A dependent clause cannot stand alone, though they often contain both a subject and a verb. Where independent clauses express complete thoughts, dependent clauses do not, and left on their own, ...

Writing well isn’t easy. In fact, it’s “hard work,” said William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. “A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Natalie Wexler is an education writer focusing on literacy. When students can’t understand what they’re reading, it may be because ...

A simple sentence, also known as a main clause, shows one clear idea. It has one subject (what or who) and one verb (a doing word). Scott struggles through the snow. A compound sentence joins two ...

In English, our sentences usually operate using a similar pattern: subject, verb, then object. The nice part about this type of structure is that it lets your reader easily know who is doing the ...

Have you ever asked yourself why some writing feels very clear and easy to understand, while other writing feels confusing? Many people face this situation in daily life. Sometimes we have good ideas ...

When you’re writing for work, it can be tempting to rely on industry jargon or big words to puff up your ideas. But overblown language doesn’t make you sound smart, and it can be off-putting to ...