Guide to spelling, punctuation and grammar

T
HE CONSTRUCTION OF SENTENCES
Read the following paragraph:
The government’s reforms in education have definitely run into
trouble. Not only are the opposition parties against them, but a
substantial proportion of its own supporters are also up in arms at
the proposals that were put forward in the recent White Paper.
Many MPs fear that selection is being introduced via the back door
and that the government’s ultimate aim is the privatisation of
education itself, which would be anathema to the bulk of the party.
Whilst the main opposition party will go along with the main thrust
of the government’s reforms, they are arguing that they do not go
far enough. Thus, the government is harangued from all sides.
The paragraph consists of five sentences: there are two short sentences
and three longer sentences.
The short sentences come at the start and end of the paragraph. Is there
a reason for this? Consider the first sentence:
The government’s reforms in education have definitely run into
trouble.
Because this is the key sentence of the paragraph, it makes a statement
concisely and without further development. This kind of sentence is
called a simple sentence. It has one main clause and makes one
statement.
Sentences two, three and four, however, are more complex, because they
elaborate on the points they are making:
Not only are the opposition parties against them but a substantial
proportion of its own supporters are also up in arms at the
proposals that were put forward in the recent White Paper. 
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16 – G
RAMMAR AND ACCURACY

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This is an example of a complex sentence, because it has more than one
clause and makes more than one statement. Sentences three, four and
five are also complex sentences.
However, the last sentence of the paragraph is another simple sentence
because one statement is made. That suits the function of this last
sentence: it acts as a kind of summarising sentence for the paragraph.
The length and complexity of your sentences will depend on what you
are trying to say in them. If you want to make an emphatic point in a
clear and concise way, then a simple sentence is best:
Africa is facing a famine crisis.
However, if you want to elaborate on a point and analyse in detail, a
complex sentence is more appropriate:
Aid agencies differ in their analysis of the situation because they
put different emphases on various factors such as government
corruption, civil wars, climate change, economic development and
accessibility, but they all agree that a catastrophe is looming which
the developed nations cannot ignore.
In this sentence, the main point made in the first section is developed in
detail in the remainder of the sentence. It is appropriate that a complex
sentence is employed.
In your essays, you should aim to use a variety of sentence structures and
lengths. Frequently, it will be appropriate to use concise, simple
sentences that make an emphatic point. However, when you want to
expand on a point and analyse in greater detail, longer, complex
sentences are appropriate.
One thing to avoid is writing in a succession of monotonous simple
sentences. Consider this paragraph:
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H
OW TO WRITE ESSAYS

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Fashion models nowadays achieve an amazing level of fame and
income. Many people wonder why this is so. Models only parade on
a catwalk. They wear designer clothes. They are not much more
than clothes-horses. Yet they earn huge sums of money. They are an
integral part of the celebrity culture of the present day.
This is all rather ‘staccato’ in style and rather monotonous. Look at this
rewriting:
Fashion models nowadays achieve an amazing level of fame and
income. Many people wonder why this is so because, after all, they
only parade on a catwalk and wear designer clothes, which makes
them not much more than clothes-horses. Yet they earn huge sums
of money because they are an integral part of the celebrity culture
of the present day.
The seven simple sentences of the first version become one simple
sentence and two complex sentences in the improved second version.
There is more flow in this version and more of a sense of developed
thought, which arises partly because of the use of complex sentences. 
In essays write in complete sentences. Vary the length and
type of sentences you use according to what you are trying
to do: making concise statements or analysing in detail.