The way we string together words and the type of words we use contribute to the “pace” of writing. Longer sentences with a plethora of subordinated clauses provide an intellectual sound to the writing. The reader must take more time to ponder the concepts presented, making the ideas seem as complex as the style,  and also making the reader slog through the work.

Short sentences with direct verbs are the antidote to a dragging pace. However, few readers can stomach an entire work of short choppy bursts.  When dependent clauses are avoided, flow is sacrificed. The trick to dealing with pace-changing techniques is knowing when the writing can be improved by putting on the brakes–to let the reader savor the experience of reading–or speeding up the pace for drama.

A good exercise to show how this works is to take a paragraph out of academic writing and rewrite it. Revise it by…