Page 46 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

WhY MUST I PUT MY AUDIENCE FIRST? 35

Simple sentence—A sentence containing one noun and one predicate.
Example: Jacob processed the paperwork.
Compound sentence—A sentence combining two or more independent clauses.
Example: Jacob processed the paperwork, and he filed it today.
Complex sentence—A sentence combining one independent with one or more
dependent clauses.
Example: Finishing after the deadline, Jacob processed the paperwork.
Compound-complex sentence—A sentence combining two independent clauses with
one or more dependent clauses.
Example: Jacob processed the paperwork, although after the deadline, but he filed it today.
Figure 3.5 Four types of sentences

sentences can be used to deliver bad news. Compound, complex, and
compound-complex sentences have multiple clauses. In compound sen-
tences, both clauses have equal weight because they are both independent
clauses—an independent clause could be a complete sentence. Com-
plex sentences have two clauses, but one of those clauses is dependent.
Dependent clauses would be sentence fragments if left all alone; they
depend on other clauses to make a complete sentence. You can place bad
news in a dependent clause of a complex sentence to reduce the impact
of the bad news.
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The type of sentences you use is a matter of style. You have the free-
dom to use all of the different types of sentences. Our advice, however,
is to prefer simple sentences and to use the other types of sentences
strategically.

Use Mechanics to Your Advantage

If you want certain pieces of information to stand out, then use the
mechanics available to you in your word processing program. Just as we
recommended in Chapter 1, you can emphasize key ideas through the use
of bold, italic, underlined, or a combination of font styles. In addition,
you can use one or more of the following:

• Bulleted and enumerated lists
• Color