Ways to make your writing flow

In my last post, I talked about how the known-new contract can help your writing to flow … to be more coherent and cohesive. Remember, the basic idea is that you present known information in the subject, and introduce your new information in the predicate. Below, I’ll describe three practical ways you can put this into practice. For the first two methods, I’ll give diagrams where A is the original subject and B, C, and D are the predicates.

Constant subject model

With the constant subject model, your subject (A) stays the same in every sentence. The pattern goes like this:

A > B (one new thing about A)

A > C (a second new thing about A)

A > D (a third new thing about A)

To prevent boring your reader, you can rephrase your subject (put it in different words) or use a pronoun. Here’s an example:

Phrasal verbs are a challenge for English learners. These phrases consist of a common verb and a word known as a particle. Phrasal verbs include very idiomatic expressions such as “to hang out” or “to drop by.” Usually, these constructions replace other, more formal words in English. Phrasal verbs must be mastered if learners want to improve their fluency.

Notice that although the subject (phrasal verbs) stays the same, I vary the wording of the subject while still retaining clarity. The reader should know that I’m still talking about phrasal verbs in every sentence.

Derived model

With this model, you begin with subject A in your first sentence. You present new information about the subject in the predicate. Then, in subsequent sentences, your subject becomes a “subset” of A, and you include new information in the predicate. In other words, you break your subject up into different parts or facets, and present new information about each.

A > B (new information about A)

Subset of A > C (new information about a part of A)

Another subset of A > D (new information about a part of A)

The derived model would result in something like this:

Phrasal verbs are a challenge for English learners. The first part of the phrasal verb is the verb, which is usually quite common. The second part of the phrasal verb is the particle, which can easily be confused with a preposition. The combination of the two parts forms the phrase, which speakers often use in idiomatic speech. Examples of common phrasal verbs include the idiomatic expressions, “to hang out” and “to drop by.”

Notice that, after the first sentence, each subject is something related to phrasal verbs. And I present new information about this subject without (I hope) confusing the reader.

Chained model

With the chained model, you form a sequence or chain in your writing. You start with a given subject (A) and include new information in the predicate (B). In the following sentence, the idea in the predicate becomes your subject (B), and you add more information in the predicate (C). And so on, and so forth.

A > B

B > C

C > D

Here’s an example:

Phrasal verbs are a challenge for English learners. The challenge comes because the meanings of these words are difficult to guess. Often, the meaning of the phrasal verb can be quite different from what the learner might expect. For example, a learner might hear the phrasal verb “to hang out” and think it has something to do with hanging laundry outside. But, in fact, “to hang out” is just another way of saying “to be with friends.” This idea of “being with friends” might also be expressed with a more formal English word, such as “to socialize.” But these formal words are less likely to be used in casual speech.

See how I’ve taken the main idea from the predicate of the preceding sentence and made it the subject of the subsequent sentence? When this method works right, the writing will really flow naturally and carry the reader effortlessly along for the ride. Just be careful that the ride doesn’t go on for too long! If you reach sentence G or H, you may have drifted quite far from the original subject of A.

What’s important to realize is that you don’t need to use just one of these methods. In fact, you shouldn’t. Good writing includes a combination of all three. Think about your material and what you want to say. Organize your ideas in a logical progression. Then consider what method is going to work best for each part.