Having grammar or spelling mistakes in your writing can make your work look unprofessional. These mistakes can even interfere with your audience’s understanding of what you’re trying to communicate. Likewise, your writing can have no spelling or grammar mistakes but still be awkward, hard to read, and in need of style improvements.

\n\n

By accepting the grammar, style, and spelling suggestions from ProWritingAid, you'll make sure your writing is reader-ready. Aim for a score of 80-100% to achieve your Grammar/Spelling/Style goal.

\n","Title":"Fix Grammar, Style, and Spelling Mistakes in Your Writing","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008160/fix-grammar-style-spelling","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008160"}">

To keep your readers' attention, you need to use sentences of different lengths. Some should be long and flowing, while others should be short and to the point. If every single sentence in your document is the same length (or close to the same length), your reader will get bored. Varying your sentence length creates rhythm and makes your writing feel more alive.

\n\n

We calculate your sentence variety score through standard deviation. Standard deviation is a mathematical measure of variety from the average. While that might sound complicated, it basically means that the higher the standard deviation, the more your sentence lengths vary within your document. If you have a low score, evaluate your writing to find places where you can combine or separate sentences to create more depth.

\n\n

Every sentence you write has a different purpose. Depending on that purpose, use a long sentence or a short sentence.

\n","Title":"Why you should vary your sentence lengths","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008125/Sentence-Length-Variety","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008125"}">

A readability score is a measure of how easy your text is to read. Your readability score shows what grade level of students could understand and engage with your writing. For instance, a score of 7 means that seventh-grade students could read your work.

\n\n

At ProWritingAid, we use a readability score calculator called the Flesch formulas to calculate your score. It measures factors like sentence length and word familiarity. Our readability calculator measures grade levels from elementary school through graduate school. If you have a lower readability score than you expected, don't worry—that doesn't mean your writing or ideas are too immature.

\n\n

Documents with an accessible readability score are often more effective than those with a higher score. By using clear, uncomplicated language, you make it easy for your readers engage with your document and let your great ideas shine.

\n\n

Many amateur writers think they need to use complicated language to impress their readers. Not so!

\n\n

Audiences Prefer Documents That Are Easy to Read

\n\n

Most audiences read at a lower reading level than you might expect. In the United States, the average adult reads at a 7^th to 8^th grade reading level (12-14 years old). In the United Kingdom, researchers recommend that writers write with vocabulary and sentence structure targeted towards 9-10 year olds.

\n\n

If you're writing fiction, blog posts, or other content targeted towards an audience without technical or specialized knowledge, you should use accessible language. If you're writing for an audience with technical or specialized knowledge (an academic paper, for instance), you can target a higher readability because your audience will have the knowledge they need to engage with your text.

\n","Title":"Why readability matters","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008131/Readability","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008131"}">

In passive sentence constructions, the object of your sentence comes first and the subject of your sentence comes at the end. While passive voice isn't grammatically incorrect, it makes your writing less direct and clear.

\n\n

Here's an example of passive voice:

\n\n

\n
• The dog was walked by Joe.
\n

\n\n

In this sentence, the dog, the object, comes before Joe, the subject. It's much clearer and simpler to say \"Joe walked the dog.\"

\n\n

When you use passive voice, you need to wait til the end of the sentence to find out who's doing the action. Using passive voice also removes the power from your writing. By using an active verb and putting the subject of your sentence up front, you give your writing more power.

\n\n

Sometimes, you'll need to use passive voice because the subject of the sentence isn't unknown or doesn't matter. But most of the time, you'll want to use active voice. We recommend having less than 50 instances of passive voice per every 1,000 sentences in your writing.

\n","Title":"Should I avoid passive voice in my writing?","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008124/Passive-Voice","VideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK-kCTerGTI&t=3s","ArticleId":"1008124"}">

Telling emotions rather than showing emotions is a common mistake. Many inexperienced writers tell their readers about a character's emotions instead of using language to describe the emotions instead. While there will certainly be points in your writing where it makes more sense to tell rather than show, showing should be your primary goal as a writer. You want to create a vivid picture in your readers' mind that will engross them in your writing.

\n\n

Consider the following examples:

\n\n

\n
• When Mary saw her test grade, she was embarrassed.
\n
• When Mary saw the big, red “F” on her work, her cheeks flushed. She crumpled the test and hid it in her desk, hoping no one noticed.
\n

\n\n

Both examples communicate the same point: that Mary felt bad about her test score. In the first, the author tells the reader that Mary is embarrassed. In the second, the author still shares that Mary is embarrassed, but does so through by showing details (her flushed cheeks) and actions (hiding the test in her desk), creating a more engaging and vivid experience for the reader.

\n","Title":"Why you should avoid emotion tells in your writing","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008126/Show%2c-Don-t-Tell","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008126"}">

Dialogue tags are words like \"said\" and \"asked\" that show the reader who is doing the talking. The problem is that dialogue tags also distract from the dialogue itself, especially if they are nonstandard dialogue tags like \"shouted,\" \"whispered,\" \"repeated,\" \"ventured,\" and more. Instead of using dialogue tags to tell the emotions of the character, you should show their emotions through their actions and dialogue.

\n\n

Showing emotions makes your writing more engaging. Take a look at this chart we put together based on analysis of published fiction.

\n\n

\n\n

As you can see, published authors use \"said\" as their dialogue tag over 60% of the time. The second most used is \"asked\" at just under 10%. The other, nonstandard dialogue tags are used only used a small proportion of the time. Because of this data, we recommend keeping your use of dialogue tags other than \"said\" and \"asked\" to under 20% of your dialogue tags.

\n","Title":"Why should I stick to \"said\" and \"asked\" as my dialogue tags?","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008121/Nonstandard-Dialogue-Tags","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008121"}">

Having grammar or spelling mistakes in your writing can make your work look unprofessional. These mistakes can even interfere with your audience’s understanding of what you’re trying to communicate. Likewise, your writing can have no spelling or grammar mistakes but still be awkward, hard to read, and in need of style improvements.

\n\n

By accepting the grammar, style, and spelling suggestions from ProWritingAid, you'll make sure your writing is reader-ready. Aim for a score of 80-100% to achieve your Grammar/Spelling/Style goal.

\n","Title":"Fix Grammar, Style, and Spelling Mistakes in Your Writing","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008160/fix-grammar-style-spelling","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008160"}">

Good writing prioritizes the customer over the company. If you spend too much time describing the features of your product or service, instead of focusing on your customers’ needs, your writing will appear overly promotional. Aim for 60% or more of your language to be customer-focused.

\n\n

Adding more \"you\" references into your copy will let your customers know you’re thinking about them. They’ll be more likely to see your company as an asset to them, rather than as a nuisance trying to sell them something they don’t need or care about. Your customer cares about how your work will benefit them—so help them make that connection with your copy. Your email should focus on how your company serves your customer's needs, rather than bragging about all the great work your company has done.

\n","Title":"How to Write a Customer-Focused Email","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008151/We-We-Email-Score","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008151"}">

A readability score is a measure of how easy your text is to read. Your readability score shows what grade level of students could understand and engage with your writing. For instance, a score of 7 means that seventh-grade students could read your work.

\n\n

At ProWritingAid, we use a readability score calculator called the Flesch formulas to calculate your score. It measures factors like sentence length and word familiarity. Our readability calculator measures grade levels from elementary school through graduate school. If you have a lower readability score than you expected, don't worry—that doesn't mean your writing or ideas are too immature.

\n\n

Documents with an accessible readability score are often more effective than those with a higher score. By using clear, uncomplicated language, you make it easy for your readers engage with your document and let your great ideas shine.

\n\n

Many amateur writers think they need to use complicated language to impress their readers. Not so!

\n\n

Audiences Prefer Documents That Are Easy to Read

\n\n

Most audiences read at a lower reading level than you might expect. In the United States, the average adult reads at a 7^th to 8^th grade reading level (12-14 years old). In the United Kingdom, researchers recommend that writers write with vocabulary and sentence structure targeted towards 9-10 year olds.

\n\n

If you're writing fiction, blog posts, or other content targeted towards an audience without technical or specialized knowledge, you should use accessible language. If you're writing for an audience with technical or specialized knowledge (an academic paper, for instance), you can target a higher readability because your audience will have the knowledge they need to engage with your text.

\n","Title":"Why readability matters","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008131/Readability","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008131"}">

In passive sentence constructions, the object of your sentence comes first and the subject of your sentence comes at the end. While passive voice isn't grammatically incorrect, it makes your writing less direct and clear.

\n\n

Here's an example of passive voice:

\n\n

\n
• The dog was walked by Joe.
\n

\n\n

In this sentence, the dog, the object, comes before Joe, the subject. It's much clearer and simpler to say \"Joe walked the dog.\"

\n\n

When you use passive voice, you need to wait til the end of the sentence to find out who's doing the action. Using passive voice also removes the power from your writing. By using an active verb and putting the subject of your sentence up front, you give your writing more power.

\n\n

Sometimes, you'll need to use passive voice because the subject of the sentence isn't unknown or doesn't matter. But most of the time, you'll want to use active voice. We recommend having less than 50 instances of passive voice per every 1,000 sentences in your writing.

\n","Title":"Should I avoid passive voice in my writing?","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008124/Passive-Voice","VideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK-kCTerGTI&t=3s","ArticleId":"1008124"}">

To keep your readers' attention, you need to use sentences of different lengths. Some should be long and flowing, while others should be short and to the point. If every single sentence in your document is the same length (or close to the same length), your reader will get bored. Varying your sentence length creates rhythm and makes your writing feel more alive.

\n\n

We calculate your sentence variety score through standard deviation. Standard deviation is a mathematical measure of variety from the average. While that might sound complicated, it basically means that the higher the standard deviation, the more your sentence lengths vary within your document. If you have a low score, evaluate your writing to find places where you can combine or separate sentences to create more depth.

\n\n

Every sentence you write has a different purpose. Depending on that purpose, use a long sentence or a short sentence.

\n","Title":"Why you should vary your sentence lengths","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008125/Sentence-Length-Variety","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008125"}">

Having grammar or spelling mistakes in your writing can make your work look unprofessional. These mistakes can even interfere with your audience’s understanding of what you’re trying to communicate. Likewise, your writing can have no spelling or grammar mistakes but still be awkward, hard to read, and in need of style improvements.

\n\n

By accepting the grammar, style, and spelling suggestions from ProWritingAid, you'll make sure your writing is reader-ready. Aim for a score of 80-100% to achieve your Grammar/Spelling/Style goal.

\n","Title":"Fix Grammar, Style, and Spelling Mistakes in Your Writing","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008160/fix-grammar-style-spelling","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008160"}">

To keep your readers' attention, you need to use sentences of different lengths. Some should be long and flowing, while others should be short and to the point. If every single sentence in your document is the same length (or close to the same length), your reader will get bored. Varying your sentence length creates rhythm and makes your writing feel more alive.

\n\n

We calculate your sentence variety score through standard deviation. Standard deviation is a mathematical measure of variety from the average. While that might sound complicated, it basically means that the higher the standard deviation, the more your sentence lengths vary within your document. If you have a low score, evaluate your writing to find places where you can combine or separate sentences to create more depth.

\n\n

Every sentence you write has a different purpose. Depending on that purpose, use a long sentence or a short sentence.

\n","Title":"Why you should vary your sentence lengths","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008125/Sentence-Length-Variety","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008125"}">

A readability score is a measure of how easy your text is to read. Your readability score shows what grade level of students could understand and engage with your writing. For instance, a score of 7 means that seventh-grade students could read your work.

\n\n

At ProWritingAid, we use a readability score calculator called the Flesch formulas to calculate your score. It measures factors like sentence length and word familiarity. Our readability calculator measures grade levels from elementary school through graduate school. If you have a lower readability score than you expected, don't worry—that doesn't mean your writing or ideas are too immature.

\n\n

Documents with an accessible readability score are often more effective than those with a higher score. By using clear, uncomplicated language, you make it easy for your readers engage with your document and let your great ideas shine.

\n\n

Many amateur writers think they need to use complicated language to impress their readers. Not so!

\n\n

Audiences Prefer Documents That Are Easy to Read

\n\n

Most audiences read at a lower reading level than you might expect. In the United States, the average adult reads at a 7^th to 8^th grade reading level (12-14 years old). In the United Kingdom, researchers recommend that writers write with vocabulary and sentence structure targeted towards 9-10 year olds.

\n\n

If you're writing fiction, blog posts, or other content targeted towards an audience without technical or specialized knowledge, you should use accessible language. If you're writing for an audience with technical or specialized knowledge (an academic paper, for instance), you can target a higher readability because your audience will have the knowledge they need to engage with your text.

\n","Title":"Why readability matters","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008131/Readability","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008131"}">

Sentence length affects your reader's experience. Texts with lots of long sentences will exhaust your readers. On the other hand, texts with lots of short sentences will create a choppy, disjointed reading experience.

\n\n

Your chosen genre should drive your average sentence length target. In the chart below, you can see that writers in different genres use very different average sentence lengths, depending on whether their primary aim is to inform or entertain.

\n\n

\n\n

For instance, the chart shows that Young Adult authors tend to use the shortest sentence lengths. This makes sense as their writing needs to be easily accessible to younger readers. At the other extreme, Popular Science writers such as Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawkins average 20 words per sentence. They're explaining more complex topics to a more mature audience.

\n\n

If you want to write a page-turner for general audiences without specialized academic knowledge, then stick to the shorter sentence lengths favored by Thriller and Romance writers.

\n","Title":"How long should my sentences be?","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008116/Average-Sentence-Length","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008116"}">

Transition words and phrases create links between ideas. Adding transitions to your work can help your reader better understand connections in your writing. Examples of transition words include however, certainly, in conclusion, similarly, and more.

\n\n

Your transition usage score tells whether or not you've used transitions effectively in your academic writing. We calculate your transition usage score by dividing the number of detected transitions in your writing by the number of sentences in your writing.

\n\n

To make your writing most effective, you should have transition words or phases at the beginning of at least 25% of your sentences.

\n","Title":"Transition Usage","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008156/transition-usage-score","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008156"}">

Starting a sentence with an \"-ing\" word is grammatically correct. But inexperienced writers tend to start too many sentences with \"-ing\" words, which makes their writing repetitive and dull or can lead to a confusing sentence structure.

\n\n

For instance:

\n\n

\n
• Taking the hint, I said goodbye. Opening the door, she wished me a nice day. Looking up at the sky, I thought of asking for an umbrella, but decided it was best to leave quickly.
\n

\n\n

It can be easy to fall into the habit of repeating these sentence starts, but this will starve your writing of variety. Less than 2% of your sentences should start with \"-ing\" words.

\n","Title":"Can I start my sentence with an \"-ing\" word?","Url":"//www.wdtx1088.com//grammar/1008115/-ing-Sentence-Starts","VideoUrl":"","ArticleId":"1008115"}">