1. Writing COMPLEX sentences instead of only writing SIMPLE sentences
So you can write more
sophisticated, have more
sentence variety, and
sound smart!

2. What happens to our writing
when ALL of our sentences sound exactly the same?
Let’s look at the following example.

3. Gary Provost on the Rhythms of Sentence Length
          This sentence has five words. This is five words too. Five word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the symbols, and sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

4. So, how do you, as an eighth grader ensure that your sentences are more COMPLEX and do not all begin EXACTLY the same way?

5. at the beginning of your sentences!!
One answer is to use
AAWWUBBIS words
at the beginning of your
sentences!!
What is an
AWUBIS
word?

6. An AAAWWUBIS word is just a catchy term for a Subordinating Conjunction
Write these down.
A - After
A - Although
A - As
W - When
W - While
U - Until
B - Because
B - Before
I If
S - Since

7. How will an
AWUBIS
word help?

8. These conjunctions
will force you to
write COMPLEX
sentences and have
sentenceVARIETY!
Complex sentences are the result of AAAWWUBBIFYING!!! (New term!)

9. I still don’t get it. How do these conjunctions create a complex sentence? And what IS a complex sentence?

10. So what is a Subordinating Conjunction?
(aka aaawwubbis word)
It is a word which, when used at the beginning of a sentence, creates a
It forces you to write an introductory clause before you begin your sentence and that creates TWO clauses in ONE sentence.
How is that different from a simple sentence?
Complex Sentence

11. Simple Sentences
Simple Sentences are called simple because they contain
a single subject and a simple predicate (verb).
Example:
It was raining.
(“it” is the subject and “was raining” is the verb).

12. Now add an awwubbis word(because) to the beginning of
that simple sentence and VOILA! You have a COMPLEX sentence!
Because it was raining, I took my umbrella.
This sentence contains two clauses, “Because it was raining” and “I took my umbrella”. It is COMPLEX because it now contains two different thoughts or clauses.

13. Here is another example of a sentence with an aaawwbbis word or subordinating conjunction.
Although it was hot, he was wearing a coat.
Notice that when you use the subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a sentence, a comma usually joins the two clauses.
Now, you try it.
Write a COMPLEX sentence with each aaawwubbis word.