Sentences

(tips for adding variety to boring

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!
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
 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.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

Amazed and perplexed, the

startled jury braced to
hear more of the witness’s
testimony.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

Open and airy, the

courtyard looked out over
rolling hills of vineyards.
WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:

• Tall and majestic, is how I

would describe the palm trees
that line Santa Margarita
Parkway.
This is better:

• Tall, majestic palm trees line

Santa Margarita Parkway.
WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:

• Friendly and helpful are my

neighbors.
This is better:

• Friendly and helpful, my

neighbors invited us to a
block party the very week
we moved in.
WARNING --
What is wrong with this sentence?:

• Rude and furious, there were

gang members roaming the
streets.
This is better:

• Rude and furious, gang

members roamed the
streets.
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.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

Smiling, Annie took her

daughter’s hand and
entered the gates of
Disneyland.
Here’s another possibility:

Entering the gates of

Disneyland, Annie smiled
and took her daughter’s
hand.
 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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

Thinking about it for a

moment, he realized he
could change direction at
any time.
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.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Harriet made her way to the

back yard, following the
strange man she had seen at
the gate.
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.
A. Combine these sentences into an “ly” at
the beginning:

• The nanny placed the sleeping

child in the crib.
• She did this gently.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Gently, the nanny placed the

sleeping child in the crib.
B. Combine these sentences into an “ly” at
the beginning:

• The dugout canoe would last for

generations.
• It was strongly made and heavily
built.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Strongly made and heavily

built, the dugout canoe
would last for generations.
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.
 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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Our rustic log cabin, nestled

up a winding canyon, is
miles from the nearest paved
road.
 B. Combine these sentences into
Informative Interrupters:

• A knock on the door brings Nicky

to her feet.
• Nicky is our dog.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• A knock on the door brings

Nicky, our dog, to her feet.
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.
A. Combine these sentences into Balanced
Sentences:

• I spent hours feeding him.

• I spent hours playing with him.
• I spent hours observing him.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• I spent hours feeding him,

playing with him, and
observing him.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Hampton Court by moonlight

looked ancient, villainous
and secret.
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.
 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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• With candy in my mouth, I

blew gently in Buffy’s face to
watch his nose twitch.
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.
What does your sentence
look like?
Here’s a possibility:

• Because his muscle structure

and coordination resembled
that of a human, Buffy’s play
was very humanlike.
Now
you
try:
 Created by Anita Mattos and Melissa Hilton
Revised with added sentence combining by Anita Mattos on 10-10-06

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