5 Sentence-Folding Fixes

5 Sentence-Folding Fixes 5 Sentence-Folding Fixes 5 Sentence-Folding Fixes By Mark Nichol Does your last piece of writing feel flat, static, repetitive? Is a soporific sentence rhythm dulling your edge? Combining sentences is an easy solution for making your prose flow more smoothly and briskly. 1. â€Å"The logging practices of the time were extraordinarily wasteful. They involved cutting and then burning in order to clear the logged area of limbs and other forest debris.† The second sentence neatly folds into the first between the subject and the verb: â€Å"The logging practices of the time, which involved cutting and then burning in order to clear the logged area of limbs and other forest debris, were extraordinarily wasteful.† 2. â€Å"Smith completed his report in September 1950. It represented five years of work.† The second, shorter sentence here is easily folded into the first, but how it should be done depends on the emphasis. If the duration of the project should be emphasized, then work the completion date into a parenthetical phrase: â€Å"Smith’s report, completed in September 1950, represented five years of work.† If the completion date is more important, parenthesize the project duration: â€Å"Smith’s report, representing five years of work, was completed in September 1950.† In either case, reserve the more important information for the end of the sentence. 3. â€Å"The book’s author, Jane Smith, was a well-established, award-winning author. Jones and his advisers tried hard but failed to keep the book from being published.† The information about Smith, which follows a first reference to the book in question, is the kind of detail that is important but does not merit a separate sentence. However, if the preceding sentence is already complex (as was the case here), work it parenthetically into the next reference to the book: â€Å"Jones and his advisers tried hard but failed to keep the book, written by Jane Smith, a well-established, award-winning author, from being published.† (This is a natural fit, because the author’s status likely had some impact on the failure to suppress the book’s publication.) The sentence could be further compressed by inserting the writer’s qualities before her name, rather than after it: â€Å"Jones and his advisers tried hard but failed to keep the book, written by well-established, award-winning author Jane Smith, from being published.† 4. â€Å"They needed $40,000 to qualify their bid proposal. To raise that amount, they wrote to people who had visited the area.† The combine these sentences, simply replace â€Å"that amount,† the second reference to the monetary figure, with the first reference, and adjust the syntax of the first statement: â€Å"To raise the $40,000 they needed to qualify their bid proposal, they wrote to people who had visited the area.† 5. â€Å"The new bill was 157 pages long and described 150 projects in more than 200 congressional districts in forty-four states. The total cost was a tidy $1.8 billion.† Forms of the lifeless verb â€Å"to be† (is, was, were, and so on) serve as red flags marking sentences that merit revision. The classic fix for the two-sentence template â€Å"This was that. This was that.† follows: Replace the first â€Å"to be† verb with a comma, and change the form of the second verb and replace the period with another comma; these actions convert what follows was in the first sentence into a parenthetical phrase. Then, jettison the first two words of the second sentence and the second â€Å"to be† verb, which transforms cost from a noun to a verb: â€Å"The new bill, 157 pages long and describing 150 projects in more than 200 congressional districts in forty-four states, cost a tidy $1.8 billion.† Find more examples of how to combine sentences in this post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksWhile vs. Whilst

The 50 Most Commonly Used Words in the English Language

The 50 Most Commonly Used Words in the English Language If youre an English learner, knowing which words are most commonly used in the language can help you to improve your vocabulary skills and gain confidence in  casual conversations.   Dont  count on these words to help you become fluent in English, but do use them as a resource to help you build your skills as you grow more  comfortable with the English language. Top Vocabulary Words All Everyone in a group.All the children did their homework. And A conjunction that joins parts of speech together in a sentence.She jumped, jogged, and danced in gym class.   Boy A male child.The little boy asked his mother if she would buy him candy. Book A long text of words that people read.The college student had to read a 500-page book for English class. Call To yell out or speak loudly; to contact someone by phone.  The girl called out to her brother so he would wait for her. Car A four-wheeled vehicle that transports people from one place to another.He drove the car from school to work. Chair A piece of furniture that can hold one person.My mother is the only one allowed to sit in the big chair in the living room.   Children Young people who have not yet reached adulthood.The children didnt listen to what their parents told them. City A place where many people live.New York is the biggest city in the United States. Dog   An animal that many people have as a household pet.My dog likes to play with bones. Door A passageway from which you can enter or exit a room or a building.  The students rushed through the classroom door just before the bell rang.   Enemy   The opposite of a friend. A competitor or rival.  The hero of the story killed his enemy with a sword. End To finish something or come to a conclusion.The end of the book was a happy one. Enough To have more than one needs of something.  Most Americans have enough food to eat, but thats not true in other countries.   Eat To consume food.  The children liked to eat apples and bananas after school.   Friend The opposite of an enemy. Someone on your side and with whom you enjoy spending time.The girl played with her friend in the yard until her mother told her to come inside. Father A male parent.The father picked up his child when she started crying. Go To travel to and from a location.  We go to school every day. Good To behave well or in a kind manner.My mother said that if Im good and dont hit my brother, she will take me to the movies. Girl A female child.  The girl dropped her schoolbooks on the ground.   Food An edible substance that people, animals, and plants eat to live.Starving people do not have enough food to eat and may die. Hear To listen to something.  I could hear my brother and sister arguing from the other room. House A place where people, often families, live.My friend lives in the biggest house on the street. Inside The internal part of something or to be located within something.  The inside of the house was warm and cozy.   Laugh To express that you find something amusing.  The children laughed after the clown made a joke. Listen To hear something.  We listen to music because we like to dance.   Man An adult male.The man was much taller than his son.   Name The title of a place, book, person, etc.  I never liked my name growing up.   Never Not ever.I am never getting back together with my boyfriend. Next The thing that happens after something else in a sequence; to be situated by something else.  Lets go to the next question. New Something just created or unused or unopened.My mother bought me a new doll for Christmas. It was still in the package. Noise Loud sounds, especially made by music or a group of people.  There was so much noise at the party, the neighbors called the police.   Often To happen frequently.  My teacher gets mad because I often forget my homework.   Pair Two things that go together.  I like the new pair of shoes my sister bought me for my birthday. Pick To choose or select.  I picked the cupcake with vanilla frosting.   Play To have fun with someone or engage in an activity or sport.  I like to play football with my brother.   Room A part of a home, building, office or another structure.  The room at the end of the hall is the coldest in the building.   See To watch or observe something.  I see clouds in the sky, which must mean it will rain soon. Sell To offer a service or a good for a price.I am going to sell my surfboard for $50 because its time for a new one.   Sit To rest on a floor, chair, or another surface.  The teacher told the children to sit on the carpet.   Speak To say something.I speak too loudly sometimes.   Smile To grin or show pleasure.I smile when my brother tells jokes. Sister The opposite of brother. The female child in relation to other children of the same parents.My parents took my sister and me to the circus. Think To contemplate something or have an idea or belief.  I think all pets should have a home.   Then Something that comes after an event in a sequence.  I opened the refrigerator. Then, I ate some food.   Walk To travel on foot.  I walk home from school every day. Water A substance plants, people, animals, and the earth need to survive.If animals dont have enough water to drink, they will die.   Work To make a living, engage in an activity for pay, or to reach a goal.  I work as a teacher because I like children.   Write To put something on paper with a pen or pencil. To use a computer to type text.I have to write three essays in English class this semester.   Woman A female adult.That woman was our new school principal.   Yes To answer affirmatively or respond to ones name being called.  Yes, Im here, the student said when the teacher called her name.

Franchises as a Form of Business Start-up Essay

Franchises as a Form of Business Start-up - Essay Example The Franchisee finds it easier to pay the initial and the royalty fees which are way lower than the required capital cost. At a time when the cost has become an important aspect of the business, Franchising has become a winner for international companies that intend to penetrate as many markets as possible in their global business design strategy. McDonald's is among companies that have a franchise in an effort to expand their business within new markets. The organizations have profited from rapid expansion, use of effective business models and reduced cost entering new markets. From this note, franchising has become a popular practice due to its efficiency in business start-up. Â  In the modern business industry, organizations are experiencing pressure to start new businesses in the international market as one way of appealing to bigger geographical space. One major driver for expansionism in business is the saturation of local business markets. Before the 21st century, organization sharply focussed on the expansion of business within the local markets due to the increasing demand for products within such markets. However, the demand in the local markets has reached a plateau phase and organizations can make little profits from these markets (Francois & Wooton, 2010). When demand remains flat, organizations are at the risk of incurring losses as expenses go higher while the profit remains constant (Garg, Priem & Rasheed, 2013). Consequently, organizations are forced to move out of the local markets and consider entering into new markets. Therefore, fall in demand within local countries has forced organizations to consider appealing to a broader geographica l coverage as the only way to remain profitable. Â  Secondly, the upsurge of competition within local markets has motivated organizations to consider launching international business strategies.