Why Your English Sentences Sound Complicated (And How to Make Them Effortless)
You’re not “bad at English.” You’re generous with detail. Let’s keep the clarity and lose the clutter—step by step.
TLDR: If your first language stacks details before the noun and keeps the verb for later (e.g., Korean, Japanese), that packaging can spill into English and create heavy sentences. Separately, many intermediate learners (from any first language) over-elaborate to be safe. Lead with the point, keep one idea per sentence, and add detail only when it helps.
The Real Culprit: How We Package Ideas
When we think in our first language and then write in English, we often keep the same information order. In languages like Korean and Japanese, it's natural to pile modifiers before the noun and place the verb at the end. Map that straight onto English and you get dense, breathless lines.
Example
"One of my friends who lives in London and who I met when I went to university there last year invited me to her housewarming party."
Better
"My friend from London invited me to her housewarming party. We met last year at university."
Same facts, simpler packaging.
Three Sneaky Habits to Watch For (and Fix)
1) Saving the Verb for Last
Good in some languages, exhausting in English — your reader waits too long for the point. English likes to meet the verb early, like a host greeting you at the door.
Before
“In order to be able to lose the weight that I gained during the last winter, I decided that from this month I will start to go to the gym three times a week.”
After
“This month I decided to start going to the gym three times a week to lose the weight I gained last winter.”
Same idea, but the decision (the verb) arrives much earlier and is easier to follow.
2) Over-Elaboration (Totally Normal at the Intermediate Stage)
It's human to add extra detail when you're not 100% confident. One student told me:
"He couldn't lift his arm until to almost near his ear."
What she meant: "He couldn't lift his arm very high."
Why this happens:
You'd rather overshare than be misunderstood.
You compensate for vocabulary gaps with description.
Written style spills into speech (where brevity reads better).
Some tasks (e.g., medical) invite precision—just keep it concise.
Fix: Say the point first. Add details only if they help action or understanding right now.
3) Relative-Clause Chains
Stacking that/which/who before a noun creates a wall of text.
Before
“The new booking system that the marketing team requested in the second quarter, which our team has been working on for the last three months, has finally been finished.”
After
“The marketing team requested a new booking system in the second quarter. Our team has finally finished it after three months of work.”
or, if you want it even shorter:
“The marketing team requested a new booking system in Q2. Our team has just finished it.”
Fix: Turn modifiers into sentences, or swap in a short prepositional phrase.
Why Your Readers Will Thank You
Short, direct sentences:
Boost first-pass comprehension (especially on mobile)
Cut misreadings in global teams
Sound confident without sounding rude
Here's what changes when you simplify: In meetings, you can contribute before the discussion moves on. In emails, your manager knows exactly what you need. In presentations, your audience stays with you through every point. People who communicate clearly are assumed to think clearly, and that perception matters for your career.
The One-Breath Test
Read a sentence out loud. If you run out of air—or juggle more than one clause—split it. If it feels like it needs a second lung, it’s actually two sentences.
Quick checklist
Where is the main verb? (Earlier is better.)
Is there more than one idea? (Make another sentence.)
Can a modifier become a sentence? (Do it.)
Try These Quick Wins
Split Test: If a sentence has two clauses, cut it into two. Use simple subjects: We/You/This.
Point-First: Write the point, then add only the context needed to act now.
Chunk-and-Connect: Group details into short sentences and link them with plain connectors: So, Then, Because, As a result.
Polite + Brief: Be courteous without padding. "Could you share the draft by 3 pm? Thanks!"
Copy-and-Paste Templates
Status: We [finished/started/blocked] X. [Reason/Next step].
Request: Could you [action] by [time]? Thanks.
Decision: We chose X because Y. Next, we'll Z.
Before → After (Quick Reference)
Before
“Because next Thursday in the afternoon at 3 pm I suddenly have an important meeting at work, I would like to ask if it is somehow possible to change the dentist appointment that I made for that time to another day that is more convenient.”
After
“An important work meeting came up next Thursday at 3 pm, so I can’t make my dentist appointment. Could we move it to another day?”
Before
“My friend who lives in another city, who I haven’t seen for almost three years because we were both so busy with our jobs, told me that maybe she can visit me next month if she can get a few days off, so I am thinking that I will need to clean the house a lot and maybe also ask my boss to change my schedule.”
After
“A friend I haven’t seen for almost three years might visit next month if she can get a few days off. I’ll need to clean the house and maybe adjust my work schedule.”
Bottom line: Don’t translate the packaging of your thoughts — translate the meaning. Then write it in short, friendly, verb‑first English sentences. Your future self (and your readers) will thank you.