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Required assignment
Points: 2
Grade: or 0
Due: See Content area

Your word program will analyze your text for readability. To do that you click on Tools. Then click on Spelling and Grammar. This will check for spelling and grammar; when that’s done you will receive a text box evaluating your writing. This exercise is similar to that Word evaluation, but it is a little more in depth. We’ll do these with each main written assignment.

NOTE: Only do this kind of style check after you have composed your first draft. Do not consider these ideas when you are composing.  This is an editing exercise.  When you compose, you should compose. When the draft or part of the draft is done, you should edit.  This style check is a good way to become aware about some details in your writing.

To analyze that paragraph, follow these steps:

Step 1: Check Sentence Lengths:

1. Cut and paste one paragraph from the body of your introductory letter to make a separate Word document.
2. Number each sentence (place a number before each sentence).
3. Count the number of words in each sentence and list those numbers at the bottom of the page.
4. Calculate the average sentence length:

   Total number of words in the paragraph = average sentence length
   Number of sentences in the paragraph

   NOTE (and remember) this information about average sentence lengths.

   14-17 words / sentence = writing for readers with a high school education.

   17-21 words / sentence = writing for readers with a college education.

   22-24 words / sentence = writing for readers who are professionals, graduate students, or professors.

   ≤ 25 words /sentence = writing for readers who will read anything they need to read
   to get the information they need. This is not reader friendly.

Of course you don’t want to bore your reader with short sentences. Nor do you want to belabor your reader with lots of long sentences. So, the key here is variety. Use a mix of long and short sentences:

1. Use short sentences to emphasize ideas.
2. Use long sentences to connect ideas.
3. Use transition words to build long sentences rather rely on words like “and.”
    

Step 2: Check for BE Verbs:

1. Highlight all the BE VERBs with RED.
    

2. Count the number of BE verbs in the paragraph.
3. Calculate the percentage of BE verbs:
   Number of Be verbs / Number of sentences  X 100% = percent Be Verbs in the paragraph
    

NOTE: Try to avoid repeating BE verbs. Keep the number of sentences with BE verbs low—less than 30 percent in most documents

 Step 3: Revise the sentences are too long or that use Be Verbs.  Try combining sentences that are too short

Some points to consider:

1. After you write your first rough draft, focus on sentence length and use of Be verbs. Consider the writing process.
2. DO NOT worry about these details when you are composing.
3. When you write your first draft, concentrate on getting ideas on the page.
4. When your revise and edit, consider sentence style/ readability considerations.
5. I did not say “never” use Be verbs. Be verbs are useful, necessary, and perfectly fine words. Consider one of the most famous quotations in English:
   1. “To be or not to be. That is the question.” – 3 Be verbs in 2 sentences, for an 133% of Be verbs. Is that ok?? YES. How else could Shakespeare construct the sentence?
   2. Use Be verbs as necessary. BUT don’t only use Be verbs. Don’t rely on Be verbs.
6. Writing is for readers:  
   1. Readers like variety.
   2. Don’t bore readers with:
      1. lots of short sentences,
      2. lots of sentences with the same length,
      3. lots of long sentences
      4. lots of sentences that use BE verbs.
          

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