Sentences
John E. Eck · 2022
Chapter 8 explains why brief sentences are better than long ones. It also explains why active voice is better than passive voice. I describe and apply the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level index. This index of the difficulty readers have with written English text has a long history, and much research validating it. The index is available within common word processing software, including web-based applications, and it is easy to understand. In this and following chapters, I use it to evaluate passages and to guide rewriting. The index favors short words (previous chapter) and short sentences (this chapter). In the second part of the chapter, I turn to reasons writing in the active voice is usually better than writing in the passive voice. I show how switching to active voice from passive voices aids clarity. Dirty Harry makes a cameo appearance.