Sentence Patterns

10 or so sentence types to borrow,

steal, and modify.*Thanks to Longknife and Sullivan’s The Art of Styling Sentences for these patterns

Pattern 1

Sentence 1; sentence 2.

Pattern 1

I love sushi; I hate bacon.

Pattern 1b

1 sent; 1 sent; 1sent.

Pattern 1c

Bananas mystify; they surprise us; they make us question everything.

Colons that introduce an explanation, conclusion or amplification

Pattern 2

Hawaii exceeded her expectations: the breezes were softer and the beaches were whiter.

Pattern 2

The empty coffin in the center of the crypt had a single horrifying

meaning: Dracula was in search of fresh blood.

Pattern 2

Series without a conjunction A, B, C

Pattern 3

The swim coach is demanding, loud, impossible to please.

Pattern 3

A and B and C. A or B or C.

Pattern 4

Zombies are terrifying because they are relentless and hungry and

unstoppable.

Pattern 4

Text

Pattern 5

An internal series of modifiers S — modifier, modifier,modifier — V.

Text

Pattern 7

They learned the qualities of sportsmanship--cooperation, practice, and dedication--by carefully studying the coach’s example.

S V key term [--or ,] repeated key

term.

Pattern 6

Text

Pattern 6

We live in our own individual worlds---our inner worlds, the worlds of the mind.

Right-branching with a repeated phrase

Pattern 7

Who doesn’t love a perfectly made taco, a taco that reminds of how beautiful it is to be alive?

Pattern 7

Text

Pattern 8

Not only S V, but also S V. Just as S V, so too S V. The more S V, the more S V. If not clause, at least S V.

Text

Pattern 8

“Not only do I knock them out, but also I pick the round.

--Muhammad Ali

after although

as as if

as much as as soon as as though

because before even if

even though

Pattern 9Subordinating Conjunctionshow

if insamuch

in order that lest

now that provided that

since so that

than that

till unless

as when

whenever where

wherever while

Text

Pattern 9

Unless he could find a deposit of Unobtanium, ET would be forced to enslave Earth.

Subordination conjunction

Text

Pattern 9

His UFO was broken beyond repair, so ET decided to enslave Earth.

Independent

Text

Pattern 9

Insamuch as a person can hate an inanimate object they are not forced to interact with on a daily basis, I hate stir sticks. --blog post

Long then short.

Pattern 10

You might think that if you were good looking, funny, and well-

dressed, you’d be guaranteed a role on a reality TV show. You’d

be wrong.

Pattern 10