Sentence Variety

1. Sentence Variety Pasco-Hernando Community College Tutorial Series

2. Using a variety of sentence types • Good writing involves using a variety of sentence types depending upon context and thoughts to be expressed.  Such variety is a key element in creating unity and coherence and making the writing interesting and lively.

3. Simple Sentences • A simple sentence requires only a subject and a verb: • Bunnies hop. • Simple sentences can have prepositional or other phrases: • Bunnies hop in the meadow. • After it rains, bunnies hop in the meadow.    Two prepositional phrases.

4. Simple Sentences • Simple sentences can have adjectives: words which describe a noun. • Pink bunnies hop.  Pink describes the noun bunnies. • Simple sentences can have adverbs: words which describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. • Bunnies hop quickly.  Quickly describes the verb hop. • Very pink bunnies hop.  Very pink bunnies hop. • Bunnies hop very quickly. Very is an adverb describing quickly.

5. Simple Sentences • Simple sentences can have compound subjects. • Bunnies and kangaroos hop. • Simple sentences can have compound verbs. • Bunnies and kangaroos hop and play.

6. Simple Sentences • Simple sentences can have direct and indirect objects. • Kangaroos kick attackers.  Attackers is a word that receives the direct action of the verb: a direct object. • Kangaroos kick in defense.  In defense is a phrase that receives the indirect action of the verb: an indirect object. (It also happens to be a prepositional phrase.) • Kangaroos kick attackers in defense.  A sentence with both a direct and indirect object.

7. Compound Sentences • Compound sentences are composed of two independent clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction: BOYFANS.  See Coordination and Subordination. • The storm came without notice, and the people scrambled to avoid getting wet. • Notice the two independent clauses in green joined with the coordinating conjunction in red.

8. Complex Sentences • Complex sentences are composed of an independent clause and a dependent clause.  See Coordination and Subordination. • Because the storm came without notice, the people scrambled to avoid getting wet. • Notice the dependent clause in purple and the independent clause in green.  Notice also that there is a comma after the dependent clause since it is introductory to the main clause. • The people scrambled to avoid getting wet because the storm came without notice. • Since the independent clause is first, there are no longer introductory words and, consequently, no comma.

9. Compound/Complex Sentences • Compound/Complex Sentences are composed of two independent clauses and a dependent clause. • Because the storm came without notice, the people scrambled to avoid getting wet, but few escaped getting drenched.