B2 Lesson 2: Ensuring Sentence Fluency and Avoiding Monotony
You have learned to build a variety of complex sentences. Now, we will focus on how to combine them to create writing that has good fluency1 and rhythm2.
Monotony3 is when your writing is grammatically correct, but it sounds boring and repetitive because every sentence has the same structure and length. We will learn four techniques to avoid this.
See the Difference: "Monotonous" vs. "Fluent"
Read both paragraphs below. The second one is much more pleasant to read because it uses a variety of sentence structures.
Before (Monotonous ❌):
I went to the market this morning. I wanted to buy some vegetables. I walked through the stalls. I saw some fresh morning glory. I decided to buy a large bunch.
After (Fluent and Dynamic ✅):
This morning, I went to the market because I wanted to buy some vegetables. Walking through the busy stalls, I saw some fresh morning glory that looked delicious. It was perfect for dinner. Without hesitation, I decided to buy a large bunch.
Four Techniques to Improve Sentence Fluency
1. Vary Your Sentence Length
Mix short, powerful sentences with longer, more detailed complex sentences. This creates a pleasing rhythm. Short sentences can be used for emphasis4.
Example: Although the journey was long and tiring, we finally arrived at the coast. It was beautiful.
2. Vary Your Sentence Beginnings
Do not start every sentence with the subject. Try starting with a different type of phrase.
- Prepositional Phrase: In the heart of Siem Reap, you can find many excellent restaurants.
- Adverbial Clause: Because it was raining, the streets were empty.
- -ing Phrase: Hoping to get a better view, he climbed to the top of the hill.
3. Combine Ideas
Use conjunctions (and, but, so) and relative clauses (who, which, that) to combine short, choppy sentences into longer, more detailed ones.
4. Use Transition Words
Use words like However, Therefore, and In addition to create logical bridges between sentences.
✍️ B2 Fluency Checklist
When you revise your writing, ask yourself:
- ✔️ Have I read my paragraph aloud to check its rhythm? Does it sound repetitive?
- ✔️ Is there a good mix of long and short sentence lengths?
- ✔️ Do my sentences begin in different ways (not always Subject-Verb)?
- ✔️ Have I effectively combined simple ideas into more complex sentences?
🧠 Practice Quiz: Improve the Sentence
How can you rewrite the second sentence to vary the beginning?
Original Sentences: The student was worried about the exam. He studied all night.
Which is the best revision?
- He studied all night, and he was worried about the exam.
- Feeling worried about the exam, the student studied all night.
- The student studied all night, and he was worried about the exam.
Answer: B. This version starts with an "-ing" phrase, creating better sentence variety and showing the relationship between the two ideas more effectively.
📝 Homework: Become a Style Editor
Your homework is to take a simple paragraph and improve its fluency and style. Below is a "monotonous" paragraph.
Paragraph to Improve:
My friend wants to get a new job. He is looking for a job in the hotel industry. He has experience in customer service. He is preparing his CV this week. He will start applying for jobs next week.
Your Task:
Rewrite this paragraph in your notebook. Use at least two of the techniques we learned today (vary sentence length, vary beginnings, combine ideas) to make it sound more fluent and professional.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Fluency (in writing): (Noun) - ភាពស្ទាត់ជំនាញ - The quality of being smooth, elegant, and easy to read. ↩
- Rhythm: (Noun) - ចង្វាក់ - A repeated pattern of sound or movement. In writing, it refers to the flow created by sentence length and structure. ↩
- Monotony: (Noun) - ភាពដដែលៗ - A boring lack of variety. ↩
- Emphasis: (Noun) - ការសង្កត់ធ្ងន់ - Special importance, value, or attention given to something. ↩
- Prepositional Phrase: (Noun Phrase) - ឃ្លាធ្នាក់ - A phrase beginning with a preposition (e.g., in the morning, on the table).