1.1: Art of Clarity - Sentence Structure and Parts of Speech

This is the first of several sections spread throughout the text that make up the writing guide. Each section carries the label "Art of Clarity," which is meant to indicate that media writing is not a science. What is considered good, better, and best in the media writing field is subjective. The foremost concern of these sections is to help students learn to write in ways that mass audiences can easily understand.

Since section 1.1 is attached to the text's Introduction, some context for the writing examples and exercises is provided. In most other chapters, this will not be needed. 

Words as tools, sentences as thoughts

Words are the building blocks of language. They are how humans exchange meaning through symbols in real time and across time.

Sentences help us express and record complete thoughts. They are what give stories their structure and help us explain relationships between subject and action, cause and effect. Words help us identify entities and give attributes to describe them.

Well-crafted sentences allow us to record events, thoughts, and feelings in ways that readers and listeners can clearly understand.

Sentences can provide a great deal of information efficiently. They can tell us who did what to whom with what effect and in what context.

Media writers should choose words with care. They should include only one thought per sentence. They should select unambiguous words and should structure sentences so that both content and context are easily understood.

This is easier said than done, and so we will all always be practicing this art rather than perfecting the science.

Guidelines for writing clear sentences in the media industry

1. Limit sentences to 20 words, with the exception that news leads may run up to 25.
2. Keep to one thought per sentence.
3. Use the active voice when you have a choice.
4. Use figures of speech rarely, if at all.
5. Eliminate overused words.
6. Eliminate words that serve no purpose.
7. Understand the parts of speech, and use them with intent.

At all times when you are writing as a professional, you must know the meaning of the words you are using, the role or purpose of each word in each sentence, and the most likely interpretation of each sentence by a reasonable audience member.

The following section introduces lessons in sentence writing that apply across all types of media writing.

Good writing transcends the medium in which it is presented. Most of us know of news stories and novels that screenwriters and directors have made into great films. We know that the most intriguing or hilarious moments in a television show can be cut and spliced into compelling social media clips. Many of us have listened to podcasts that draw on a variety of other media sources to tell their tales. At the root of all of these meaningful media experiences (and products) is good, clear writing.

Examples

The following examples illustrate how to put these guidelines into practice. The idea is to learn to write simple sentences for media audiences.

1. Cutting a sentence from 40 words to 20 words or less

TOO LONG: My morning routine is like most people's because I do basic things like get out of bed, get a drink of water, put my glasses on, head to the kitchen to make coffee and sit down with my phone at the kitchen table.

BETTER: My morning routine is to get out of bed, drink some water, put on my glasses, make coffee and look at my phone.

The second version conveys the same ideas in about half the words.

Please note that the removal of the Oxford comma, which would go before the word "and" in the list in the example above is purposeful. In media writing, the most accepted style is to eliminate the Oxford comma, except when deleting it makes a sentence confusing, because it is often unnecessary.

The limit of 20 words is important whether you are writing news, broadcast copy, social media scripts, advertisements or news releases.

When writing lead sentences for news, however, the cap is extended to 25 words because leads usually convey the key Who, What, When and Where of a story.

2. Unpacking multiple ideas in one sentence

TOO MANY IDEAS: He always said white bread was his favorite, but he drove a Mustang.

BETTER: He loved white bread, but he was not boring. He sped around town in a Mustang at all hours.

Here, the second example is longer, but the ideas and how they are connected are conveyed more clearly.

3. Using the active voice
(In grammar, "voice" refers to whether the subject is acting on something or being acted upon.)

PASSIVE, WEAK: He was hit in the jaw by the bouncer's right fist.

BETTER: The bouncer hit him in the jaw with a right jab.

The better example depicts a person actively punching someone else. It is clear from the start of the sentence who punched whom. If you visualize the passive example, it is not clear until the end of the sentence that a punch was thrown.

4. Eliminating unnecessary figures of speech

UNNECESSARY METAPHOR: She is a unicorn with great typing skills, an understanding of Microsoft Excel, and the ability to paint fantastic murals.

BETTER: She has all the skills we are looking for. She types fast, knows Excel and can paint fantastic murals.

The mental image of a unicorn is unnecessary in the example sentence. It does nothing to add to the reader's understanding.

5. Eliminating stale, overused words

OVERUSED WORD: Stan loved the awesome flavor combos in kombucha.

BETTER: Stan loved the way kombucha combines tart, sweet and gingery flavors.

In this case "awesome" does not mean that something inspires awe. Instead, it is a tired replacement for "great" or "distinctive." Replacing the generic term with descriptive words works.

6. Improving by cutting

EXTRANEOUS WORDS: Terra Thompson found her new roommate to be needlessly loud and annoyingly disgusting.

BETTER: Terra Thompson found her new roommate to be disgusting and loud.

In media writing, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases are often the first to go. Unless they are essential, cut them.

7. Memorizing parts of speech

If you read the previous example regarding someone being "needlessly loud" and "annoyingly disgusting" and did not immediately recognize which words were adverbs and which were adjectives, you would not be so different from many students in introductory media writing courses, but it is essential that you learn all eight common parts of speech and commit them to memory immediately.

Just as carpenters need to know their materials, media writers need to know parts of speech. These help us understand the types of components we use to construct meaning.

The eight parts of speech are,

• noun
• pronoun
• adjective
• verb
• adverb
• preposition
• conjunction
• interjection

These terms classify words based on what they do in a sentence.

Noun

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns can be specific, including proper nouns such as "Paris," or general, including common nouns like "city." Other examples include "dog," "happiness," and "computer."

Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition and to simplify sentences and paragraphs. Examples include "he," "she," "it," "they," and "who." For instance, in "Lisa forgot her book," "her" is a pronoun that references "Lisa."

Adjective

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. It provides details about qualities such as size, color, shape, quantity, and/or condition. For example, in the phrase "a blue car," "blue" describes the car.

Verb

A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. Verbs deliver the action in sentences. They indicate what the subject does, experiences, or feels. Examples are "run," "is," and "believe."

Adverb

An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often providing information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action happened. For instance, in "She walked briskly," "briskly" indicates that she walked in a quick and focused way.

Preposition

A preposition typically indicates location, direction, or time. Examples include "in," "at," "on," and "under." For instance, "The book is on the table" uses "on" to show location.

Conjunction

A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. Conjunctions help to show the relationship between parts. Common conjunctions are "and," "but," "or," and "because." For example, "I wanted to go outside, but it was raining."

Interjection

An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong emotion or reaction. Interjections are often punctuated by an exclamation mark. Interjections usually stand alone and are set off from sentences. Examples include "Wow!" "Oops," "Hey!" and "Omigosh." (The British English pronunciation of "omigosh" is delightful.)

When you understand a word's part of speech, you know what it is capable of and how to make the best use of every word you know and learn.

Art of Clarity Activity - Sentences and Parts of Speech

This activity has two parts. The purpose of the first part is to practice writing clear sentences. The purpose of the second part is to practice recognizing parts of speech.

Writing clear sentences

1. Cut the following sentence down to 20 words or fewer.

The fluffy, brown Lagotto Romagnolo ran quickly across the park until he reached a group of dogs, and then he playfully hopped around two of the larger dogs in a circle until he was tuckered out.

2. Separate the following compound sentence into two sentences.

Jamie rushed to finish cleaning up the counter before it was time to clock out, and he took the trash to the back lot while watching for his ride.

3. Change the passive voice to the active voice.

Charlie was hit in the head with a bowling trophy thrown by his brother.

4. Eliminate the figures of speech from this sentence.

My former boss said I was so slow that I was a box of fries short of a value meal.

5. Eliminate or replace the overused words.

Cheryl Lynn said it was awesome how nice her cousin in Chicago with the pretty hair was.

6. Eliminate the unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.

When Thomas saw his daughter frolicking playfully in the watery ocean waves, he smiled happily.

Identifying parts of speech

1. Identify the nouns in the following sentence, and label them as proper nouns or common nouns.

Félix Trinidad Hernández from Veracruz, Mexico got a tattoo on his arm of sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson to honor her comeback after she made the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team.

2. Identify the pronouns in the following passage.

Sharita developed her baking skills in culinary school. She practiced them week in and week out before she took a job at Chez Claudette.

3. Identify the adjectives in the following sentence.

Stella made a quick video showing off Friday's haul featuring a pair of classic loafers, a green T-shirt and a flowy skirt.

4. Identify the verb in the following sentence.

Diving under the stairs, Carrie Anne hid from the charging monster.

5. Identify the adverbs in the following sentence.

Andrea quickly downed half of a delicately seasoned rotisserie chicken.

6. Identify the prepositional phrase in the following sentence.

Harry dropped the screwdriver, and it rolled under the workbench.

7. Identify the conjunction in the following passage.

Emma watched one of her favorite streaming shows, and she scrolled through multiple social media feeds at the same time.

8. Identify the interjection in the following sentence.

"What?! Get off the game!" yelled Samuel.