Sentence Variety

Sentence Variety

Please practice utilizing these sentence patterns throughout the semester. Good sentence variety keeps writing from becoming dull.

Understanding these sentence patterns will improve your ability to communicate.

Sentence Variety

#1 Simple Sentence

Spock drank a Pepsi.

Carlos bought a diamond ring for his lovely wife Esperanza.

Sentence VarietyBoth of the sentences are simple sentences because they each only have one clause. The second may have more adjectives and adverbs, but it is still a simple sentence.

Sub Verb Art Adj Do/ noun prep PN

Carlos bought a diamond ring for hisAdv Adj Ido / Proper Noun

lovely wife Esperanza.

Sentence Variety#2 Compound Subject / Verb / Object

Kirk and Spock drank Pepsi. Spock slurped and gulped his drink.Spock drank Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

Note: There are no commas in these sentences

Sentence VarietySentences utilizing a compound subject, verb, or object are still simple sentences because they only have one clause. A clause is a phrase that contains both a subject and a verb. It is possible to have a sentence that has a compound subject, verb, and object.

Kirk and Spock ate and drank pizza and Pepsi.

Sentence VarietyPlease don’t confuse a sentence with a compound verb with a compound sentence.

Compound Verb

Spock drank Pepsi and belched loudly.

Compound Sentence

Spock drank Pepsi, and he belched loudly.

A compound sentence must have a subject on both sides of the coordinating conjunction.

Sentence Variety#3 Compound Sentence

A compound sentence uses one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) and connects two complete simple sentences. Each half of the sentence is equally important to the meaning of the sentence. The coordinating conjunction must be proceeded by a comma.

Sentence VarietyThe seven coordinating conjunctions are also known as BY AN OFS words. If These words are written out, the first letter of each one spells BY AN OFS.ButYetAndNorOrForSo

Sentence Varietysub verb art obj C.C. Sub verb obj.

Spock drank a Pepsi, and he enjoyed it.

This is a compound sentence because it has a complete sentence on both sides of the coordinating conjunction, the sentences make sense together, and the coordinating conjunction makes sense with the sentences.

Sentence Variety

Spock drank a Pepsi, or he enjoyed it.Spock drank a Pepsi, nor he enjoyed it.

These are examples of faulty coordination since the coordinating conjunction does not make sense with the sentences it is connecting.

Sentence VarietySpock drank a Pepsi, so computers hate people who have poor usage skills.

This is another example of faulty coordination because these two sentences don’t make any logical sense together.

Sentence Variety#4 Complex Sentence

Complex sentences consist of a dependent clause and an independent clause. The independent clause is the important part of the sentence. The subordinate clause is only additional information. There are many varieties of this sentence. A comma separates the dependent clause from the independent clause when the dependant clause precedes (comes before) the independent clause.

Sentence VarietyDependent clauses are created by placing either a subordinating word or a relative pronoun in front of a sentence.independent clause

Spock drank a Pepsi.dependent clause

When Spock drank a Pepsi…

Sentence VarietyCommon subordinating words include:as because If aftersince provided before whereunless whether while oncewhen although so that untilthough whenever than as if

Common relative pronouns include:which what who thatwhom whatever whoever

Sentence VarietyWhen Spock drank a Pepsi…This is a dependent clause because it doesn’t express a complete thought and must rely upon an independent clause to give it meaning. When Spock drank a Pepsi, what happened?

Sentence Varietydependent clause independent clause

When Spock drank a Pepsi, he slapped Mr. Sulu.When the dependent clause comes first, separate the clauses with a comma.

Independent clause dependent clause

Spock drank a Pepsi when he slapped Mr. Sulu.When the independent clause comes first, no comma is necessary.

Sentence Variety#5 Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with an object. A preposition is a word with some meaning of position, time, or other abstract relation. Words like above, below, near, far, from, of, to, after, before, and until are all prepositions.

Sentence VarietyAfter lunch, the Universe exploded.

In this example, after is the preposition, and lunch is the object of the preposition. The noun or pronoun that follows the preposition is object of the preposition that makes up the prepositional phrase.

Sentence Variety#6 Appositive

An appositive renames a noun in a sentence, usually the subject of the sentence. This helps to make the significance of the noun more clear. An appositive is usually separated from the sentence by a comma.

A monster-dog, a two-hundred pound German Shepherd, stole my lunch.

Sentence VarietyPlease practice with these sentence patterns whenever writing a essay. Understanding how and when to use these types of sentences will improve the coherence of your writing.

Sentence Variety

The End