From the course: Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer

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Overstretching thoughts

Overstretching thoughts

From the course: Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer

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Overstretching thoughts

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- The writer Mark Twain supposedly once said this to a student. "I notice that you use plain, simple language, "short words and brief sentences. "That is the way to write English, "it is the modern way and the best way. "Stick to it, don't let fluff and flowers "and verbosity creep in." Now, I agree with that, largely. Brief sentences are snappy and punchy, and generally, they make comprehension of your ideas very easy. Have you ever read sentences that are just ridiculously long? And if you have, then you'll get this point. Sentences can often get too long for two basic reasons. First, a writer may put in too many subclauses into the sentence, making his or her train of thought hard to follow. Here is an example of too many subclauses. Honda faces growing competition in the U.S., where economic conditions remain weak, from Mazda, a rival from Japan, which recently teamed up with Ford, a North American automobile manufacturer, whose earnings have been severely dented by Europe's debt…

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