The Importance of Diversity in Sentence Structure
by Molly R.
Good writing is engaging and captures the attention of its readers. As we have shared before, writing a good college application essay means writing an essay that is meaningful, uses descriptive language, and is emotional. Repetitive sentence structures can bore your readers and make them lose interest.
One way to keep your readers engaged is by utilizing a diverse range of sentence structures.
Sentences are composed of verbs and nouns. Sometimes they are long and filled with description, such as this one:
“As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow across the tranquil meadow, the trees, adorned with vibrant autumn foliage, swayed gently in the evening breeze, their rustling leaves creating a soothing symphony of nature’s melody, while the distant mountains stood majestically against the fading light, their peaks kissed by wisps of clouds painted in hues of pink and orange, evoking a sense of serene beauty that enveloped the landscape in a timeless embrace.”
Other sentences are shorter, like this one: “The cat sleeps peacefully.”
In your essays, your sentences should mostly be somewhere between the two, but you can use shorter and longer sentences to emphasize key points. Shorter sentences draw attention to significant information, while longer sentences offer more descriptions.
Here is an example of monotonous, repetitive sentence styles:
Studying at the University of Vermont has been a dream for me because it is a school near the mountains and offers a lot of cutting-edge research opportunities. I know I will learn a lot in the Rubenstein School of Natural Resources and having an opportunity to work with graduate students will be exciting because I will learn from their research.
Those two sentences are both on the longer side and they are not as interesting.
A better rewrite is:
Located near the tall, snowy ski mountains of Northern Vermont, the Rubenstein School of Natural Resources is known for its outdoor laboratory and state-of-the-art research in the environment and natural resources. I am eager to study its rich and innovative science curriculum as I begin my career in forestry. Working with doctoral students will give me hands-on learning as I support their research projects.
Incorporating variety in sentence structures is essential for maintaining reader engagement. As you work on your essays, keep in mind that diversifying sentence structures creates more dynamic, compelling, and effective essays.