Sentence Fluency

1. Sentence Fluency

2. Rhythmic Patterns • Sentence Variety-Different phrases, clauses, structures, and lengths • Poetic and musical • Easy to read aloud • NOT choppy • Smooth and natural • The rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ears.

3. Your sentences should be clear and each word should be deliberately chosen. • CUT the DEADWOOD! Never write things like: Now I am going to tell you about, or This is what I think about _____, I hope you enjoyed reading my essay, • ALWAYS avoid using the word “YOU” in ANY writing! “You should never wear dirty tennis shoes.” Instead, plug a pronoun in there. “A person should never wear dirty tennis shoes.” • ALWAYS read your work out loud. Does it sound pleasing to the ear? Do you get tongue tied or confused? Is it difficult to read? If so, go back and make it smoother. • Avoid sentences that just go on and on and on and on….

4. USE SENTENCE VARIETY and Your Notes on Sentence Variety! • Notes on Gerunds • Like nouns, gerunds can act as subjects and this is where your sentence variety comes in to practice. • A gerund is a verb form that ends in ing and acts as a noun. • Running across the yard tired out the puppy. • Whispering in class is disruptive. • Cooking in my mom’s kitchen is a memory I have always cherished. • Dreaming is a common experience for people. • Notes on Infinitives • An infinitive is a verb that usually begins with to. It is used as a noun at the beginning of the sentence and this is how we will use it for sentence variety. An infinitive is TO plus a VERB FORM • To buy the stereo would be a mistake. • To give something back to society is important.

5. Notes on Appositives and Appositive Phrases • Extra information that renames a subject. “A hunk of junk” • My sister plays the cornet, a wind instrument. • Voyager I photographed Jupiter, our largest planet, in 1979. • Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has a deep harbor. • Notes on Participle Phrases • A participle is a verb phrase, usually but not always ending in ING or ED, which can be used as an adjective to describe a noun. • The car sliding out of control toward building is going to hit the window. • The astronaut chosen to ride the space shuttle to Mars is afraid of heights. • Running down the street, Alicia tripped and fell. • Scared by the spider crawling on my bed, I shrieked in fright!

6. Notes on Adjective Clauses • An adjective clause is a clause that modifies a NOUN and begins with a RELATIVE pronoun: which, who, whom, whose, that, • The store which was going out of business had a sale! • My sister who is also my best friend loaned me her jacket. • The meeting that lasted forever bored me to tears! • Notes on Adverb Clauses • A clause that modifies a verb and begins with a SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION. • after, although, as, as if, as long as, as soon as, because, before, even though, if, in order that, once, since, so that, than, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, where, wherever, whether, while • Because he was afraid of the monster, he ran home. • When the lights went out, we lit candles. • I ate my dinner while I was watching T.V.

7. Notes on Phrases: Adjective and Adverb • An adjective phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies as noun. An adverb phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb and can go at the beginning of the sentence! That is how you will use it for sentence variety. • Common Prepositions: across, after, along, around, as, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, from, in, inside, into, near, on, onto, off, outside, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, upon, with, within, without, according to, as of, aside from, because of, in front of, in place of, in spite of, instead of, next to, out of, prior to, in addition to, • Adverb Phrases • After dinner, I will go running. • With all of my energy, I ran home. • Adjective Phrases • The boat in the water is slowly floating away. • The store across the street is going out of business.

8. Opening Sentences with One Word Modifiers: Adjectives or Adverbs • Another way to incorporate sentence variety is to use one word modifiers like adjectives and adverbs. • Adverbs: Slowly, the cat crept on the unsuspecting victim.Sadly, the game will be postponed. Adjectives: Exhausted, I collapsed on the sofa after my run. • Frightened, I ran into my room to avoid the monster • accidentally afterwards almost always angrily annually faithfully anxiously awkwardly badly blindly boastfully boldly bravely briefly brightly busily calmly carefully carelessly cautiously cheerfully clearly correctly courageously cruelly daily defiantly deliberately doubtfully easily elegantly enormously enthusiastically equally eventually exactly • gladly gracefully greedily happily hastily honestly hourly hungrily innocently inquisitively joyously justly regularly lazily loosely loudly madly merrily monthly mysteriously nearly neatly nervously noisily obediently obnoxiously only painfully perfectly politely poorly powerfully promptly quickly quietly rapidly rarely • reluctantly repeatedly rightfully roughly rudely sadly safely selfishly seriously shakily sharply shrilly shyly silently sleepily slowly smoothly softly solemnly speedily stealthily sternly successfully suddenly suspiciously swiftly tenderly tensely thoughtfully tightly truthfully weakly unexpectedly wildly

9. Open with a Participle phrases • Open with adjective • Open with prepositional phrase • Open with a gerund phrase • Use appositives or appositive phrases • Open with an adverb clause • Open with an adverb • Cascading down the mossy cliffs, the water hummed like a murmur of whispers in my sleep. Crisp and fresh, the water settled tranquilly into a pool after rushing frantically down the sides of the rocks. Among the jungle, lush green plants mature wildly. Hidden behind the exotic trees lie mysteries of another world, one where life is slower. Smelling the clean scent of unpolluted water, I stop to take a drink of the blue, untainted water. The sanctuary, tucked away in a hidden place, is full of peace. Breathing deeply, I smell the sweet aroma of the pure, untouched freshness of this place. Because I am standing under the waterfall, I feel cool splashes of water as the rapids rush down the sides of the cliff. Listlessly, I allow the beauty to consume me.

10. Homework • Do the Worksheet on Sentence Fluency Worksheet SENTENCE TYPES • ALL of your writing MUST contain sentence fluency, including your journals!!! • Your journals are the perfect place to practice sentence variety and it is part of how I will be grading them.