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In this chapter, we will discuss the key points to improve your sentence writing skills. Learn how to write complete sentences, use active voice, divide long sentences, combine choppy sentences, and use transitions effectively.
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Chapter 7 By: Haley Barritt, Jackson Chladek, Austin Beasley
Introduction • In this chapter, only a few changes were made to the newly edited book. We will discuss your goal and the key points in this section. By the end of our presentation, we feel that you will be more successful in writing correct sentences.
Your Goal • Write clear, precise sentences.
5 Keys to Improving Sentences • 1. Write complete sentences. • 2. Use active voice. • 3. Divide long or rambling sentences. • 4. Combine choppy sentences. • 5. Use transitions.
How Do I Know When A Sentence Is Complete? • The sentence needs 3 things: subject, predicate, complete thought. • When 1 of the 3 things is missing it is called a fragment. • Fragment: Exceeded investor expectations (needs a subject) • Sentence: Our sales last year exceeded investor expectations. • Fragment: Last year’s sales statistics (needs a predicate) • Sentence: Last year’s sales statistics show year-long growth. • Fragment: Although production was halted (is not a complete thought) • Sentence: Although production was halted, we have located the problem.
How Important Is Active Voice? • When a verb is active, the subject is performing the action. • When a verb is passive, the subject is being acted upon, and the sentence tends to be sluggish/impersonal. • Passive: If a meeting must be missed, Richard must be notified. • Active: If you can’t attenda meeting, notify Richard.
How Do I Divide A Long Sentence? • A long sentence is often confusing because it is packed with too many ideas. There are 2 ways to take care of this problem. • Long sentence: We are confident our services will suit all your networking needs and will provide smooth interoffice access of all files and a trouble-free connection to all workstations. • List: We are confident our service will suit all your networking needs. With our plan, you will receive two benefits: 1. smooth interoffice access to all files and 2. trouble-free connections to all workstations.
Dividing Long Sentences Continued • Divided: We are confident our services will suit all your networking needs. Our plan will provide smooth interoffice access to all files through a trouble-free connection to all workstations.
How Do I Combine Choppy Sentences? • Short, choppy sentences sound abrupt and disconnected. • Use a series: Choppy: The adjuster examined the roof. She checked the valleys closely. She also inspected the carport. Combined: The adjuster examined the roof, checked the valleys closely, and inspected the carport. • Use a coordinating conjunction – Join the sentences with conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, for, yet, or so. Choppy: Damon is a repair specialist. He can repair landing gears and brakes. Combined: Damon is a repair specialist, so he can repair landing gears and brakes.
Combining Choppy Sentences Continued • Use a sub coordinating conjunction – Join sentences with conjunctions like although, before, in order that, unless, and while. Choppy: I work at United Medical. I have trained more than 200 people in health-care systems. Combined: While working at United Medical (less important idea), I have trained more than 200 people in health-care systems (more important idea).
How Do I Fix Run-On Sentences? • Run-On: The latest report on the progress of the HT Project fails to figure in the effect of employee vacations and the brief electrical malfunction of the 24th the report appears incomplete. • Corrected: 1. Use a period.Place a period after 24thand capitalize the. 2. Use a semicolon.Place a semicolon (;) after 24th. 3. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction.Place a comma after 24th and add a coordinating conjunction: and, so.
Why Use Transitions To Connect Sentences? • Transitions show how the ideas in your sentence link or relate. • Unrelated: The proposal from Rankin Industries includes the cost of inside wiring. It does not include costs for speakers. The proposal from Taylor Industries includes both costs. • Related: The proposal from Rankin Industries includes the cost of inside wiring, but it does not include cost for speakers. However, the proposal for Taylor Industries includes both costs.
Comparison In Effective E-mail Made E-Z (older book), one error was made. This error is that when it lists your goals for this chapter, the section title is to divide long or rambling sentences. Then when you turn to that section, there is a bubble at the bottom of the page that states you can learn more about this section in specific pages towards the end of the book. The mistake comes in here when you turn to those pages and the title of the section is “Editing Long Sentences,” instead of “Dividing Long Sentences” like the newer copy has printed at the top.
Class Interaction • Go to this link to check how well you do with identifying run-on sentences. • http://www.quia.com/pop/35933.html?AP_rand=251176205
Conclusion • At this point, you should have learned how to properly write clear, precise sentences. Here are the key points that we went over in this chapter: • A sentence needs 3 things to be complete - a subject, predicate, and complete thought. • When a verb is active, the subject is performing the action. When a verb is passive, the subject is being acted upon. • When dividing a long sentence, you can either make a list or divide it into 2 or more sentences. • Use a series, coordinating or sub coordinating conjunction when combining choppy sentences. • Use a period, semicolon, or a comma with a coordinating conjunction when fixing run-on sentences. • Transitions show how ideas in your sentence are related.
