This week: Sentence Structure Edited by: Lilli ☕  
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“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
— Jack Kerouac
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
— Robert Frost
“Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.”
— Sylvia Plath
“You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.”
— Annie Proulx
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
― Anaïs Nin |
Sentences with structural inconsistencies can present problems for readers. It takes their attention off the story while they try to untangle the meaning of what they'd just read.
This newsletter will examine a couple of common issues and how to fix them.
 Syntax
A syntax error is a mistake in language that involves organizing words and phrases that don’t make sense. We confuse readers when we mix constructions, make faulty comparisons, or tangle the syntax. Here are a couple of examples and how to fix/edit them:
Here is an example of how syntax can affect the context and meaning of phrases or sentences:
The girl ran joyfully.
The girl joyfully ran.
Joyfully, the girl ran.
Four common syntax errors
Even seemingly minor syntax errors can dramatically change the meaning of phrases or sentences. Here are some of the most common examples of syntax errors to watch out for:
1. Inappropriate comma usage
Misplaced or inappropriate punctuation can instantly change the meaning of phrases and how a sentence reads aloud. Here's a common example I'm sure you've seen before:
Incorrect: “She enjoys cooking her family and her dog.”
Correct: “She enjoys cooking, her family, and her dog.”
2. Using sentence fragments instead of complete sentences
Using sentence fragments instead of complete sentences is sometimes okay when writing is meant to be conversational. But they can be very confusing and are often misinterpreted. For example:
Incorrect: There are only a few things left to do. The sanding and painting.
Correct: There are only a few things left to do: the sanding and painting.
3. Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier is a word used to describe something or limit another word. In order to avoid a misplaced modifier, keep single words, phrases, and clauses next to or close to the sentence elements they modify. Here’s an example of how it can change the meaning of phrases:
Incorrect: Margaret argues that young women's dreams will not always come true in her essay.
Correct: In her essay, Margaret argues that young women's dreams will not always come true.
4. Dangling Modifiers
A word ending in -ing or -ed at the beginning of a sentence must provide information about the subject of the sentence. When the modifier is not grammatically linked to the noun or phrase intended to modify, we have a dangling modifier.
Incorrect: Walking into the house, the telephone rang.
Correct: While walking into the house, we heard the telephone ring.
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For Authors: May 28, 2025 Issue [#13155]
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