulleted lists.

Convert sentences that describe multiple actions into a step-by-step procedure (see Writing procedures).

 

No:

You can use the program to write letters and you can use it to display and print presentation slides.

Yes:

You can use the program to write letters. You can also use the program to display and print presentation slides.

Yes:

You can use the program:

to write letters

to display presentation slides

to print presentation slides

No:

The manual is outdated, it was written 10 years ago by a trainee.

Yes:

The manual is outdated. It was written 10 years ago by a trainee.

No:

You have the option to print all pages, to print a range of pages, or to print the current page only.

Yes:

You can print either:

all pages

a range of pages

the current page only

No:

Press button A if you want to perform action A, press button B if you want to perform action B, press button C if you want to perform action C, or press button D if you want to perform action D.

Yes:

Press one of the following buttons:

To …

press …

(action A)

button A

(action B)

button B

(action C)

button C

(action D)

button D

No:

To print the report, first open the report file, then choose File > Print, and finally click OK.

Yes:

To print the report:

1. Open the report file.

2. Choose File > Print.

3. Click OK.


Be concise

Put the main thing into the main clause

Avoid parentheses and nested sentences