- define setnece variety and explain why it's important
- identify ways to create sentence variety
- use sentence variety in your writing
More Comma Use
Learning Objectives
- use commas correctly in a series
- use commas correctly in compound sentences
- use commas correctly in complex sentences
- use commas correctly to indicate extra information or interruption Reminder
Compound Sentences
- join two independent clauses with a comma and a conjunction
- join two independent clauses with a transition word, a semicolon, and a comma
Series
Three or more items, put the comma between items.
Introductory Phrases
- Due to the bad weather, our game was canceled.
- On Monday, my teacher announced a test.
- After dinner, Steve watched the news.
- Because of traffic, we were late to the theater.
- For several months, I have been playing the guitar.
An introductory phrase is a group of words that starts given sentence, but does not belong to the main clause of the sentence.
Interrupting Phrases
- The mayor, by the way, will be at the meeting.
- This is the reason, therefore, that you should buy a house.
- Joe wants to buy a house, too.
These phrases are able to place anywhere in sentence.
- My roommate, who hates seafood, doesn't want me to cook shrimp.
- The dress, which I bought for tonight, is too tight for me to wear.
These are adjective clauses for extra information, so it need to be distinguished with commas.
Quiz
- Children whose brains are still developing should not watch too much TV.
- The election was closer actually than most people expected.
- In my view there are no good reasons to steal.
- Besides cash the restaurant accepts credit cards and checks.
- Quietly the mouse took the cheese and ran.
Answer:
- Children, whose brains are still developing, should not watch too much TV.
- The election was closer, actually, than most people expected.
- In my view, there are no good reasons to steal.
- Besides cash, the restaurant accepts credit cards and checks.
- Quietly, the mouse took the cheese and ran.
Review
- Compound sentences
- Series
- Introductory phrases
- Interrupting phrases and clauses
Revisited Practice
- We planned to watch TV all night although we had a lot of homework and studying to do.
- This furniture is made of the finest oak and maple woods but is reasonably priced because the store wants to sell it all.
- The soccer team celebrated its victory by going to Disneyland, and everyone had a great time.
- The professor told students that the exam would be on the next Friday and that they should study two chapters for it.
Therefore vs. Therefore
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Compound Sentence
- Jane loves books; therefore, she reads them all the time.
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Introductory Phrase
- Jane loves books. Therefore, she read them all the time.
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Intrrupting Phrase
- Jane loves books and, therefore, reads them all the time.
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This is the reason, therefore, that you should buy a house.
- Complex sentence, intrruping phrase
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Growing houseplants is diffcult; therefore, I asked my mom tfor some help.
- Two independent clauses, Compound sentence
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Mike lost his job as a policeman. Therefore, he is going back to school.
- Introductory phrase
Some other transitions with different uses
However, First, Furthermore, In addition, Likewise, THus, Also
Practice
- Allison brought her lunch to work and, thus, won't go to a restaurant with us.
- Pete likes sailing; however, he doesn't have a boat.
- Roger is a great teacher. In addition, he ais a friendly person.
- I saw my doctor at the park, and I saw my teacher there, aslo.
Transition words can be punctuated in several different ways.
Parallel Structure
Learning Objectives
- write sentences that have good parallel structure
- correct sentences that have faulty parallel structure
Parallel means balanced.
- He loves to swim and sleep.
- Cake and cookies are both fattening.
- We were hot, tired, and thirsty.
Parallel Structure: A and B, A but B, both A and B, not only A but also B
I was looking for an apartment that was both close to my work and easy to afford.
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I want to find a gym that is not only close to my apartment but also I want to find a cheap one. (x)
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I want to find a gym that is not only close to my apartment but also affordable.
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He is afraid of being alone but not to die. (x, gerund, infinitive)
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He is afraid of being alone but not dying.
Sentence Variety
Learning Objectives
- define sentence variety and explain why it's important
- identify ways to create sentence variety
- use sentence variety in your writing
By the type of sentences
- Simple
- The grass grows in spring.
- Compound
- Grass grows in spring, but it dies in winter.
- Complex
- Because it is too cold, grass doesn't grow in winter.
- Compound-Complex (2 independent cluases and dependent clause)
- Because grass needs warm weather, it doesn't grow in winter, but it grows in the summer.
FANBOYS conjunction: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet
Way to start sentences
- Adverbs
- Quietly, Every day, Frequently
- Prepositional Phrases
- In the morning, Due to stree, After work
- Other transitions
- The last reason..., Another cause of ...is ..., For Example, Furthermore
By length of the sentences
- Short sentences
- Use effectively
- Avoid choppy sentences
- Medium sentences
- 10-15 words
- Long sentences
- 20-40 words
By using synonyms
- Repeat key nouns
- The employee ... the employee ... employees ...
- use too many times, that can get kind of boring
- Use synonyms for variety
- The employee ... workers ... a worker ... the staff ... employees ...
- Say things in different ways
- The employee ... the worker ... the person working in an office ... a hired person ... someone employed ...
Summary
- Uses different sentence tyles
- Starts sentences differently
- Uses different sentence lengths
- Uses synonyms effectively
Writing an eassay
- Pick a topic
- Do some pre-writing
- Write a thesis statement
- Make an outline
- Begin writing
- Revise and edit: important think about sentence variety here