Adding Variety with Sentence Beginnings

1. Adding VarietywithSentence Beginnings “Variety’s the spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.” - William Cowper

2. Adjective(s):modifies noun or pronoun • Lightweight and flexible, aluminum is a very useful metal. • Energetic and friendly, a colt approached us at the corner of the pasture. • Interesting yet simple, the melodies of Sir Arthur Sullivan continue to delight audiences.

3. Adverb:modifies verb, adjective, or another adverb – How? When? Where? How often? To what extent? • Quickly the demolition crew transformed the old hotel into a pile of rubble. • Today city officials expect results of the survey. • Sometimes even committed fans of Gilbert and Sullivan forget who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the music.

4. Prepositional Phrase:functions as an adjective or adverb • During yesterday’s football practice, Bob sprained his ankle. • For nearly one hundred years, the Ferris wheel has been the source of entertainment for both children and adults. • With their frenzied lyrics, the songs demand superb breath control.

5. Appositive Phrase:explains or identifies a noun or pronoun • A man of courage and eloquence, Thomas Paine expressed the sentiments of many colonists immediately before the revolution. • The site of the 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid is a popular resort in both summer and winter. • Satires on Victorian behavior, the operettas are lighthearted and witty.

6. Present Participial Phrase:verb form that ends in –ing and acts as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun • Waving to us from across the river, he turned and left quickly. • Accepting her diploma, she proceeded quickly across the stage. • Working together from 1891 to 1895, Gilbert and Sullivan wrote more than a dozen operettas.

7. Past Participial Phrase:past form of verb, usually ending in –d, -ed, -en, -t, or –k, used as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun • Fascinated by the grazing cattle, the children stood by the fence and watched silently. • Accepted for a role in the play, Wayne proceeded to learn his lines. • Built to stage Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, the Savoy theater in London has given its name to both the performers and the fans of these operettas.

8. Infinitive Phrase:The word to + the first principal part of the verb – functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb • To climb to the top of the mountain will be a tiring feat. • To call home when the game is over was her mother’s request. • To portray Gilbert and Sullivan effectively, a performer needs a good sense of humor as well as a good voice.

9. Gerund Phrase:verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun to function as the subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, predicate nominative, or appositive • Rebuilding the engine of my twelve-year-old car consumed my summer vacation. • Predicting the weather can sometimes be a thankless undertaking. • Following the lyrics requires superb breath control.

10. Adverb Clause:a clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction and tells how, when, where, to what extent, or why • Because she wanted to play the role so much, Sheila studied that part of the main character in the play. • As soon as the first frost covered the ground, the children wanted a pumpkin. • Although the humor was addressed to the “proper” Victorian, the satire is timeless and the characters are universal.

11. Noun Clause:a subordinate clause that is used as a noun in a sentence • Where the hostages are held is being kept secret. • Whoever caused the accident will receive a traffic ticket. • That one can forget the author of the lyrics or the music seems unfair.

12. Now you try. . . • After his accident, he was rushed to the hospital. • Prepositional Phrase • That we need to exercise more often is common knowledge, but few of us have the self-discipline. • Noun Clause • Shy and scared, Marissa entered the office for her interview. • Adjectives

13. Neglecting to do homework can be hazardous to one’s grade. • Gerund • Although Mark wanted to take Debate I, he did not have the necessary prerequisite. • Adverb Clause • Recognized for her speaking ability, Maria was asked to give the Farewell Address at graduation. • Past Participial Phrase • A man of patience and determination, Allen requested a second interview. • Appositive Phrase

14. Remembering her old neighborhood, she felt a tinge of nostalgia. • Present Participial Phrase • Tomorrow Scarlet would think about her problem. • Adverb • To be able to delegate authority is the mark of a leader. • Infinitive Phrase

15. ***REMEMBER*** • Use action verbs. • Use a variety of sentence structures. • Use a variety of sentence beginnings. “Variety’s the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” - William Cowper