sentencevariety

The (Sensual) Sentence Variety Page:

This sentence variety stuff really works.

It is the one topic found in grammar books that really improves your writing.

By practicing a variety of ways to create sentences, your writing will naturally improve.

I hope you're doing this page while you have a work in progress.

You will find ways to make your writing more interesting by seeing where in the work you might use the ideas on this page.

After you've worked this page, jump back to the Learnatron and pass on your wisdom to your MOP.

Insist that your MOP responds to you in a variety of sentence patterns.

(Be sure to see the reference at the bottom of this page.)

Sentence Variety:

I can write like this.

This is the basic sentence form.

It has a subject, verb and, sometimes, a direct object in that order. I write like this.

I get bored.

I soon tire.

I quit.

This Sentence Variety section will have lots of different ways to construct a sentence.

First you will see a description of the form.

I will write an example in the description of the form.

I will write an example.

Then you will see an empty space.

You will write an example in the empty space.

You will then move on to the next one.

Yawn!

Excuse me! I just nodded off there for a second.

To keep you from nodding off, there is a nice, friendly blank space after each example. In each blank, create your own examples. This is a crucial part of the learning process, and if you skip it, the Writing Police will track you down and ruin your life.

1. Compound Sentences.

Basic-Comma-with-a-Conjunction: You take two sentences that have some topic in common, and you slam them together with a comma and a conjunction.

Mary Lou O'nuggley grabbed her kid brother by his hair, and he gulped out his willingness to agree with her.

With a Semicolon: We have some options; sometimes we may choose to use a semicolon instead of a comma and a conjunction.

Roger Fernweather looked deeply into Augustine's left eye; Augustine looked deeply into the mole on Fernweather's left cheek.

Leaving out the second verb and replacing it with a comma: Many of you will love this example; some of you, the example below. (Instead of repeating the verb "will love")

Ralph caught a giant tuna; Morris, a bad cold.

A-colon-instead-of a-semicolon-followed-by-an-explanation. There are several ways to write compound sentences: this way is written with a general idea first, followed by a specific example.

There are many reasons I love to write: one of my favorite reasons is that writing gives me a chance to be silly.

2. A complex sentence.

If you first write a dependent clause, you then write a comma followed by a sentence.

When Jenney Sue Complex married Frederick R. Sentence, she became Jenney Sue Complex Sentence.

Because I felt like it, I wrote another complex sentence.

Please also see Number 4, below.

3. Compound- Complex Sentence.

When you decide to mix together one or two dependent clauses with a couple of independent clauses, you may amaze yourself, and you will have written a compound-complex sentence. (Dependent clause is in red.)

Fenton Pennywhistle broke into a frightening grin when he realized what he had done to Edgar, his roommate, but he quickly put on a straight face when Professor Manly strode into the room.

You may not believe me when you first read this , but all ants who live in New Jersey are named "Fred".

4. Sentence with a colon followed by an explanation.

You might want to include an explanation in your sentence: add more information or give an example.

The people who worked on this writing skills program have many goals: helping people learn, improving our nation's writing, and getting rich.

She had a "peaches and cream" complexion: wet, yellow and fuzzy.

(Also, please see the last compound sentence example above.)

5. Playing with repetition.

Some of the most interesting sentences are ones that break the rules, break out of the normal patterns, break, for instance, the "don't over repeat" rule.

Jeremiah was looking for a car, a car of simple beauty, a car to call his own, a car that would transport him to the highest levels of ecstasy, a car that would work.

You might also try a series of repeated phrases:

Gather around me, children, to learn the meaning: to learn the meaning of life, to learn the meaning of death, to learn the meaning of all that goes between!

6. The On Purpose Sentence Fragment.

Another Way to Break the Rules. Usually the "On Purpose Sentence Fragment" is in some sort of context, rather than being off by itself. It's a way to add emphasis, to give some power. The power of an incomplete sentence! (I really love the writing of J.P.Donleavey for many reasons--he's hilarious, for one. I mention him here because he is a master at using sentence fragments. Right now, drop whatever you' re doing, go to your local library and check out a Donleavey book. To read in joyous silence.)

Using sentence fragments can be risky. You may not have made it clear that you know what you are doing. That you have included the fragment on purpose and for a particular effect. An added thrill to a writing assignment. Joy.

7. Combining Sentences.

Combining sentences is good. You can combine sentences in lots of ways. Combining sentences can make your writing stronger. In a way, all of the examples above get you to combine sentences.

~or~

All of the examples above cause us to create good, strong writing by combining sentences in a variety of ways.

~or~

The idea of combining sentences, as demonstrated by the examples above, is to help us develop good, strong writing.

~or~

When you combine sentences as in the above examples, your writing can become better and stronger.

(I think I've made my point.)

Now, you try.

See what you can do with this series:

The Wonderful Writing Unhandbook teaches ways to improve writing. Users choose what topic they want to learn. They learn about the topic by doing lots of writing.

Nice going. Sentence variety can become a natural habit--if you practice.

Want some more?

Want some practice?

Of course you do because you are a clear eyed, eager and inquisitive person who loves a challenge.

Whatever. I've put a bunch of sentence groups for you to combine on another page. There, you'll be able to combine right on your computer--or print the page and do the exercises on paper.

To the worksheet. . . . . . . click here.

There is a wonderful book that can help you improve your sentence work.

Waddell, Marie L. Robert M. Esch and Roberta R. Walker. The Art of

Styling Sentences:20 Patterns for Success. . New York:

Barron's, 1993, Fourth Edition.

The book contains lots more ways to vary sentences with lots of examples and lots of blank spaces to write in.

If your school won't run right out and buy you one, you will find it at Amazon.Com and/or Barnes and Noble on the World Wide Web.

I also recommend this book to teachers who are looking for ways to help students grow in their writing.

Here's a link to the Barron's listing for this book. I get nothing for this, so feel free to buy from Amazon or swap a copy from your school's bookroom.

http://www.barronseduc.com/0764121812.html

To return to Step Two, please click : HERE