Sentence Composing

SENTENCE COMPOSING

            Using variety in sentence structure

Directions:  After you have written the first draft of your essay, you will then edit each of your sentences to give them variety.  Below is a list of various sentence patterns for which you have an explanation and samples.  After you read the samples, you will compose ten sentences of your own that imitate each pattern.  Use Microsoft Word to compose your sentences.  Be sure to write your name, date, teacher and type of sentence pattern on the top of the page. Whenever you complete your samples of a pattern, show them to your teacher  so that you will receive credit. You may then use these samples as guides when you are attempting to improve your sentences for your essays.

SENTENCE PATTERN #1  USE STRONG ACTIVE VERBS

Fire belched from the dragon's mouth. The cloud darkened the moon. The problem perplexed the student.  The coyote howled at midnight.

SENTENCE PATTERN #2  OPEN WITH AN ADVERB

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs answer these questions: How? When? Where? Why? How much? How many times? Many adverbs end in - ly.  Use a comma after an adverb as a sentence opener if the adverb receives special stress.

Anxiously, the viewer awaits the climax of the film. Yesterday I read a novel. Angrily, the student leaped to his feet.  Brilliantly the star shines. There lies the core of the matter.

SENTENCE PATTERN #3  OPEN WITH A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and usually ends with a noun or pronoun. The following list contains prepositions of the language according to their uses. (e.g. to the store.)  

Direction: along, down, from, into, over, through, to, toward, up.  Position: above, across, against, among, around, at, before, behind, beneath, beside, between, in, off, on, under, upon, within. Time: after, until, at (at nine o'clock). Means:  by (hard work), with (no help). Abstract: against (all odds) except, for, of.

During the day he studied.  For his opinion I had no desire.  After a moment of terror, the student regained his balance.  With a frown on his face, the employee quit his job. Against the wind he strained. (Use a comma after long introductory phrases. Omit comma after short phrases.)

SENTENCE PATTERN #4 HAVE THE VERB PRECEDE THE SUBJECT

In the following examples we  are using sentence patterns #2 and #3.  In those examples the subject preceded the verb.  Here the verb precedes the subject. 

Beside the stream stood the giant redwood tree. Along the street raced the Mustang. Down the road limped the wounded Labrador. Nearer and nearer floated the kite.

SENTENCE PATTERN #5 USE CONVERSATION OR A QUOTATION

Use the following punctuation in relation to quotation marks.

Always place commas and periods inside the closing quotation mark. - Place semicolons (;) and colons(:) outside the closing quotation mark. - Place question marks, exclamation points inside or outside the final quotation mark, depending upon the situation.  They come inside when they apply to the quotation only; they come outside when they apply to the entire statement. -Never double end punctuation marks. If a quotation ends a sentence, the end punctuation within the quotation marks also indicate the end of the sentence.

"John," she exclaimed, "you need to clean up your room."   "If they leave me alone, how will I manage?" he asked.   Who said "good guys always finish last"?  The majority of students judge themselves as "winners": those who have goals and responsibility. "Out!" snapped owner of the dog.

SENTENCE PATTERN #6 OPEN WITH AN ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

An adverbial clause has a subject and a predicate, but it depends on the main clause to give it meaning.  It cannot stand alone.  The following words serve as common connectives for expressing the relationship between the adverbial or dependent clause and the main clause.   (after, although, as, because, before, if ,in order that, so that, unless, until, when, whenever, since, while).  When adverbial clauses open a sentence, follow them with a comma.

When she came home from the cruise, she was refreshed,  Unless there are several delays, the hotel will be completed before winter.  Because she has two part time jobs, she has little time left to spend with her family.  If I want to increase my vocabulary, I will need to read more than I do now.

SENTENCE PATTERN #7 OPEN WITH AN INFINITIVE

To write an infinitive, you simply use the preposition (to) and follow it with a verb. An example is (to sit).  Infinitives can be used as nouns (subjects of a sentence), adverbs, and adjectives. Infinitives form phrases in three ways:  

As a noun used as a subject:  To swim in the ocean is dangerous.  (no comma)

As an adverb: She struggled to complete her assignments.  (Answers why)

As an adjective: He had a desire to run for office. (modifies the noun desire)

When you open your sentence with an infinitive phrase and it it followed by an independent clause, you place a comma after the infinitive phrase. Two examples:  To arrive there safely, I had to slow down. To write the essay, I researched.

SENTENCE PATTERN #8 OPEN WITH A PARTICIPLE

Participles are verbs used as adjectives and are called verbal adjectives. Like a verb it often expresses action. Like an adjective, it describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.  For present participles you add (ing) to the verb. (writing, watering, finding)  For past participles,  use the third principal part of the verb. (written, watered, found).

Writing rapidly, I made many mistakes. Written for his girlfriend, the poem expressed his deepest feelings.  Watering the lawn, Joan stood on the driveway.  Watered by the rain, the lawn survived.    Finding the secret code, Mary solved the puzzle.  Found in the desert, cacti need little moisture. 

SENTENCE PATTERN #9  OPEN WITH A GERUND

Gerunds are verbs used as nouns and are called verbal nouns.  They look exactly like participles but instead of modifying a noun they are used as nouns. This means they can be used as  subjects, objects, predicate nouns, or objects of a preposition. 

Writing this paper is difficult. (note the gerund is the subject for the verb - is)    Watering the lawn has become my daily task. Finding the secret code became my obsession. (subjects).  Fencing is my hobby. (predicate noun).   For silencing her shouting, we thanked him. (obj. of prep.)  Children like sledding down the hill. (object)

SENTENCE PATTERN #l0  USE AN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

An adjective clause is a group of independent words with a subject and a predicate and modify a noun or pronoun in the main part of the sentence.  There are two types of adjective clauses, restrictive (essential to the meaning of the sentence and do not take commas)  and non-restrictive (provide additional information to the sentence but are not necessary to the meaning and must be set off by commas). Only five words serve as openers for restrictive clauses (who, whom, which, whose, and that).  Non restrictive clauses use four only (who, whom, which, whose).

The boy who won the prize is my brother.   The girl, who lives down the street, works at Starbucks.   

I saw the mountain which is snowcapped.   The desk, which was in the classroom, was taken out for repairs. 

The girl whom I saw was my long lost cousin.  He introduced me to his girlfriend, whom he obviously adored.

The artist whose painting won the prize is talking to my friend. Steve, whose leadership never faltered, won the election.

I will always remember the courage that my mother had. (never use a comma when you use the relative pronoun -that).