I just finished another big editing project in which I was keenly focused on sentence patterns. We all find sentence patterns we feel comfortable with and, left unchecked, we can begin to rely on them too much. Using the same patterns over and over makes our writing feel repetitive and impacts logic. Take a look at the content you've been creating and see if you don't notice a pattern in your use of sentence patterns
The good news is, this is an easy problem to fix. Identifying sentences by their parts helps us figure out better ways to rearrange them, so let's take a look at common sentence structures. After this refresher you'll back to varying the length and structure of sentences and improving the "sound" and rhythm of your writing. Remember, sentence fluency is a key factor in creating voice and flow in our content, and those are critical drivers of engagement.
Common Sentence Patterns
MAIN: We stand behind our products.
INTRO + MAIN: As you'll see in the handouts, there are many sentence patterns.
MAIN + ADD-ON: The drivers we insure are members of our organization, not just policyholders.
INTRO + MAIN + ADD-ON: In all instances, use "The Rockville Group," never "TRG".
MAIN + IN-BETWEEN + MAIN: Our uncompromising customer support earns recognition from many prestigious organizations — representing over 250,000 professionals — at the national and local levels
MAIN + ADD-ON + ADD-ON: Understanding financial services legislation and regulations requires extensive experience, something most of us don’t have and aren’t likely to develop.
INTRO + IN-BETWEEN + MAIN: With a national membership of 71,000, and a financial strength ratings of A from A.M. Best Company and Fitch Ratings, we have the strength and stability to protect our members.
We don't need to use all these sentence patterns all the time. We get a lot of value by varying a handful. Give a few a try this week!