一、句子開頭多樣化
英語是一種句型結構靈活多變的語言。由于拘泥于傳統語法框架，許多初學寫作的人都喜歡用名詞開頭寫句子。這樣寫倒是無可非議，但若通篇文章都是干巴巴的同樣結構的句子，就顯得呆板生硬，缺乏生氣了。事實上，在英語寫作中除名詞可放在句子的開頭外，許多其它詞類及詞組均可放在句子開頭的位置。
例句：Women leave their homes to take a fuller part in society as time passes.
上面這句話至少還有兩種開頭方式：
1. As time passes, women leave their homes to take a fuller part in society.
2. To take a fuller part in society, women leave their homes as time passes.

二、避免一個“I”寫到底
初學英文寫作的人的另一通病是一個“Ｉ”寫到底，句首僵硬，缺乏變化。
試讀下面這段文章：
One thing in particular I remember made me feel grateful toward my mother was that one day I went and asked her for my own garden, and she let me have my own little plot. I love it and take care of it well. I loved especially to grow peas. I was proud when we had them on our table. I would pull out the grass in my garden by hand when the first little blades came up. I would patrol the rows on my hands and knees for any worms and bugs, and I would kill and bury them.

上面這一段共用了八個“Ｉ”。當然上文若出自一個幼童筆下，倒不乏天真純樸的趣味。不妨改寫如下：

According to my recollection, one thing in particular that made me feel grateful toward my mother was the day I went and asked her for my own garden, and she did let me have my own little plot. I love it and take care of it well, especially the growing of peas. Having them on the table made me proud. I would pull out the grass in my garden by hand when the first little blades came up and would patrol the rows on my hands and knees for any worms and bugs, killing them and burying them.

改寫后的段落僅有三個“Ｉ”，一看就出自成人手筆。

三、 注意句子的緊湊性
1. 當兩個句子是圍繞著同一主題的不同方面進行說明時，可以將兩句中相同的成分省略，形成并列句，從而使句子更加緊湊。這也就是省略結構所表達出的英文的緊湊性。需要注意的是兩句中形成對應關系的something要完全一致才可以省略，而且與相同成分相關的短語（主要是動詞短語中的介詞）不可以省略。另外，如果表示比較結構的句子前后有相同成分，而且此成分有短語修飾，后面的相同成分要由代詞來置換，而不能直接將其省略。（如下面的例句三）
例句：
They should acquire knowledge not only from books but also from the society.
他們不僅要從書本中學習知識，還要從社會中汲取知識。
Either Sally must be responsible for the matter or we’ll be (responsible for the matter).
或者賽麗對此事負責，或者由我們來承擔責任。
The population of this country is three times as large as that of its neighbor.
這個國家的人口是它鄰國的三倍。（漢語可以說是它鄰國的三倍，但英語一定要說是它鄰國的人口的三倍，這也是英語較為漢語更為嚴密的一種表現）

2. 條件句也是使句子緊湊的一種表達方式。這里我們介紹一下in which在條件句中的用法，它相當于條件句的引導詞if，這時可譯作“如果……那么……”或“當……時”。

例句：An ensemble that performs B in which the other performs A is excused from the rehearsal after that concert.
當另外一個樂團演奏Ａ（樂曲）時，那麼演奏Ｂ（樂曲）的樂團就有充分的理由不去彩排了。

作者：文都名師趙文通