Sentence Variety Exercise

1. Sentence Variety Exercise 1/6/15-1/9/15

2. Writing Concise Sentences • Combine four ideas in each set of sentences. • 1. Alicia read her horoscope. • 2. Horoscope was in the newspaper. • 3. The newspaper was called The Daily Spectator. • 4. The horoscope said that Alicia’s persuasive powers were strong. • First, identify the ideas. • Then rewrite the sentences using only the ideas without overlapping information. • For example, you would not need to say the horoscope was in the paper which called The Daily Spectator.

3. 1. Alicia read her horoscope. • 2. Horoscope was in the newspaper. • 3. The newspaper was called The Daily Spectator. • 4. The horoscope said that Alicia’s persuasive powers were strong. • Answer: • In The Daily Spectator, Alicia read in her horoscope that her persuasive powers were strong.

4. 2. Rashad picked up an empty soft drink can. • The can was in the parking lot. • The parking lot was a student parking lot. • Rashad put the can in a trash container. • Rashad picked up a can in the student parking lot and put it in the trash container.

5. 4. The window on the driver’s side of the car was rolled down. • The car belonged to Rosa. • The window had been open during a thunderstorm. • The seat on the driver’s side of the car was wet. • The window of Rosa’s car was rolled down during a thunderstorm, leaving the driver’s side of the car wet.

6. 4. Someone in the classroom was chewing gum. • The same person was popping the gum. • Some students were annoyed. • The class was taking a test. • Someone was annoying the students during a test by chewing and popping gum.

7. 5. There was a calendar on the wall. • The wall was in the machine shop. • The calendar showed women. • The women were wearing bathing suits. • The calendar on the wall in the machine shop showed women wearing bathing suits.

8. Joining Sentence with Dependent words • Connect each sentence pair using the following pattern: • Dependent clause, Independent clause • Ultimately, you are being asked to turn one sentence into a fragment not a compound or complex sentence. However, a compound/complex sentence does not make the sentence incorrect. • The dependent clause is a fragment that modifies or describes the rest of the sentence by showing how, when, where, and for forth. • Also, there is not only one way to rewrite the two sentences into one sentence.

9. 1. My little brother turned sixteen. • He took the test for his driver’s license. • When my little brother turned 16, he took the test for his driver’s license. “When” is the dependent word needed to make the sentence into a fragment that modifies the independent clause. How does it modify the sentence?

10. 2. Quinton was not sure he was good enough to make the team. • He decided to try out anyway. • Even though Quinton was not sure he was good enough to make the team, he decided to try out anyway. • 3. Mika had lived in the same town all her life. • She was eager to attend college in a different city. • Even though Mika had lived in the same town all her life, she was eager to attend college in a different city.

11. 4. The weather forecast had predicted morning rain. • The day dawned sunny and clear. • Even though the weather forecast had predicted morning rain, the day dawn sunny and clear. • 5. Fredo was accepted at a technical school. • He changed his mind and decided to apply to a four- year college. • Even though Fredo was accepted at a technical school, he changed his mind and decided to apply to a four – year college. • Even though was used in each answer because the sentences needed to illustrate contrast, but other dependent words can work.

12. Practice 8 • This activity is slightly different because the dependent clause comes at the second part of the sentence and requires a word in the middle. The word in the middle indicates WHEN or WHY something happens. • 1. A small house was swept away by the flood. Onlookers watched in horror. • A small house was swept away by the flood as onlookers watched in horror.

13. 2. Sarah let out a sigh of relief. • She saw that she had passed her midterm exam. • Sarah let out a sigh of relief once she saw that she had passed her midterm exam. • 3. Trenton was angry. • He had to wait almost an hour for his job interview. • Trenton was angry that he had to wait almost an hour for his job interview.

14. 4. Brandy did not finish her research project. • She became distracted exploring the internet. • Brandy did not finish her research project because she became distracted exploring the internet. • 5. The workers were confident they would finish the project on time. • They were three weeks behind their planned schedule. • The workers were confident they would finish the project on time though they were three weeks behind their planned schedule.