In our writing experiences, we all come across situations in which we have to compose sentences that don’t sound particularly good. The concepts are present, but the sentence structure is flawed. You tinker with or rewrite the sentence several times, perhaps even 3-4 times expecting to make it better, but it still doesn’t sound quite right. What are you supposed to do in that case?
We are about to explain that.
But first, why does sentence rewriting matter?
How to rewrite a sentence. Use stronger synonyms, remove punctuations such as colon, and remove redundant phrases. Changing sentences from passive to active voice will also reword your sentences without affecting flow. The other common method people use for rewriting sentences is breaking up longer sentences.
One of the many reasons why you might want to rewrite a sentence is to make it more concise. It’s possible that it’s too long. It’s also quite likely that it’s too repetitive. Or maybe it’s just that it sounds…off.
We’ve compiled some pointers on how to reword your sentences without changing their meaning in order to save you from experiencing major writer’s block. Just remember that following these tips does not protect you against claims of plagiarism.
How to Rewrite a Sentence
1. Use stronger synonyms
The most straightforward method of rewriting a sentence is to reword it. In other words, you should scan your document for any weak or overused words, and then replace them with better synonyms if necessary. It will make your writing less repetitive. At the same time, your readers will find your writing more interesting and entertaining.
To avoid the challenge of finding better synonyms, all you need is a thesaurus or a writing assistant, which can detect and correct weak vocabulary on its own. Here are a few words to keep an eye out for:
| WEAK WORD | ALTERNATIVES |
| Good | Excellent, satisfactory, pleasant |
| Bad | Inferior, poor, deficient |
| Interesting | Compelling, thought-provoking, riveting |
| Show | Portray, illustrate, demonstrate |
| Use | Apply, utilize, employ |
| Fix | Restore, revitalize, repair |
Important notice: do not just use synonyms just for the sake of it. Ensure that you understand the meaning of the word. Do not replace words with those that you can’t tell the meaning. Instead of looking smarter, using a word incorrectly will expose you as ignorant or just plain stupid.
2. Hire RewriteMyEssay.org services
Using a reliable rewriting service can help you speed up the process, especially if you’re rewriting a huge chunk of text from, say a book. I had to mention it because we are in the business of rewriting essays.
We have specialists who will deliver high-quality rewriting to clients from any part of the world.
3. Remove redundancy
The sentence could have many unnecessary words that you can remove.
The best sentences are short and to the point and to the point. Therefore, remove anything from the document that isn’t absolutely necessary. These could be redundant words or filler words that block your sentences from getting to the point quickly.
| UNNECESSARY WORDS | EXAMPLES |
| Redundant words | merge together, free gift, short summary |
| Filler words | just, basically, really, perhaps |
| Qualifiers | may, often, possibly, probably |
However, if you’re writing an email, be mindful that your shortened message doesn’t come across as curt. Applying a friendly tone and the occasional “please” and “thank you” can help you be assertive without being rude.
4. Change passive voice to active
We’ve discussed passive voice in one of our articles. It is used to describe the situation in which the subject of a sentence receives the verb action. Because it makes your sentence wordy and difficult to read, excessive use of passive voice is often discouraged. Avoid it particularly for those who write marketing copy and other similar materials.
The recommended practice to solve this problem include rewriting a sentence from the passive voice to the active voice. This means that the subject will be the one performing the action rather than receiving it.
Example passive voice sentences and how to change them
Passive Voice: The novel was written by Ketanji.
Active Voice: Ketanji wrote the nove.
Passive Voice: A new “Live” feature is being launched by Facebook today.
Active Voice: Facebook is launching a new “Live” feature today.
Voilà! You might notice that these active sentences are shorter and quite direct. They are still communicating the same message.
5. Break long sentences into shorter ones
Breaking up long sentence in multiple sentences is also one of the ways to rewrite text. Consider our illustration below.
Original: The iPhone 13 pro is the best phone camera on the market, because it has a great camera, which delivers a balanced 360 degree view of surrounding, and it is also completely waterproof, which means you can use it anywhere outdoors without worries.
New: The iPhone 13 pro is the best phone camera on the market. Its great camera delivers a balanced 360 degree view of surrounding. It is also completely waterproof, which means you can use it anywhere outdoors without worries.
Wordy sentences are difficult to read. A paragraph full of long sentences will discourage the reader from continuing even if you’re conveying an important message.
Do not ramble on for a long time. Get straight to the point.
If your sentence is getting past 30 words, it is time to shorten it by rewriting.
According to the Oxford Guide to Plain English, an average sentence length of should be 15 to 20 words. Above 30 words is excessively lengthy. In most cases, shorter sentences are easier to understand, regardless of who is reading them.
If you’re writing an essay or just for work, you can use our essay rewriting service to check the readability of your text before you submit it. If your paper scores less than 60 in Microsoft Word readability score, look for any long sentences that could be broken up into shorter ones.
6. Use a paraphrasing tool
Our recommended paraphrasing tool is Quillbot. There are many other AI systems that claim to rewrite sentences but they do shoddy jobs. These rewriters will destroy flow in your paper.
Even the best ones will fail you and a real human has to read through your paper to get rid of errors that many computers won’t pick.
7. Remove Colons
The next way to rewrite a sentence is to remove colons.
Yes, it’s true that long sentences can add poetic power and rhythm to your writing—as long as you know how to write a good one, without running out of breath.
Consider an example below.
Original: My sister and I are really excited: We’re going to Disneyland!
New sentence: My sister and I are really excited because we’re going to Disneyland.
The second sentence is still closely related to the first one even though the first one was separated by a colon.
8. Remove prepositions at the end of sentences
Prepositions at the end of sentences are not always bad. However, overusing them could harm the quality of your writing. Check your essay or text to find where you’ve ended your sentences with these words.
Example of rewriting
Original: World War II is the era I’m focusing on.
Rewritten: I’m focusing on the era of World War II.
Original: This is the town I grew up in.
Rewritten: I was brought up in this town/ I grew up in this town.
Nonetheless, it is perfectly acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition if the alternative would create confusion or sound unnatural.
