Write with precision: beginning a sentence with “This”
Immediately when you write a sentence that begins with “This,” ask yourself what “this” refers
to. Can you state it in one or two words? If so, write that down next after the word “This.” A
sentence that begins with “This” should immediately be followed by one or two concrete words
that state what “this” refers to. Your readers should never have to go back over the previous
sentences to work out what “this” means.
Examples
Instead of:
Write:
Instead of:
Write:
This will include two malls, a recreation centre, and residential housing with 450
condominiums and 200 houses.
This development will include two malls, a recreation centre, and residential
housing with 450 condominiums and 200 houses.
This will be 0.2% above the total industrial employment average.
This annual rate of change will be 0.2% above the total industrial employment
average.
A message from the Instructional Materials Developers in the Learning and
Teaching Centre.
Increasing student engagement with clearer content