1. (tips for adding variety to boring sentences)
Six Sassy
Sentences
(tips for adding variety to boring sentences)

2. 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!

3. Six Sassy Sentence types:
1. Two-adjective beginnings
2. “-ing” at beginning or end
3. “-ly” beginnings
4. Informative interrupters (appositives)
5. Balanced sentences
6. Dependent clauses

4. 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.

5. A. Combine these sentences into a Two-adj sentence:
The startled jury braced to hear more of the witness’s testimony.
The jury was amazed.
The jury was perplexed.

6. What does your sentence look like?

7. Here’s a possibility:
Amazed and perplexed, the startled jury braced to hear more of the witness’s testimony.

8. B. Combine these sentences into a Two-adj sentence:
The courtyard looked out over rolling hills of vineyards.
The courtyard was open.
The courtyard was airy.

9. What does your sentence look like?

10. Here’s a possibility:
Open and airy, the courtyard looked out over rolling hills of vineyards.

11. WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:
Tall and majestic, is how I would describe the palm trees that line Santa Margarita Parkway.

12. Tall, majestic palm trees line Santa Margarita Parkway.
This is better:
Tall, majestic palm trees line Santa Margarita Parkway.

13. Friendly and helpful are my neighbors.
WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:
Friendly and helpful are my neighbors.

14. This is better:
Friendly and helpful, my neighbors invited us to a block party the very week we moved in.

15. Rude and furious, there were gang members roaming the streets.
WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:
Rude and furious, there were gang members roaming the streets.

16. Rude and furious, gang members roamed the streets.
This is better:
Rude and furious, gang members roamed the streets.

17. Now you try:

18. 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.

19. A. Combine these sentences into an “ing” beg. sentence:
Annie took her daughter’s hand.
She entered the gates of Disneyland.
She was smiling as she did this.

20. What does your sentence look like?

21. Here’s a possibility:
Smiling, Annie took her daughter’s hand and entered the gates of Disneyland.

22. Here’s another possibility:
Entering the gates of Disneyland, Annie smiled and took her daughter’s hand.

23. B. Combine these sentences into an “ing” beg. sentence:
He realized he could change direction at any time.
He realized this after thinking about it for a moment.

24. What does your sentence look like?

25. Here’s a possibility:
Thinking about it for a moment, he realized he could change direction at any time.

26. Now you try:

27. “-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.

28. A. Combine these sentences into an “ing” end sentence:
Harriet made her way to the back yard.
She was following the strange man she had seen at the gate.

29. What does your sentence look like?

30. Here’s a possibility:
Harriet made her way to the back yard, following the strange man she had seen at the gate.

31. Now you try:

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

33. A. Combine these sentences into an “ly” at the beginning:
The nanny placed the sleeping child in the crib.
She did this gently.

34. What does your sentence look like?

35. Here’s a possibility:
Gently, the nanny placed the sleeping child in the crib.

36. B. Combine these sentences into an “ly” at the beginning:
The dugout canoe would last for generations.
It was strongly made and heavily built.

37. What does your sentence look like?

38. Here’s a possibility:
Strongly made and heavily built, the dugout canoe would last for generations.

39. Now you try:

40. 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.

41. A. Combine these sentences into Informative Interrupters:
Our rustic log cabin is miles from the nearest paved road.
It is nestled up a winding canyon.

42. What does your sentence look like?

43. Here’s a possibility:
Our rustic log cabin, nestled up a winding canyon, is miles from the nearest paved road.

44. B. Combine these sentences into Informative Interrupters:
A knock on the door brings Nicky to her feet.
Nicky is our dog.

45. What does your sentence look like?

46. Here’s a possibility:
A knock on the door brings Nicky, our dog, to her feet.

47. Now you try:

48. 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.

49. A. Combine these sentences into Balanced Sentences:
I spent hours feeding him.
I spent hours playing with him.
I spent hours observing him.

50. What does your sentence look like?

51. Here’s a possibility:
I spent hours feeding him, playing with him, and observing him.

52. B. Combine these sentences into Balanced Sentences:
Hampton Court by moonlight looked ancient.
Hampton Court by moonlight looked villainous.
Hampton Court by moonlight looked secret.

53. What does your sentence look like?

54. Here’s a possibility:
Hampton Court by moonlight looked ancient, villainous and secret.

55. Now you try:

56. 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.

57. A. Combine these sentences into Dependent Clauses:
I blew gently into Buffy’s face to watch his nose twitch.
I did this with candy in my mouth.

58. What does your sentence look like?

59. Here’s a possibility:
With candy in my mouth, I blew gently in Buffy’s face to watch his nose twitch.

60. B. Combine these sentences into Dependent Clauses:
Buffy’s play was very humanlike.
His play was humanlike because his muscle structure and coordination resembled that of a human.

61. What does your sentence look like?

62. Here’s a possibility:
Because his muscle structure and coordination resembled that of a human, Buffy’s play was very humanlike.

63. Now you try:

64. Revised with added sentence combining by Anita Mattos on 10-10-06
Created by Anita Mattos and Melissa Hilton Revised with added sentence combining by Anita Mattos on
2002
(Resources include Barry Noden’s Image Grammar and The Write Source, 2000.)
Revised with added sentence combining by Anita Mattos on