How to Rewrite Long Sentences
Clearly

A long sentence forces your reader to hold multiple thoughts in their head at once. It taxes their working memory. If you ask them to hold too much, they will eventually drop everything and stop reading.

This doesn't mean every sentence must be short. Variety is good. But when sentences become "labyrinthine"—twisting and turning without a clear endpoint—clarity suffers.

In this guide, we will look at four actionable ways to break down monster sentences into clear, digestible pieces without losing the original meaning.

The "One Idea Per Sentence" Rule

The most common reason sentences get too long is that they are trying to do too much. A single sentence should generally convey a single core idea. If you find yourself using "and" three times, you likely have three sentences hiding in one trench coat.

1. The "And" Trap

The word "and" is a glue that can stick unrelated ideas together. When you see a sentence stretching across three lines, scan for the conjunctions.

2. Cut the Fluff (Redundancies)

Sometimes length isn't about the number of ideas, but the number of useless words. Phrases like "due to the fact that" or "in order to" add length without adding meaning.

3. Use Vertical Lists

If a sentence contains a complex list of items, especially if those items have their own descriptions, break it out of the paragraph. A vertical list is visually easier to scan.

4. Check Your Relative Clauses

Words like "which," "who," and "that" introduce relative clauses. While useful, stacking them creates a nesting doll effect that is hard to follow.

The Fix: Turn the relative clause into a separate sentence.

Conclusion

Long sentences aren't inherently bad, but they are high-risk. By splitting ideas, cutting fluff, utilizing lists, and unstacking clauses, you reduce the cognitive load on your reader.