Put the list
at the end.

1. Establish the sentence core before presenting the list.

My recommendation is to keep a list out of the subject position and put the list at the end of the sentence. Begin with a compact subject, establish the main action and then give the reader the items. This sequence lets the reader understand what the list does before working through the list. A list at the opening can delay that understanding while the reader waits for the verb.

The original is grammatical, but the reader must hold the list in mind before reaching the main action. The revision identifies the team and the act of deciding before supplying the decision criteria. For this intended meaning, the longer phrase now develops an already established sentence core. The change serves the reader by making the list’s role visible earlier.

2. Let the sentence carry the detail.

Think of the short subject and main verb as the engine that establishes the direction of travel. The list then adds useful information in carriages whose relationship to that direction is already clear. A larger carriage at the end can carry a detailed qualification without delaying the main action. The train is a metaphor for reading order, rather than a measurement of processing effort.

3. End-weight gives the recommendation a research basis.

Thomas Wasow’s Remarks on grammatical weight examines the tendency for longer or more complex English phrases to appear towards clause endings. That tendency provides a useful basis for placing a detailed list after a short sentence core. The research describes patterns influenced by more than one factor. My prohibition on list subjects is a stronger editorial rule for the writing I teach.

The broader cross-language study by Jing, Widmer and Bickel found that ordering effects varied with the kind of grammatical relationship. Those results prevent a simple claim that every language always puts short material first. I use the English recommendation to help writers design a clear sequence for a particular audience. The recommendation should be assessed through the meaning and structure of the actual sentence.

The placement of detail matters because the reader must keep track of an unfinished sentence. Gibson’s locality account explains heavier material towards endings through the costs of maintaining and completing grammatical dependencies. That explanation complements the observed English tendency towards end-weight. The account supports reducing avoidable waiting, rather than proving that every list subject is ineffective.

4. Choose a subject that accurately names the relationship.

The revised sentence names the project and then introduces the causes. Because the original names no person responsible for the causes, the revision also avoids inventing an actor. A writer with evidence about responsibility could choose a named team or institution as the subject. The subject must accurately represent the relationship rather than simply shorten the opening.

Move the list only after checking the meaning.

Underline the items that form a list and locate the main verb. Choose a short subject that names the relevant actor, object or event. Put the list after the verb or after a phrase that explains the list’s function. Check that the revision preserves responsibility, emphasis and the relationship between the items. When an actor cannot be identified reliably, use an accurate passive construction instead of guessing who acted.