Varied sentence structures help you better emphasize words and ideas and keep your reader engaged.

Our Sentence Structure report analyzes how you start each sentence in your text and compares your usage of different sentence structures to published texts in your genre.

It's important to learn how you start and structure your sentences. You might not realize that you consistently start your sentences with adverbs, for instance. When you use the ProWritingAid Sentence Structure report, you can see if you strongly prefer one form over another.

It's also useful to know how your work compares to averages in your genre. While every author obviously has a different voice, knowing the averages for your genre can help you make sure you're matching up to industry standards.

How to Use the ProWritingAid Sentence Structure Report

To use the ProWritingAid Sentence Structure report, head over to your desktop app. Once your file is pulled up click on the "Structure" icon.

You'll see the report pop on the left.

You'll also see your sentences underlined on the right. The colors of the underlines correspond to the different types of sentence starters you see on the left.

The report on the left shows you the breakdown of how you start each of your sentences. The report shows how many sentences you start with a subject, with an adverb, with a subordinate conjunction, and more.

Next to the number, you'll see how your percentage matches up with other work in your genre. You can see if your percentage is higher or lower.

You can't make any direct changes to your work using the sentence structure report. Rather, this report is important for you to see how your text compares and what changes you should consider making. Remember, any changes you make to your text are optional - be sure to weigh whether the solution works for you and your work!

Why Is The Sentence Structure Report Useful?

It’s true what they say: "Variety is the spice of life." There’s a reason these axioms are still around today. When you vary your sentence structures, readers will be more engaged.

Think about those boring teachers in school who only spoke in a monotone with dull language. Seriously, you fell asleep in those classes, didn’t you? But those teachers who kept your rapt attention mixed it up a bit to keep you awake.

Beyond mixing up your sentence lengths, start your sentences differently. Begin some with gerunds or a subordinate conjunction. Be brave and start sentences with a past participle or an adverb.

The beauty of the Sentence Structure Check is that it shows you how your writing compares to already published works. If you’re interested in learning from others, this is an easy way to see how your work stacks up.

Have you tried out the Sentence Structure report yet? What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Start editing like a pro with your free ProWritingAid account

When a reader sees a grammar error, they start to lose faith in the writer who made it.

ProWritingAid is one of the best grammar checkers out there – but it’s far more than that! The editing tool also looks at elements of structure and style that have an impact on how strong and readable your writing is.

More, it helps you learn as you edit, making you a better writer every time you use the program.

The best way to find out how much ProWritingAid can do is to try it yourself!