Quick Tip: Are Your Sentences Too Long? Take the "Breath Test"

Here's a tip from Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (www.bly.com):

The "Breath Test" can determine whether your sentences are too wordy. Without inhaling, read the sentence aloud. If you run out of breath before you get to the end, the sentence is too long.

The solution: Use a dash (–) or ellipses (…) to break the sentence into two or more parts. Or rewrite it as two or more shorter sentences. Doing so will make your writing livelier, more conversational – and easier to read.