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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

Confusing Sentence Structure.

The best way to avoid sentence that trip up your professor and hamper readability is to read your paper aloud. Chances are, a sentence that doesn't read well orally is too complex or confusing in print as well.

You can usually simplify by breaking a sentence into two or more sentences and by ensuring that all modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) and clauses (groups of related words that contain both a subject and a predicate and that function as part of a sentence) are structurally close to the elements to which they refer. You can also cut out unnecessary clauses and phrases (groups of related words without a subject and a predicate that function as a single part of speech).

Of course, you should also avoid going in the opposite extreme of having too many short, choppy sentences in your paper. Strive for balance.

Go to the next common college student writing flaw: Using Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences.

Back to the main page of The Top 15 Writing Flaws That Can Lead to Lower Grades

Looking for more writing assistance? Go to our sister site, EnhanceMyWriting.com: Indispensable Writing Resources.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key academic terms by going to our College Success Glossary.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen, CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, has been empowering people his entire adult life -- to help them better their lives. In fact, empowerment is part of his professional philosophy statement. He is also founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well as founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press as well as a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years.

Dr. Katharine Hansen, Creative Director of EmpoweringSites.com, is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for several of our sites, including Quintessential Careers, MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. She also edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for job-seekers, career counselors, and students. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.

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