30b Vary sentence openings.
If sentence after sentence begins with a subject, a passage may become monotonous or hard to read.
The editing adds variety by using a subordinating word (Because) and a prepositional phrase (In fact) and by linking sentences. Varying sentence openings prevents the passage from seeming to jerk or lurch along.
You can add variety to your sentence openings by using transitions, various kinds of phrases, and dependent clauses.
TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSIONS
In contrast, our approach will save time and money.
Nevertheless, the show must go on.
PHRASES
Before dawn, tired commuters drink their first cups of coffee.
Frustrated by the delays, the drivers started honking their horns.
To qualify for flight training, one must be in good physical condition.
Our hopes for victory dashed, we started home.
DEPENDENT CLAUSES
What they want is a place to call home.
Because the hills were dry, the fire spread rapidly.
Technical Writing
TALKING ABOUT STYLE
For some types of writing, varying sentence structure and length is not always appropriate. Many technical writers, particularly those who write manuals that will be translated into other languages, must follow stringent rules for sentence structure and length. One computer company, for example, requires writers to adhere to a strict subject-verb-object order and limit all sentences to no more than fifteen words. Learn the style conventions of your field as fully as possible, and bring them to bear on your own sentence revisions.