Clause Order Influences Your Message

Let’s return to the topic and stress positions of a sentence. Once you decide what the message of a sentence is, you can construct it to ensure that readers interpret the message as you intended by taking advantage of the fact that the end (stress position) of the sentence and the main independent clause are emphasized more than the beginning (topic position) of the sentence and the dependent clause.

Use Clause Order to Influence Your Message

The sentences in table Table tbl-FourSent convey exactly the same information, but generate different reader interpretations. For the reader, the take home message of these sentences is highly dependent on the sentence structure. Readers of the first sentence are the least likely to interpret the sentence as recommending PPIs. Conversely, readers of the last sentence are the most likely to interpret the sentence as a recommendation of PPIs.

(#tbl-FourSent) For each sentence, the main clause is shown in italics.
Example Sentence Information in Main Clause Position of Main Clause Reader’s Perception of PPIs
Although Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) relieve the symptoms of stomach ulcers, they may increase the risk of bone fractures. Negative End Mostly Bad
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) relieve the symptoms of stomach ulcers, but they may increase the risk of bone fractures. Positive Start Generally Bad
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) may increase the risk of bone fractures, but PPIs relieve the symptoms of stomach ulcers. Negative Start Generally Good
Although taking Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) may increase the risk of bone fractures, PPIs relieve the symptoms of stomach ulcers. Positive End Mostly Good

Exercise — Clause placement

Here are four sentences taken from the Discussion section of a paper proposing a new alternative to a standard, commonly-used protocol. Underline the main clause of each sentence and order them from weakest (A) to strongest (D) criticism of the standard protocol.

  • The standard protocol suffers from several drawbacks, but it is simple to perform.
  • Although the standard protocol suffers from several drawbacks, it is simple to perform.
  • The standard protocol is simple to perform, but it suffers from several drawbacks.
  • Although the standard protocol is simple to perform, it suffers from several drawbacks.