sentence fluency - northview high school grade/sentence fluency... · sandra went into best buy to...

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1. Vary sentence length.

2. Vary sentence beginning.

3. Vary sentence structure.

• Avoid compound sentences.

4. Use transitions.

**Short, simple sentence is for emphasis:

For a moment he stood stupefied by the power of the revelation,

then ran with stumbling feet, making a half-circuit of the ruin. There,

conspicuous in the light of the conflagration, lay the dead body of a

woman--the white face turned upward, the hands thrown out and

clutched full of grass, the clothing deranged, the long dark hair in

tangles and full of clotted blood. The greater part of the forehead

was torn away, and from the jagged hole the brain protruded,

overflowing the temple, a frothy mass of gray, crowned with clusters

of crimson bubbles--the work of a shell.

The child moved his little hands, making wild, uncertain gestures. He

uttered a series of inarticulate and indescribable cries--something

between the chattering of an ape and the gobbling of a turkey--a

startling, soulless, unholy sound, the language of a devil.

The child was a deaf mute.

“Chickamauga,” by Ambrose Bierce

*Phrase: a group of related words that does not

contain a subject and a verb.

1. Prepositional phrase: preposition + object of

preposition (+ any modifiers).

* Along the way to the White House, …

2. Participial phrase: verb ending in ing, ed, d, t,

en that functions as an adjective (+ any

modifiers and complements).

* Crying over her spilt milk, the baby flailed

her arms…

1. Gerund phrase: verb ending in ing that functions as a

noun (+ any modifiers and complements).

* Exercising three times a week is a healthy choice.

* Andrew refused eating frog legs.

2. Infinitive Phrase: to + verb that functions as a noun,

adjective, or adverb (+ any modifiers and

complements).

* To exercise three times a week is a healthy choice.

* To pass her test, Sally studied all night long.

*

*Clause: a group of related words that contains a

subject and a verb.

*Independent Clause: expresses a complete

thought (complete sentence).

*Dependent Clause: does not express a complete

thought (fragment).

*Before I arrived at the convention, I ate a

delicious meal.

*

*Noun Clause (introduced by wh-, that, how):

Whoever is a vegetarian lives a healthier lifestyle.

*Adjective Clause (modifies a noun or pronoun;

introduced by that or wh- word):

Sally, who did not join her brothers on their hunting

trip, regretted her hasty choice.

*Adverb Clause (modifies verb, adjective, or adverb;

introduced by a subordinating conjunction).

Since the economy has not fully recovered yet, interest

rates remain low.

Joe went to the world’s fair, and he learned much about his own country.

* Rewrite the sentence beginning with:

1. Adverb Clause: Subordinating Conjunction

(after, when, since, because)

When Joe went to the world’s fair, he learned much about his own country.

2. Adjective Clause: Joe, who…:

Joe, who went to the world’s fair, learned much about his own country.

Joe went to the world’s fair, and he learned much

about his own country.

3. Gerund or Participial Phrase: –ing

ending:

Going to the world’s fair taught Joe much

about his own country.

Having gone to the world’s fair, Joe

learned much about his own country.

Joe went to the world’s fair, and he learned much

about his own country.

4. Infinitive Phrase: To + verb…:

To learn more about his country, Joe

went to the world’s fair.

5. Prepositional Phrase:

At the world’s fair, Joe learned much

about his own country.

People in Congress suggest laws, and they vote on them.

* Rewrite the sentence beginning with:

1.Adverb clause (since, when,

because, etc.):

2.Adjective clause (after the subject,

who):

3.Participial phrase (-ing):

4.Prepositional phrase:

Rewrite the following paragraph using four ways

you’ve learned about varying sentence beginning:

This summer I visited Six Flags in Texas; several of

my friends went with me. There were many exciting

rides, and my favorite was the Titan rollercoaster.

It had many twists and turns, and it went ninety

miles per hour. We really enjoyed our visit, and I

would like to visit Six Flags again.

*

Sandra went into Best Buy to purchase a laptop, and

she witnessed a store robbery.

1. Adverb Clause: Subordinating Conjunction (after,

when, since, because)

2. Adjective Clause: Sandra, who…

3. Participle: –ing ending (adjective)

4. Gerund : –ing ending (noun, subject)

5. Infinitive: To + verb…

6. Preposition:

**Combine the following 4 sentences into one sentence (should not be compound):

*An old man-servant was the only person who had seen inside the house. He was a gardener. He was also a cook. No one had seen inside the house in the last ten years except him.

*Answer: No one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen [inside the house] in at least ten years.

“A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner