然而，在实际的英语文本写作中，一些写作者稍微粗心，便会写出结构完整和语义完整相分离的英语语句。
语例：
只具备结构完整而不具备语义上的完整：
（1）At five o'clock this afternoon， Xiao Li is always a very good student.
（2）Being a country with rich and glorious history， China has made population-control its basic national policy.
只具备语义完整而忽略结构的完整：
（1）The man likes doing different kinds exercises in his spare time， he likes play basketball， climbing， swimming and so on.
（2）After come back home from work， I would always find some ways to entertain myself.
语义及结构皆不完整 ：
（1）Piter was the richest man.
（2）Lived many years abroad， George Wang was a talented expert in computer software.
（二）连贯
语句结构上的完整主要指的是语句的形，而语义上的完整则是语句的神，良好的英语语句运用应是形神合一。
那么，如何才能让语句达到形神合一呢？那就是连贯（Coherence）。语句的连贯是指一个语句的各个部分在语法结构和语义逻辑上具备合理的内在联系，从而让语句表达出一个相对完整独立的语义思想。如果一个语句的连贯欠好或存在问题，就会影响到阅读者对语句语义的顺利和正确的理解。
语句连贯常常通过逻辑、语法和词汇三种方式达成。语句的逻辑连贯就是指语句的各个部分要具有一定的逻辑语义联系，如因果、递进、让步、转折、相近、同属、相反、相对等逻辑关系。
语法连贯指语句各部分具有一定的，诸如时态、语气、人称、数、平行结构等方面的协调一致的语法关系。
词汇连贯指语句中需采用恰当的指代、重复、同义、近义、反义或替代性的词汇保持语句各个部分的语义联系。
具体来讲，保持好英语语句的连贯主要有以下一些方法：
1.避免语句中存在语态、时态、语气、人称、数等基本语法形态方面的问题。语态、时态、语气、人称、数等任何一项的不恰当运用会导致语句的连贯问题。
2.保持语句中代词指代的明确性， 如it， that， this， he， she， they， themselves等。
语例：
Whenever John gives a cigar to his wife， he would first light it for her.
3.避免使用残缺句或不完整句。
4.避免语句中的非平行结构问题。
5.正确使用英语语句标点符号。语句的标点符号本身就在一定程度上反映一个语句的某些内部结构联系。
6.语句内的关系关联词，如因果、转折、递进、并列等的正确运用。如并列关联词：for， and， nor， but， or， yet， so等；逻辑语义关联词：because， since， as， although， if， whereas， nevertheless， when(ever)， before， after， while，once等；定语从句关系代词和关系副词：which， that， who， whose， why， how， when， where等。
语例：
（1）I like this car， but I can't afford it.
（2）Once it was known which micro-organisms were involved in the different stages of producing a cheese， and how the presence of different micro-organisms affected the taste， it was possible to introduce them deliberately， and to industrialize the process.
（3）When the story opens， Pamela is a young maid-servant， whose mistress has just died.
7.避免语句中出现误置修饰语、歧义修饰语和悬垂修饰语。
误置修饰语是指英语语句中的某一词的修饰语没有放置在恰当的语句位置而影响修饰语与被修饰语之间的恰当修饰关系的理解定位的修饰语现象。误置修饰语常常会导致语义表达不清楚；歧义修饰语则会导致语义表达上的歧义。
语例：
Saving money is a good habit， and is one of the most important personal qualities in China， which is widely advocated and accepted by us modern Chinese students.
在这个例子中，由which引导的修饰语就是一个误置修饰语，它本应放在Saving money 之后，才会使语义表达清楚。
The man hesitated the first time to make such a decision.
上述例中的the first time就是一个歧义修饰语，既可被看做是谓语动词hesitated的修饰语，也可被看做是后面不定式短语的修饰语。这样就导致可能的语义表达的歧义。
悬垂修饰语是指作为通常语句状语并且其逻辑主语被省略而与其主句主语不构成逻辑主谓关系的修饰语现象。误置修饰语和悬垂修饰语都影响语句的连贯。
悬垂修饰语主要有三种情况：
（1）悬垂分词
Opening the yellow door， two large wooden desks of the same color are laid in the middle of the room.
（2）悬垂动名词
By installing small wooden boxes on the tree， the birds can have better living conditions.
By travelling to different places on vacations， my experiences and knowledge have been tremously enriched.
（3）悬垂不定式
To better fulfill our task， the whole procedures are well designed and all possible variations are considered.
英语语句缺少连贯主要有：（1）形义分离的情况，如主辅结构间语义逻辑关系不明确、代词指代不清楚、修饰语与被修饰语的语义逻辑关系不明确等；（2）单纯的结构问题，其中主要是对称和平行问题；（3）单纯的语法形态问题，如人称、数、语态、时态、语气上有混乱之处。
上述几个方面的问题，绝大多数英语学习者都能根据平时已掌握的英语知识，清楚地找出单个语句中存在的问题，但一到具体的英语写作中，就很容易犯这些方面的错误。因此，要达到保持写作中英语语句的连贯性，英语写作学习者须从上述几个方面入手，有意识地形成这些意识和习惯。
（三）简洁
语言使用的最高艺术在于使用最少的语词准确地传递出最大的信息量。因此，简洁是英语语句的一个重要标准。对于一般写作学习者而言，做到语句简洁最基本的一点，就是尽量减少语句中不必要的词或语词结构。
保持英语语句简洁的方法有以下几种：
1）减少重复表意的词或结构。
语例：
Living in large cities has made us all tired of living in those cramped little little houses and flats.
We are all tired of living those cramped little houses and flats in large cities.
2）将复杂句或复合句变成简单句。
语例：
The Huanghe River is one of the longest river in China，and in summer time when northern China enters its raining season， it often overflows its banks，and the lives of many people are endangered.
The Huanghe River，one of the longest rivers in China，often overflows its banks in summer time，the raining season of northern China，endangering the lives of many people in the old China.
3）将语句中的从句变成短语、非谓语短语、介词短语等，将短语变成单词。
语例：
Most of us live in the large cities and that has made us all tired of living in those those cramped little little houses and flats which were mainly built in the end of last century.
We are all tired of living those cramped little houses and flats in large cities mainly built at the end of last century.
当然，写作的目的是为了表达出一定的思想，有时，为了达到一定的思想传递的目的，写作者也会有意识地使用一些重复表意的语词或语词结构，那则是另外一回事。
语例：
I ask you to be citizens： citizens， not spectators； citizens， not subjects； responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.
（四）表意明确有力
根据心理语言学家N.乔姆斯基的转换－生成理论，一个思想要表达出来，是可以通过不同的语句结构形式而表达出来。换言之，人们可以选择不同的语词、不同的语句结构表达同一个思想。然而，不同的语句结构在表意的明确性和表意的力度上往往具有一些差异。而在英语写作中，一般要求写出的语句能够明确和有力地传达其意，语句的表意明确和有力也是语句写作的一个重要标准。
保持语句表意明确有力的一些方法：
1.选用具体的词。在英语的词汇中，写作者要表达同一语义，往往可以找出几个同义词。这些同义词往往具有一般词和具体词之分。一般词的语义所指较广泛性，而具体词则相对要明确、具体一些，因而，英语写作者在作文时选用具体的词。这样会增加语句表意的明确性和准确性。
例：
The old man did scientific work before he retired.
The old man was a computer expert before he retired.
Movement is good for health.
Physical exercise is good for health.
2.语句中在表达关键性行为意思的词时需要使用其动词形式，而不是其名词化的动词形式。动词形式的词表达的行为要比名词形式的词表达的行为更加有力。
试比较下面不同动词形式的表意语气的强弱：
After his writing of the composition， he read some books.
After he wrote the composition， he read some books.
During their plantation of trees in the countryside， the Ss experienced their entirely fresh country-styled lives that they never had in cities.
When they planted trees in the countryside， the Ss experienced their entirely fresh country-styled lives that they never had in cities.
The Ss expressed strong protest against the bad service of the school canteen.
The Ss strongly protested against the bad service of the school canteen.