Writing Book 4 · Lesson 28

Vary the opening

Varying how sentences open is what stops a paragraph reading flat.

What it is

Nothing is wrong with a sentence that starts with its subject — but a paragraph where every sentence does starts to plod. Moving a phrase to the front is the cheapest way to break that. It changes nothing about the meaning and everything about the sound.

Watch it built

1
A correct sentence that starts with its subject.
We measured the plants every day.
2
Find a phrase that could move.
every day
3
Put it in front, with a comma.
Every day, we measured the plants.

One more

The class read quietly for ten minutes.
↓
For ten minutes, the class read quietly.
Remember
Same meaning, new first word — and a comma after the moved phrase.
Ask yourself: “How many of my sentences start the same way?”

Remember

Not every sentence starts with its subject.

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