(tips for adding variety to boring sentences) Sentences

Why use variety in your sentences? Sentence variety is necessary for a number of reasons: * Sentence variety makes your writing more interesting to read! * Sentence variety adds style to your writing! * Sentence variety will help develop your writing skills!

Ten Sassy Sentence types: 1. Two-adjective beginnings 2. “-ing” at beginning or end 3. “-ly” beginnings 4. Informative interrupters (Appositives) 5. Balanced sentences/Parallel structure 6. Dependent clauses (start w/sub.conj.) 7. Past Participle beginnings.

8.Start with “with.” 9.Use a semicolon. 10. Start with “to + verb.” (Infinitive)

1. Two-Adjective Beginnings: Tall, handsome lifeguards flirt wildly with the pretty girls. Rickety and dilapidated, the old schoolhouse didn’t stand a chance in an earthquake.

Now you try:

2. “-ing” at beginning Running like the wind, Forrest Gump made national headline news. Saving the best for last, Lisa finally ate her Reese’s peanut butter cup.

Now you try:

“-ing” at end He trudged along the hot desert for days, wishing he had brought more water. Sandy gave the homeless man all the money she had, hoping that her small act of kindness might bring him some comfort.

Now you try:

3. “-ly” at beginning Cheerfully, she answered the phone for her mother. Slowly opening the door, the servant tried not to wake his master.

Now you try:

4. Informative Interrupters The fish, a slimy mass of flesh, felt the alligator’s giant teeth sink into him as he struggled to swim away. The child, face covered with chocolate doughnut, asked his mother if he could have some milk.

Now you try:

5. Balanced Sentences He runs onto the baseball field, spins around second base, and looks back at the academy. Choosing a Christmas tree, putting up Christmas lights, and baking Christmas cookies are all included in my December traditions.

Now you try:

6. Dependent Clauses Because it rained, the garden party was postponed. Since the road construction is complete, Jim can make it home in only ten minutes.

Review: Coordinating Conjunctions FANBOYS CCs used after a comma to join one independent clause to another: and, but, or, for, nor, so, and yet.

Subordinating Conjunctions Used to add pizazz to your sentence structure! After, although, as, as though, because, before, if, once, since, though, unless, until, when, whether, and while.

Now you try:

7. Join Ideas with a Past Participle Some sentences can be joined with a past participle. 1 – Judith is alarmed by the increase in meat prices. 2 – Judith has become a vegetarian. 3 – Alarmed by the increase in meat prices, Judith has become a vegetarian. The sentence has been made into a past participial modifier by dropping the helping verb is and the subject Judith. The past participial alarmed now introduces the new sentence. A comma sets off the past participial modifier from the word it modifies, Judith. In order to avoid confusion, the word referred to must directly follow the modifier.

Let’s look at some more... 1 – The term paper was revised and rewritten. 2 – It received an A. 3 – Revised and rewritten, the term paper received an A. 1 – Duffy was surprised by the interruption. 2 – He lost his train of thought. 3 – Surprised by the interruption, Duffy lost his train of thought. Now YOU try!

1 – My mother was married at the age of sixteen. 2 – My mother never finished high school. 1 – The citizens have started cleanup and consciousness- raising campaigns. 2 – They are concerned about conditions in the ghetto. 1 – The game will take place on Sunday. 2 – It was rained out twice. 1 – The manuscript is very hard to read. 2 – It is written in longhand. 1 – The tree is withered and yellow. 2 - It needs a thorough watering.

Now you write the sentences... Write five sentences of your own that begin with past participial modifiers. If you wish, use the words in this past participial list: ThrilledAngeredSeen Honored ShockedDressedHiddenBent AwakenedLostStuffed Found ExaminedAnnoyedPinched Rewired

7 Sassy Sentences Advanced Info

Use “with” at the beginning Example: With the upcoming Christmas festivities, our family was super busy making cookies and trimming the tree. Example: With a corncob pipe and a button nose, Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul.

Now, you try!

Semicolon Not just a wink ;) Full sentence before it. Full sentence after it. Example: Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose; if you ever saw it, you would say it glowed. Don’t break the sentence too early.

Now, you try!

Infinitive Phrase Start the sentence with the word, “To.” Then add a verb. Example: To steal all the Who’s presents, the Grinch dressed up like Santa Claus and went to all the houses in Whoville.

Choose your favorite Holiday Movie A Christmas Story with Ralphie The Grinch Elf The Polar Express Santa Clause Jingle All the Way Home Alone Christmas Vacation

Pick a scene from the movie Write a sentence starting with an infinitive phrase. Example: To convince his parents to get him a Red Rider BB Gun, Ralphie leaves notes around the house for his parents to find.

The End! Remember to add SASSY SENTENCES to all of your papers from now on and FOREVER!!!!!!

Created by Anita Mattos and Melissa Hilton 2002 (Resources include Barry Noden’s Image Grammar and The Write Source, 2000.)