Download SENTENCE STYLE SHEET

SENTENCE STYLE SHEET
Pieces:
Independent Clauses: a complete sentence with a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb) – aka. simple
sentence. An independent clause can stand alone.
Ex: Pete ran.
OR I went to the store.
Dependent Clauses: has a subject and predicate but is not a complete sentence and cannot stand alone
– it is dependent on another part of the sentence to complete the thought. The dependent clause is
underlined in the example.
Ex: When I went to the store, I bought some peas.
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Adverb clause: is used to modify (describe – tell more about) a verb, adj, or another adv. They
can be used in all three positions listed below. They begin with subordinating conjunctions:
after, if, because, although, when, as, before, until, for, since, where, while, that, though.
o Uncle John, as he had every day since he arrived, wore a blue and gold velour pant-suit.
Adjective clause: is used to modify a noun or pronoun. They describe whatever is mentioned
to the left of them in the same sentence (can only be used as sentence closers or subj/v. splits).
They often begin with these words: who, which, whose, where.
o I loved yoga with a passion, which became more intense when I realized it changed my
outlook on life.
Phrases: not a complete sentence because it is missing either the subject, or predicate, or both.
Ex: finishing the race OR to see the difference OR the world’s largest potato
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Appositive phrase: renames a noun or pronoun. They can be used in all three positions.
o One of eleven brothers and sisters, Kim was a moody, willful child.
Participle phrase: acts as an adjective – describing nouns and pronouns. They can be used in all three
positions, and start with words ending with –ed (past participles) or –ing (present participles).
o The raccoons, warned by the rustling, took cover.
Absolute phrase: describes the rest of the sentence in which they appear. They are almost a
complete sentence and can be made a complete sentence by just adding “was” or “were.” They
can be used in all three positions and often start with my, his, her, its, out, their, each.
o The boy watched, his eyes bulging in the dark.
Prepositional phrase: begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun – the phrase
acts as an adjective or adverb. They can be used in all positions and are often used in multiple
positions at once and/or strung together. Prepositions – before, after, at, down, across, inside,
between, within, behind, by, on , under, around, down, through, to, like, except, with, over, up,
toward, of, off, by, for, at.
o At the bottom, he looked glumly down the tunnel.
Positions:
Sentence opener (periodic sentence): the phrase or dependent clause is used as an opener to hook the reader
and delay the emphasis of the ending – postpones the crucial or most surprising idea until the end.
Ex: Following my mother’s repeated threats to ground me for life, I decided it was time to propose a compromise.
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Inversion: reversing the order of the normal grammatical components – Subj. Verb Object
becomes Object, Verb, Subject.
o
Ex. Out of the tree plummeted two dead birds.
a hobbit.
OR
In a hole in the ground there lived
Subject/Verb split: the phrase or dependent clause is inserted after the subject of the sentence and before the
verb (don’t make the interruption too long).
Ex: Jose, sitting in his hammock, was eating a slice of watermelon.
Cumulative: places the independent clause in the middle of the sentence with dependent (subordinating)
clauses or phrases before and after.
Ex: With careful thought, I wrote out my plan for college, a plan that would bring me much success.
Sentence closer (loose sentence): places the phrase or dependent clause at the end of the sentence so
the main thought is expressed first and details are added later.
Ex: I began to walk around the room, examining various indefinite objects in the half darkness.
Types:
Coordinating (Compound/Balanced): gives equal importance to two or more words, phrases, or clauses
– often linking these together with commas and coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) or semicolons.
Ex: Shelby went through the new part of the library to the old, and she walked around for a while; then
she went to the non-fiction section and started looking at books about Stalin.
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Parallel: balances ideas of equal weight through using the same grammatical structure – used to
create rhythm and balance.
Ex: The horse skipped, pranced, and sashayed into the track.
o Antithesis: Uses the parallel structure to highlight contrast or opposition.
Ex: If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.
Subordinating (Complex): creates different levels of significance by stressing important ideas through
independent clauses and subordinating phrases or dependent clauses that are less important. These
sentences use commas (after introductory phrases or around non-restrictive phrases) and colons.
Ex: After going through the new part of the library to the old and walking around for a while, Shelby
went to the non-fiction section, where she started looking for books about her favorite dictator: Stalin.
Active: the subject (noun) of the sentence is doing the action. This is the preferred voice in most writing
because it is clear and direct.
Ex: Max took the dog on a walk around the block.
Passive: the subject is pushed to the end of the sentence, and it is not as clear who is doing the action.
Avoid this style unless you want to delay the subject on purpose.
Ex: The dog was taken on a walk around the block by Max.