Section 18.5 Sentence Complexity
There is nothing wrong with a complex sentence. The chapters on clauses showed how subordination, embedding, and modification allow you to pack precise relationships into a single structure. The problem arises not from complexity itself but from complexity that exceeds what a reader can hold in working memory. When a sentence requires readers to track too many embedded elements at once, they lose the thread before reaching the main point—and the ideas you worked hard to express are lost in the structure you built to express them.
Overly complex sentences impair readability.
Sentence Length.
Very long sentences strain working memory. When sentences exceed 25-30 words, consider dividing them:
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The committee, which was established by the board last year to investigate the issues raised by employees concerning workplace conditions, submitted its final report, which contained numerous recommendations for improvement, yesterday.
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Clear: The committee submitted its final report yesterday. The board had established the committee last year to investigate employee concerns about workplace conditions. The report contained numerous recommendations for improvement.
Nested Structures.
Multiple embeddings create difficulty:
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The book that the professor who teaches the course that I’m taking recommended was unavailable.
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Clear: I’m taking a course. The professor who teaches it recommended a book, but the book was unavailable.
The Right Level of Complexity.
Some complexity is necessary for sophisticated ideas. The goal isn’t simplistic prose but appropriate complexity—complex enough for your content, simple enough for your audience.
