Directions: After you have written
the first draft of your essay, you will then edit each of your sentences
to give them variety. Below is a list of various sentence patterns
for which you have an explanation and samples. After you read the
samples, you will compose ten sentences of your own that imitate each
pattern. Use Microsoft Word to compose your sentences. Be
sure to write your name, date, teacher and type of sentence pattern on
the top of the page. Whenever you complete your samples of a pattern,
show them to your teacher so that you will receive credit. You may then use these samples as guides when you
are attempting to improve your sentences for your essays.
SENTENCE PATTERN #1 USE STRONG
ACTIVE VERBS
Fire belched from the dragon's
mouth. The cloud darkened the moon. The problem perplexed
the student. The coyote howled at midnight.
SENTENCE PATTERN #2 OPEN WITH AN ADVERB
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective,
or another adverb. Adverbs answer these questions: How?
When? Where? Why? How much? How many times? Many adverbs end in - ly.
Use a comma after an adverb as a sentence opener if the adverb receives
special stress.
Anxiously, the viewer awaits the
climax of the film. Yesterday I read a novel. Angrily, the
student leaped to his feet. Brilliantly the star shines.
There lies the core of the matter.
SENTENCE PATTERN #3 OPEN WITH A
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
A prepositional phrase is a group of
words that begins with a preposition and usually ends with a noun or
pronoun. The following list contains prepositions of the language
according to their uses. (e.g. to the store.)
Direction: along, down, from,
into, over, through, to, toward, up. Position: above,
across, against, among, around, at, before, behind, beneath, beside,
between, in, off, on, under, upon, within. Time: after, until, at
(at nine o'clock). Means: by (hard work), with (no help). Abstract:
against (all odds) except, for, of.
During the day he studied. For
his opinion I had no desire. After a moment of terror,
the student regained his balance. With a frown on his face,
the employee quit his job. Against the wind he strained. (Use a comma after long introductory phrases.
Omit comma after short phrases.)
SENTENCE PATTERN #4 HAVE THE VERB PRECEDE
THE SUBJECT
In the following examples we are
using sentence patterns #2 and #3. In those examples the subject
preceded the verb. Here the verb precedes the subject.
Beside the stream stood the giant
redwood tree. Along the street raced the Mustang. Down the road limped
the wounded Labrador. Nearer and nearer floated the kite.
SENTENCE PATTERN #5 USE CONVERSATION OR A
QUOTATION
Use the following punctuation in relation
to quotation marks.
Always place commas and periods inside
the closing quotation mark. - Place semicolons (;) and colons(:) outside
the closing quotation mark. - Place question marks, exclamation points
inside or outside the final quotation mark, depending upon the
situation. They come inside when they apply to the
quotation only; they come outside when they apply to the entire
statement. -Never double end punctuation marks. If a quotation ends a
sentence, the end punctuation within the quotation marks also indicate
the end of the sentence.
"John," she exclaimed,
"you need to clean up your room." "If they
leave me alone, how will I manage?" he asked. Who said
"good guys always finish last"? The majority of students
judge themselves as "winners": those who have goals and
responsibility. "Out!" snapped owner of the dog.
SENTENCE PATTERN #6 OPEN WITH AN
ADVERBIAL CLAUSE
An adverbial clause has a subject and a
predicate, but it depends on the main clause to give it meaning.
It cannot stand alone. The following words serve as common
connectives for expressing the relationship between the adverbial or
dependent clause and the main clause. (after, although, as,
because, before, if ,in order that, so that, unless, until, when,
whenever, since, while). When adverbial clauses open a sentence,
follow them with a comma.
When she came home from the cruise,
she was refreshed, Unless there are several delays, the
hotel will be completed before winter. Because she has two part
time jobs, she has little time left to spend with her
family. If I want to increase my vocabulary, I will
need to read more than I do now.
SENTENCE PATTERN #7 OPEN WITH AN
INFINITIVE
To write an infinitive, you simply use
the preposition (to) and follow it with a verb. An example is (to
sit). Infinitives can be used as nouns (subjects of a sentence),
adverbs, and adjectives. Infinitives form phrases in three
ways:
As a noun used as a subject:
To swim in the ocean is dangerous. (no comma)
As an adverb: She struggled to
complete her assignments. (Answers why)
As an adjective: He had a desire to
run for office. (modifies the noun desire)
When you open your sentence with an
infinitive phrase and it it followed by an independent clause, you place
a comma after the infinitive phrase. Two examples: To arrive
there safely, I had to slow down. To write the essay, I researched.
SENTENCE PATTERN #8 OPEN WITH A
PARTICIPLE
Participles are verbs used as adjectives
and are called verbal adjectives. Like a verb it often expresses action.
Like an adjective, it describes or modifies a noun or
pronoun. For present participles you add (ing) to the verb.
(writing, watering, finding) For past participles, use the
third principal part of the verb. (written, watered, found).
Writing rapidly, I made many
mistakes. Written for his girlfriend, the poem expressed his
deepest feelings. Watering the lawn, Joan stood on the
driveway. Watered by the rain, the lawn
survived. Finding the secret code, Mary solved
the puzzle. Found in the desert, cacti need little
moisture.
SENTENCE PATTERN #9 OPEN WITH A
GERUND
Gerunds are verbs used as nouns and are
called verbal nouns. They look exactly like participles but
instead of modifying a noun they are used as nouns. This means they can
be used as subjects, objects, predicate nouns, or objects of a
preposition.
Writing this paper is difficult.
(note the gerund is the subject for the verb - is)
Watering the lawn has become my daily task. Finding the secret
code became my obsession. (subjects). Fencing is my
hobby. (predicate noun). For silencing her shouting, we
thanked him. (obj. of prep.) Children like sledding down the
hill. (object)
SENTENCE PATTERN #l0 USE AN
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
An adjective clause is a group of
independent words with a subject and a predicate and modify a noun or
pronoun in the main part of the sentence. There are two types of
adjective clauses, restrictive (essential to the meaning of the
sentence and do not take commas) and non-restrictive
(provide additional information to the sentence but are not necessary to
the meaning and must be set off by commas). Only five words serve
as openers for restrictive clauses (who, whom, which, whose, and
that). Non restrictive clauses use four only (who, whom, which,
whose).
The boy who won the prize is my
brother. The girl, who lives down the street, works
at Starbucks.
I saw the mountain which is snowcapped.
The desk, which was in the classroom, was taken out for
repairs.
The girl whom I saw was my long
lost cousin. He introduced me to his girlfriend, whom he
obviously adored.
The artist whose painting won the
prize is talking to my friend. Steve, whose leadership
never faltered, won the election.
I will always remember the courage that
my mother had. (never use a comma when you use the relative
pronoun -that).
