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A Lesson in Style
COMBINING SENTENCES
In order to vary our sentence length we need to combine some of our short simple
sentences together using listing, parallelism, coordination, or subordination.
Combining two or more sentences with the same subject into a
series of topics, items, etc.
Listing
For example This:
We choke the space with continuous music.
We choke the space with chatter.
We choke the space with companionship.
Becomes this:
Parallelism
We choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship.
Expressing ideas in same grammatical form.
In these moments, Rivka discovers the bitter truth about her husband’s hidden life, her son’s death, and
that Herman was not sending her the letters all along.
In these moments, Rivka discovers the bitter truth about her husband’s hidden life, her son’s death, and
Herman’s deceit about the letters.
Coordination
Combining two simple sentences into one compound sentence using a comma
and a FANBOYS (and, or, for, nor, but, yet)
For example
This:
The noise stops.
There is no inner music to take its place.
Becomes this:
The noise stops, and there is no inner music to take its place.
Subordination
Combining two simple sentences into one complex sentence by creating a
dependent clause using a ABBI SAW A WUWU (even though, when, since,
after) or a tip-off word (who, which, that).
For example
This:
The noise stops.
There is no inner music to take its place.
Becomes this:
Or
After the noise stops, there is no inner music to take its place.
There is no inner music to take its place when the noise stops.
INSTRUCTIONS: Using the techniques described above and other appropriate techniques. Combine
each grouping into one effective sentence. Share it with me as a google doc.
A Lesson in Style
Sentence Combining
From
The Ascent of Man
By Jacob Bronowski
1)
2)
3)
4)
The aqueduct is at Segovia in Spain.
It was built by the Romans.
It was built about AD 100.
This was in the reign of the emperor Trajan.
5) It carries the waters of the Rio Frio.
6) The Rio Frio flows from the high Sierra.
7) The high Sierra is ten miles away.
8) The aqueduct spans the valley.
9) The span is for almost half a mile.
10) The span is more than a hundred arches.
11) The arches are double tiered.
12) The arches are round.
13) The arches are made from granite blocks.
14) The granite blocks are rough-hewn.
15) They are laid without cement.
16) Its proportions awed the Spanish citizens.
17) Its proportions awed the Moorish citizens.
18) It’s the proportions are colossal.
19) The citizens lived in later ages.
20) The citizens lived in more superstitious ages.
21) They named it El Puente del Diablo.
22)This means the devil’s bridge.
From
Passages
By Gail Sheehy
1) We are not unlike crustacean.
2) The crustacean is particularly hardy.
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
The lobster grows by developing shells.
The lobster grows by shedding shells.
The shells are hard.
The shells are protective.
The shells are in a series.
8) It expands from within.
9) The shell must be sloughed off.
10) The shell is confining.
11) It is left exposed.
12) It is left vulnerable.
13) A new covering grows to replace the old.
14) This happens in time.
15) We too must shed a structure.
16) The structure is protective.
17) This is with each passage.
18) The passage is from one stage of human growth.
19) We are left exposed.
20) We are left vulnerable.
21) We are also left yeasty again.
22) We are also left embryonic again.
23) We are capable of stretching in ways.
24) We hadn’t known the ways before.
25) These sheddings may take several years.
26) These sheddings may take longer.
27) But we come out of each passage.
28) We enter a longer period.
29) The period is more stable.
30) We can expect relative tranquility.
31) We can expect a sense of equilibrium.
32) The equilibrium is regained.
from
The Story of My Life
By Helen Keller
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5)
My compositions are made of crude notions.
The notions are my own.
The notions are inlaid with brighter thoughts.
The notions are inlaid with riper opinions.
These are from authors I have read.
6) There is a great difficulty in writing.
7) The difficulty is in making language express our confused ideas.
8) The difficulty is making language express our half feelings.
9) The difficulty is in making language express our half thoughts.
10) The language is that of the educated mind.
11) We are little more than bundles of tendencies.
12) The tendencies are instinctive.
13) Trying to write is very much like something else.
14) It is like trying to put a Chinese puzzle together.
15) We have a pattern in mind.
16) We wish to work out the pattern in words.
17) The words will not fit the spaces.
18) Or the words will not match the design.
19) We keep on trying.
20) We know that others have succeeded.
21) We are not willing to acknowledge defeat.