Streamline Subject-Verb-Object Sentences

In English, readers expect a grammatical subject to be followed immediately by a verb. Complex and combination sentences (see above) encourage creative structures, where intervening material can be introduced between the subject and verb. As this material gets longer, it’s more likely that it contains important information that is not being properly emphasized. Therefore, streamline sentences by removing gaps that interrupt a subject-verb-object structure.

The reader will naturally ask if the intervening material between the subject and verb is important. You must make the purpose of the material clear for the reader: Is it important or is it a tangent?

There are two ways to close the subject-verb gap. If the material is important, you can place it in a separate sentence or re-position it at the beginning or end of the sentence to aide in flow. Alternatively, if the material is not important, delete it.

Close the Subject-Verb Gap by Processing Intervening Material

This example sentence obstructs the reader because the grammatical subject, ravens, is separated from the verb phrase, live in by 14 words.

Ravens, a species of bird that regularly engages in complex social behaviour such as deception, live in non-breeding flocks for the first year of their lives.

If the intervening material is important, it can be emphasised by splitting the sentence in two.

Ravens are a species of bird that regularly engages in complex social behaviour such as deception. They live in non-breeding flocks for the first year of their lives.

If the intervening material is not important it can be deleted.

Ravens live in non-breeding flocks for the first year of their lives.

Intervening material between the verb and object can also disrupts reading flow. Place this material either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

Close the Verb-Object Gap by Rearrangement

In this example, there is a 13-word gap between the verb (“tested”) and the object (“ability”). This gap can be closed in two ways.

Ravens were tested, using a series of pre-recorded calls from familiar and unfamiliar birds, for their ability to remember former group members.

One way is to place the intervening material at the beginning of the sentence, emphasising the main clause by placing it in the end (stress position) of the sentence.

Using a series of pre-recorded calls from familiar and unfamiliar birds, ravens were tested for their ability to remember former group members.

Alternatively the intervening material can be placed at the end of the sentence. This approach places less emphasis on the main clause.

Ravens were tested for their ability to remember former group members using a series of pre-recorded calls from familiar and unfamiliar birds.

A more subtle method of closing the subject-verb gap is to make the topic of the sentence the grammatical subject of the sentence. To do this, first find the main topic of the sentence, then express the topic’s actions as verbs.

Close the Subject-Verb Gap by Redefining the Grammatical Subject

In the first sentence, there is a 9-word gap between the grammatical subject (“decline”) and the verb (“occurred”). The topic (“dissolved oxygen concentration”) is not the grammatical subject, and the action (“decline”) is a buried verb.

A substantial decline of dissolved oxygen concentration in European river water has occurred since 1900.

In the second sentence, the writer has made the topic of the sentence into its grammatical subject, connecting subject and verb.

Dissolved oxygen concentration has declined substantially in European river water since 1900.