The Inverted Pyramid

This tip from journalism can help make your writing stick with readers. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

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Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and here’s a tip I learned from writing as a journalist: Use the inverted pyramid.
What does this mean? Well, the inverted pyramid is an information presentation style where the absolute most important piece of information—the foundation—is right at the beginning. Say you’re writing a business email. If your reader is in a hurry and they skim everything except the first paragraph—even the first sentence—they should already know almost everything you want to say. Nonessential but still useful information goes further down where the curious reader can easily find it.
Topic sentences are crucial. A topic sentence is your best way to guarantee that readers will come away with the vital information. Without topic sentences, you can safely assume that most readers will turn away without the takeaway.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.