Break the following sentences into shorter ones by adding more periods and revise as needed for smooth flow:
a. The next time you write something, check your average sentence length in a 100-word passage, and if your sentences average more than 16 to 20 words, see whether you can break up some of the sentences.
b. Don't do what the village blacksmith did when he instructed his apprentice as follows: "When I take the shoe out of the fire, I'll lay it on the anvil, and when I nod my head, you hit it with the hammer."The apprentice did just as he was told, and now he's the village blacksmith.
c. Unfortunately, no gadget will produce excellent writing, but using a yardstick like the Fog Index gives us some guideposts to follow for making writing easier to read because its two factors remind us to use short sentences and simple words.
d. Know the flexibility of the written word and its power to convey an idea, and know how to make your words behave so that your readers will understand.
e. Words mean different things to different people, and a word such as block may mean city block, butcher block, engine block, auction block, or several other things.