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Subject–Verb Chasm
Flags sentences where the main subject and its verb are separated by 10+ words, forcing the reader to hold the subject in working memory too long.
What It Does
Identifies the first subject noun/pronoun in a sentence, then measures the word distance to its main verb. Flags when 10 or more words intervene.
Why It Matters
When a subject and verb are too far apart, readers must hold the subject in working memory while processing intervening clauses. This creates cognitive strain and often forces re-reading. Moving the verb closer to its subject creates cleaner, more immediate prose.
What Gets Flagged
| Severity | Example | Why | Suggested Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information | "The soldier, who had been marching through the valley near the river where the enemy was known to camp, collapsed." | 15+ words between "soldier" and "collapsed" | "The soldier collapsed after marching through the river valley." |
Configuration
No configuration options. Skips sentences shorter than 8 words.
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Sentence-level
- Method: POS-based subject identification (first non-prepositional noun), then verb distance measurement