College Application Essays
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Lesson Four: Sentence Variety
Many students think that the longer the sentence they write, the
better the sentence. This is far from the truth. You do not need long,
complicated sentences to show that you are a good writer. In fact, short
sentences often pack the most punch. The best essays contain a variety of
sentence lengths, mixed within any given paragraph. Try reading your essay
out-loud, pausing at every period. Listen to the rhythm of your prose. Are all
of the sentences the same length? If each of your sentences twists and turns
for an entire paragraph, or you run out of breath at any point, break them up
into smaller statements. You may also want to try a more methodical
approach:
EXERICISE #3: SENTENCE
VARIETY Once you have completed your essay, try labeling each sentence
“short” (under 10 words), “medium” (under 20 words), or
“long” (20 or more words). A nice paragraph might read something like
M S M L M S. A dry essay would be S S S M L L L. Continue to Word
Choice From ESSAYS THAT WILL GET
YOU INTO COLLEGE, by Amy Burnham, Daniel Kaufman, and Chris Dowhan. Copyright
1998 by Dan Kaufman. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series,
Inc. | 