1 / 32

How to Use Sentence Variety to “Sweeten Up” Your Writing

How to Use Sentence Variety to “Sweeten Up” Your Writing. People normally talk and write using one boring sentence pattern : subject/verb subject/verb subject/verb.

beau-hull
Télécharger la présentation

How to Use Sentence Variety to “Sweeten Up” Your Writing

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. How to Use Sentence Variety to “Sweeten Up” Your Writing

  2. People normally talk and write using one boring sentence pattern:subject/verbsubject/verb subject/verb . . .

  3. Example:I have an adorable dog named Rosa. She is a little brown dachshund with beautiful eyes. Rosa sleeps on the couch most of the day. I throw her toy for her every day after school. My little dog is the cutest pet in the entire world!

  4. Subject/verb, subject/verb, subject/verb is suitable for informal, everyday talking to communicate because . . .

  5. . . . when you are talking, your facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language “sweeten up” your speech.

  6. However, when you write, you need to revise to “sweeten up” what you say!

  7. All writers -- even professional writers -- must use the revision stage of the writing process to vary their sentence patterns.

  8. Use a variety of sentence patterns!

  9. Problem:I can’t think of ways to revise my boringsubject/verb sentences into fancy ones.

  10. Solution:Learn just a fewdifferent “fancy” sentence structures. After you finish a paragraph (or your entire paper), revise some of your sentences.

  11. Question:How many of my sentences should I revise? All of them? A few of them? One in each paragraph? What?

  12. Answer:Start by revising about 1/2 of your sentences. (That’s about 2-3 per paragraph.) Then reread your paper. Revise some more if you think it would improve your paper.

  13. Question:What are some of the best kinds of sentences to use?

  14. Start with an –ing or –ed word.(Introductory Participial Phrase)Since –ing and –ed are verb endings, this sentence pattern starts with action!

  15. Samlooked down the dark hallway. Hetried to imagine what could be hiding there.Looking down the dark hallway, Sam tried to imagine what could be hiding there.

  16. Katiewas amazed at the size of the crocodile. Shetiptoed away from the edge of the river.Amazed at the size of the crocodile, Katie tiptoed away from the edge of the river.

  17. Using an introductory participial phrase does two things:1. It “actions up” the start of the sentence.2. It helps you to combine two short sentences into one longer one.

  18. Use an appositive phrase.(Renames something)This sentence pattern helps you to combine two short sentences into one longer one.

  19. Allieis the captain of the volleyball team. Sheis the best player.Allie, the captain of the volleyball team, is the school’s best player.

  20. Start with an infinitive phrase(“to” plus a verb)Since an infinitive is a verb form, this sentence start is energetic and full of action.

  21. Colinwould love to go kayaking in Colorado.To go kayaking in Colorado would be Colin’s greatest dream.

  22. Start with an introductory adverb clause(Adverb clause begins with a subordinating conjunction: when, while, until, since, because, if, after, before, although, even though, as long as, as soon as, as though, whenever . . .).

  23. Ifinished my homework. Then Icalled Kelly.When I finished my homework, I called Kelly.Until I finished my homework, I could not call Kelly.

  24. As soon as I finished my homework, . . .After I finished my homework, . . .Since I had not finished my homework, . . .Because I had not finished my homework, . . .

  25. Compound sentence(Two short sentences connected by a comma and a conjunction: and, but, or, nor, for, yet)Compound sentences turn short, choppy sentences into longer, more interesting ones.

  26. Wewent to a movie last night. Itwas exciting.We went to a movie last night, and it was exciting.We went to a movie last night, but it was boring.

  27. Start with an introductory series of prepositional phrases(from, to, with, without, of, for, about, over, under, by, in, out, up . . .)

  28. Ican see the lake from the tree on the hill.From the tree on the hill, I can see the lake.

  29. Remember, speaking and writing are two very different forms of communication.

  30. Writing is far more reflective than speaking.

  31. Take the time to look at how you started each of your sentences.Then, take the time to revise.

  32. Using a variety of sentences structures, you will become a much better writer! How sweet!

More Related