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Varying Sentence Structure. Basic Simplicity vs Style.
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Basic Simplicity vs Style I love living in the city. I have a wonderful view of the entire city. I have an apartment. I can see the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see many cargo ships pass under the bridge each day. I like the restaurants in San Francisco. I can find wonderful food from just about every country. I don’t like the traffic in the city… Read the paragraph below and note its basic simplicity.
Basic Simplicity vs Style I love living in the city. I have a wonderful view of the entire city. I have an apartment. I can see the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see many cargo ships pass under the bridge each day. I like the restaurants in San Francisco. I can find wonderful food from just about every country. I don’t like the traffic in the city… Read the paragraph below and note its basic simplicity.
More Varied and Sophisticated I loveliving in the Sunshine State’s city of San Francisco. With a wonderful view of the entire cityscape from my apartment window, I can even see the Golden Gate Bridge. Hearing the passing cargo ships reminds me of the city’s vibrancy. Because there is a variety of restaurants, I also like San Francisco’s culinary scene. However, I don’t like the traffic in the city…
Other ways to start sentences • With an adverb/adverb phrase • With an –ing phrase • With a prepositional phrase • With an appositive • With an infinitive
Adverb/Adverb phrase • Tells who, what, when, where, to what extent • When I go to college, I will study pediatrics. • Quietly, the fox approached the den. • After I finish work, I will meet friends. • As long as we have known each other, we have liked video gaming.
Gerund: -ing phrase • Listening to my iPod, I relax after school. • Going to camp this summer, the kids will keep busy. • Buying a car soon, I plan to spend $35,000.
Prepositional phrase • Phrase to help reveal relationships among words (at, before, on, of , through, over, around, with, on, until) Before noonon Saturdays, I can call overseas for a discounted rate. With a smile I accepted my diploma. On the counter you will find dessert.
Appositive • Noun or noun phrase that names the person, place, or thing right next to it. A large cockroach with hairy legs, the insectcrawled across the table.
Appositive cont’d The worst disaster area in the house, the laundry room is a volcano of dirty clothes. A silent enemy, cancer is a tragic disease.
Infinitive phrase • “to” + a verb (phrase) To keep a healthy body, I go to the gym. To be accepted to Harvard, a student must have top SAT scores. To appear fair, the judge postponed the trial.
Practice • Re-write the following sentence in TWO of the forms below: • The football game on TV kept me up late last night so I wasn’t able to finish my homework. • With an adverb/adverb phrase • With an –ing phrase • With a prepositional phrase • With an appositive • With an infinitive
PRACTICE 2 • Re-write the following sentence in three ways: The article reveals the author’s disdainful tone toward the exploitive cosmetics ad, which suggests that physical beauty equals success. • Appositive • -ing phrase • One other method of your choice
Careful with modifier • problem: • Critically biting, the ad is destroyed by the author who cites its exploitive nature. • problem: • Suggesting that beauty equals success, the author challenges the ad’s exploitive approach to cosmetics.
APPOSITIVES-noun/noun phrase renames or describes another noun • A critical writer, the author slams the ad’s exploitive nature in equating beauty with success. • A disdainful article, the piece reveals the author’s tone toward the exploitive ad, which equates beauty and success. • A critical analysis of cosmetics, the article reveals the author’s disdainful tone toward the suggestion that beauty equals success.
Practice 3 • Rewrite the following sentence according to the structures noted: The commentator’s remarks about illegal immigration were based in research, but his adversaries nevertheless questioned them. • Appositive • Prepositional phrase • Your choice
#3 Feedback-Appositive • PROBLEM: Based on research, the commentator’s remarks were nevertheless doubted by adversaries. Not an appositive • Examples: • A dubious group, the commentator’s adversaries questioned his remarks even though they were based on research. • Well-researched comments, the remarks about illegal immigration were nevertheless questioned by adversaries. • Factual comments about the issues, the commentator’s remarks about illegal immigration were nevertheless questioned by his adversaries.
Feedback #3-Preposition • Prep phrase has the prep and a noun: On the table, under the couch, With a sneer, To the cafeteria, except lunch, at midnight… • Through critical counterpoints, the commentator’s adversaries questioned his research-based remarks. • On the topic of immigration, the commentator faced his adversaries’ questions.
Practice #4 • Rewrite the following sentence according to the structures noted: Scholars agree that the President’s rhetoric will be studied for years to come because of its interesting mix of colloquial and elevated diction. • Appositive • Prepositional phrase • One other of your choice