Sentence Blending and Variation

Start with two simple sentences.

My friend likes to play a game.

The game is soccer.

Too many simple sentences like this can make a paragraph difficult to read.

My friend likes to play a game. The game is soccer. She plays every day. It is fun for her.

Now, try to connect the two simple sentences to make one longer sentence.

The game that my friend likes to play is soccer.

Now, try to connect the two simple sentences to make one longer sentence.

OR:Soccer is a game that my friend likes to play.

We can do the same thing with three sentences.

My friend likes to play a game.

The game is soccer.

She plays every day.

Now, try to connect the two simple sentences to make one longer sentence.

My friend likes to play the game of soccer every day.

How are we able to do this???!

Noun clauseA noun clause can use the word “THAT” to blend two sentences into one sentence.

Noun clauseFor example,

If we take two separate sentences:

She said something.

She liked the flowers.

Noun clause

we can blend them like this:

She said that she liked the flowers.

Adjective clauseAn adjective clause describes a noun that immediately precedes it. This move can make your writing sound more academic (Professor Lee Chen). Example of simple sentences: The student was careful. The student decided to make friends. Example of an adjective clause sentence: The student, who was careful, decided to make friends.

Appositive phraseAn appositive renames the subject. Example of simple sentences: The student was careful. The student decided to make friends. Example of an appositive that describes the subject: The student, a careful person, decided to make friends.

Compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction

A compound sentence uses a coordinating conjunction (the FANBOYS) to combine two simple sentences. The FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction

Example of simple sentences: She was friendly. She met everyone. Example of a compound sentence: She was friendly, and she met everyone.

Complex sentence with a subordinating conjunction

A complex sentence uses a subordinating conjunction to combine two simple sentences.

Complex sentence with a subordinating conjunction

Example of simple sentences: She was friendly. She met everyone. Example of a complex sentence: She met everyone since she was friendly.* *Note: Sometimes the order of simple sentences needs to switch to make logical sense.

Make a compound-complex sentence

A compound-complex sentence uses a coordinator and a subordinator to make three sentences into one.

Make a compound-complex sentenceExample of simple sentences: The student was careful. The student was friendly. The student decided to make friends. Example of a compound-complex sentence: While the student was careful, he was also friendly, so he decided to make friends.

Use a semicolonA semicolon connects related ideas. Use a semicolon between sentences not joined by the FANBOYS.

Use a semicolon

for example for instancethat isbesides accordinglymoreover, furthermore

otherwiseinsteadtherefore consequentlyhence neverthelesshowever

.

Use a semicolon between sentences joined by such logical sentence connectors as:

This move achieves coherence.

Use a semicolonExample of simple sentences: The class was hard. The professor just did not understand the students. Example of a semicolon with a logical sentence connector to achieve coherence: The class was hard; that is, the professor just did not understand the students. (Explanations in this topic by Professor Chen) 

Participial PhraseExample of simple sentences: The class was difficult. The professor just did not understand the students. Example of a participial phrase: Not understanding the class, the professor made the class difficult. 

Participial PhraseExample of simple sentences: The student did his work daily. He got an “A”. Example of a participial phrase: Doing his work daily, the student got an “A”. 

Participial PhraseExample of simple sentences: The student got scared. The student saw a bee. The student ran away. Example of a participial phrase: Scared by a bee, the student ran away. 

Participial Phrase

“BEE” CAREFUL HERE!!! A Participial Phrase always refers to the subject you are talking about.

Otherwise, you make a “dangling participial phrase,” which is wrong in grammar.

Participial Phrase

“BEE” CAREFUL HERE!!! Example: Making the class difficult, the students were confused.

Problem: The subject here is “the students”. Did the students make the class difficult?

Who made the class difficult?

Participial Phrase

“BEE” CAREFUL HERE!!! In this example, the professor made the class difficult. Always say what you mean on paper.

People cannot think ahead of you since you are the writer.

What you mean is: Making the class difficult, the professor confused the students.

Fun with sentence combining