The Art of Styling Sentences (notes & examples)

Pattern: Periodic VS. Loose Sentences The periodic states the main idea close to the period, which helps to emphasize the point. The loose states the main idea first, then embellishes it. Periodic: On the afternoon of the first day of spring, when the gutters were still heaped high with Monday's snow but the sky itself had been swept clean, we put on our galoshes and walked up the sunny side of Fifth Avenue to Central Park Loose: We put on our galoshes and walked up the sunny side of Fifth Avenue to Central Park on the afternoon of the first day of spring, when the gutters were still heaped high with Monday's snow but the sky itself had been swept clean.

* Note how the Periodic sentence establishes a vivid "setting" within which our main idea can then play out, but that the main idea is what stays most vividly in your mind. Whereas in the Loose sentence, the main idea gives way to the description of the setting, and that setting is what remains as the most memorable part of the sentence. You might naturally expect that the author, in his next sentence, will connect directly with what was said last.

Active VS Passive Constructions Since the subject of a sentence is automatically emphasized, writers may choose to use the *active voice* when they want to emphasize the doer of an action and the *passive voice* when they want to either downplay--or omit completely--the doer or highlight the object (recipient) of the action. Active: High winds pushed our sailboat onto the rocks, where the force of the waves tore it to pieces. Passive (Doer Minimized But Still Present) Our sailboat was pushed by high winds onto the rocks, where it was torn to pieces by the force of the waves. Passive (Doer Eliminated) Our sailboat was pushed onto the rocks, where it was torn to pieces.

Active VS Passive Constructions Notes / When to use: 1) Notice how the doers in passive constructions often get placed inside a "by" construction. ...pushed *by high winds*...

Transitional Phrases Addition: and, again, too, also, in addition, further, furthermore, moreover, besides Cause and Effect: therefore, consequently, thus, accordingly, as a result, hence, then, so, obviously then, it follows then Comparison: similarly, likewise, by comparison Contrast: but, however, in contrast, on the contrary, on the other hand, yet, nevertheless, after all, in spite of Similarity: the same is, the same _______, in the same Example: for example, for instance Place: Elsewhere, here, above, below, farther on, there, beyond, nearby, opposite to, around Restatement: that is, as I have said, in other words, in simpler terms, to put it differently, simply stated Sequence: first, second, third, next, finally, then Summary: in conclusion, to conclude, to summarize, in brief, in short Time afterward, later, earlier, subsequently, at the same time, simultaneously, immediately, this time, until now, before, meanwhile, shortly, soon, currently, when, lately in the meantime, formerly

Don't forget about transitional techniques: 1) Pronoun reference: These were the best plans.... They stopped to.... 2) Repetition of keywords or key ideas: Such a system could.... Nature has a number of built-in checks and balances. One check ensures that...

Pattern 15a: Complete Inversion of Normal Pattern Normal Form: Their hopes lay westward. Inverted Form: Westward lay their hopes. Normal Form: Their dreams flew westward. Inverted Form: Westward flew their dreams. Full example: Westward the country was free; (Mod S V C) westward, therefore, lay their hopes; (Mod V S) westward flew their dreams. (Mod V S) Other Examples: But craven he was not: sudden had been the call upon him and sudden was his answer to the call. Down the field and through the weeds pranced the little puppy. From his years of study came eventual understanding and compassion. Young and beautiful the new CEO may be, but she also has the credentials and skill to be effective.

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Pattern 16a(1): Paired Construction for Contrast It is _______ S V [than to] S V . It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

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Combined Pattern 1: Compound Sentence with a Colon Combined with a Series and Repetition of Key Term (Patterns 3, 4, 9a) To the Victorians much in life was sacred: Marriage was sacred, the family circle was sacred, society was sacred, the British Empire was sacred. *Note that the series drops the coordinating conjunction to emphasize that all items have the same weight.

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Combined Pattern 2: Repetition Combined with a Dependent Clause as a Modifier The experiences of the past--because they are experiences of the past--too seldom guide our actions today.

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Combined Pattern 3: A Dependent Clause as a Subject Complement Sets Up a Series of Balanced Pairs, Working as Appositives, In the Portion Following the Colon Ted became what he had long aspired to be: a master of magic and illusion, of hypnotism and sleight-of-hand tricks.

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Combined Pattern 4: An Inversion That Opens with an Introductory Appositive Presented as a Series That Uses Repetition of Key Terms The generation that was too young to remember a depression, too young to remember World War II, too young even to vote--from that generation came America's soldiers for Southeast Asia.

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Combined Pattern 5: The Compound Sentence Without a Conjunction Combined with Repetitions and Series Books of medieval poetry had always stirred Jason; they made him think of music, music that sang of ancient glories, of brave men, of the things they loved and hated and died for.

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Combined Pattern 6: Introductory Appositives That are Written as Dependent Clauses with Repeating Terms can be Followed by a Short Question for Dramatic Effect. That there are too many people, that overcrowding causes social, economic, and political problems, that human fellowship and compassion wear thin in such an environment--these are problems facing the inner city today, problems that eventually young people must solve. But how?

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Combined Pattern 7: Dual Inversion in a Compound Sentence with a Prepositional Phrase Before the 2nd Inversion Around Jay were men of various nationalities; to none of them could he relate.

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Combined Pattern XXX: XXX

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Avoid the Comma Splice: He was a considerate man, he showed consideration to his friends and even more consideration to his family.

One way you can correct a comma splice by replacing the comma with a semicolon. He was a considerate man; he showed consideration to his friends and even more consideration to his family.

Pattern 17: Dependent Clause (in a sentence slot) as Subject, Object, or Complement * These dependent clauses function as nouns ** They begin with one of these words: who, whom, which, that, what, why, where, when, how Examples: [ ] brackets show the dep. clause. [Why he went there] is still a mystery to me. ==> subject of verb is He finally finished [what he had started over a year ago.] ==> complement after finished [What man cannot imagine], he cannot create. ==> object of "can create" in this inverted sentence Ann never discovered [why her husband bought her a diamond necklace]. ==> object of verb discovered [Why so many people hate to eat vegetables] constantly amazes parents and nutritionists. ==> subject of verb amazes [Who should do the cleanup] continues to be a hotly debated subject. ==> introductory phrase is subject. [That he was a werewolf] became obvious when his fingernails turned into claws. ==> subject of verb became And so my fello Americans, ask not [what your country can do for you]; ==> clause as direct object The world itself, [whose single meaning I do not understand], is a vast irrational. ==> clause as subject complement.

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Pattern 1: Compound Sentence with Semicolon and No Conjunction Gloria, try on these jeans; they seem to be your size. Some people dream of being something; others stay awake and are. Usage: Join two simple sentences having two closely related ideas.

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Pattern 1b: Compound Sentence with Coordinating Conjunction (Also Connector) Thunder is good, thunder is impressive, but it is lightning that does the work. The mouse ran across the floor, but I wasn't scared. I was ready, yet we had to wait for my brother. Fanboys: The coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

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Pattern 1c: Compound Sentence with Two or More Semicolons. John got an A; Jennie also got an A; unfortunately George got a C. He was naturally learned; he needed not the spectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inwards and found her there.

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Pattern 20: Deliberate Fragment In Description: I wish you could have known the Southwest in the early days. The way it really was. For Transition: Now, on with the story. So much for that. So much for [the subject just covered]. First, the nuts and bolts. First, a little background. For Indicating Conclusions: Fair enough. All too late. No matter. Fine. In Structuring a Question or an Answer (good transitions): But how? And why not? Why? What then? Nothing. Based on logic? Hardly! Where and when and why? For Making Exclamations and for Emphasis: What a price to pay! Probably not! Never! The next step--martyrdom. Shameful nonsense. For Making Explanations: All to no avail. But for short journeys.

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Pattern 4: A Series Without a Conjunction The pitcher effectively threw his fastball, his slider, his curve ball. In spite of time, distance, careers, they remained friends. I have come to you without sin, without guile, without evil, without a witness against me. Our love of rhythms related to the beat of our hearts, the pulse of our blood, the intake and outflow of air from our lungs.

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Pattern 4a: A Series With Conjunctions Between All Items Looking down from the Empire State Building, Jeannie felt thrilled and amazed--and scared. he wanted her to get the message so he texted and emailed and phoned. As long as rivers shall run down to the sea, or shadows touch the mountains, or stars gaze in the valut of heaven, so long shall your honor, your name, your praises endure. To be a better player you have to study and practice and play the game.

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Pattern 5: A Series of Balanced Pairs The textbook clearly showed the distinctions between prose and poetry, denotation and connotation, deduction and induction. Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot and Guinevere were all famous lovers in literature. A new book and PBS television series traces the numerous traditions--folk and gospel, blues and zydeco--that shaped American music. Tension is everywhere--kids at odds with parents, teachers, other kids and themselves; confused about life and love, popularity and principles, vitriol and virtue. Eager yet fearful, confident yet somewhat suspicious, Jason eyed the barber who would give him his first haircut.

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Pattern 6: An Introductory Series of Appositives Appositive, appositive, appositive--[Summary word S] V. The students, the teachers--even the parents--all enjoyed the field trip. Twitter, Facebook, email--which should he use? Bull riding, camel racing, bronc riding, and roping--these events mean "rodeo" to many people; they mean money to the cowboys. An old photograph, a haunting fragrance, a sudden view of a half-forgotten scene--something unexpectedly triggers our nostalgia for the past.

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Pattern 6: Concluding Series of Appositives Something unexpectedly triggers our nostalgia for he past--an old photograph, a haunting fragrance, a sudden view of a half-forgotten scene. Which should he use--Twitter, Facebook, email?

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Pattern 8: Dependent Clauses in a Pair or in a Series Because it may seem difficult at first, because it may sound awkward or forced, because it often creates lengthy sentences where the thought "gets lost," this pattern seems forbidding to some writers, but it isn't all that hard; try it. If you attempt to win the girl before you've commanded yourself, if you try to take things from the outer world before you've put your own world in order, then you can expect a bumpy ride. With her savings and with her mother's help, she bought a new car.

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Pattern 9a: Same Word Repeated in Parallel Structure 1) Adverb or Adjective: She has an incredibly satisfying life, satisfying because of her career, satisfying because of her family. 2) Preposition in Series He has know her for many years, before she when to college, before she was a star, before she won the Oscar. 3) Same Noun as Object of Different Prepositions: This government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. 4) Same Modifying Word in Phrases with Different Prepositions: Sidney devoted his life to those selfish people, for their selfish cause, but clearly with his own selfish motives dominating his every actions. 5) Same Intensifiers: The baseball game was very exciting, very enjoyable, but very long. 6) Same Noun-Verb Phrase In order to survive in school, a student needs training, a student needs courage, and most of all, a student needs luck. 7) Same Verb New hires fail to meet expectations because they lack book smarts, lack communication skills, lack motivation. Venice presents great gifts to the visitor--great history, great art, great food. His greatest discoveries, his greatest successes, his greatest influences upon the world's daily life came to Edison only after repeated failure.

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Pattern: Not Because _______ , [Affirmative & Contrasting Evidence to the Contrary] . (Paired Construction Variation) Despite being an ex special forces airborne gladiator I was nervous about writing this review. Not because I didn't like the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not because it wasn't useful, it will from now on always be part of my writing toolkit and the more I read it the better my standard of writing will be. Not even because I think that Marcia would be critical of my review, the humor evident throughout her book reassures me and suggests that she would forgive my mistakes. The only real reason to be nervous about writing a review of this book would be because the review might not do it justice. Variation: Misconception (evidence debunking misconception); etc. Custer raises his saber no longer (the 7th Cavalry didn't carry savers into battle); his hair doesn't flow in the hot wind (he had cut off his hair, and there was not even a breeze that day); nor is he clad all in buckskins (he had stripped off his jacket in the heat); nor is he standing (not if they shot him in the ribs by the river); nor do the Sioux race around him on their horses (most were dismounted); nor do they charge him with war clubs (most were sensibly shooting their bows and rifles from distant tangles of sage)."

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Prepositions for Use in Prepositional Phrases: about, above, according to, across, after, against, along, along with, among, apart from, around, as, as for, at, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but*, by, by means of, concerning, despite, down, during, except, except for, excepting, for, from, in, in addition to, in back of, in case of, in front of, in place of, inside, in spite of, instead of, into, like, near, next, of, off, on, onto, on top of, out, out of, outside, over, past, regarding, round, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, up to, with, within, without

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Punctuation Comparison: Homer, if there was a single "Homer," probably never "wrote" a word of the Iliad. Homer (if there was a single "Homer") probably never "wrote" a word of the Iliad. Homer--if there was a single "Homer"--probably never "wrote" a word of the Iliad.

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Remember the Importance of Subordination * Subordination, the process of giving one idea less emphasis than another in a sentence, is one of the most important characteristics of an effective sentence and a mature style. ** Writers subordinate ideas by introducing them either with subordinating conjunctions (because, if, as, though, while, when, after) or with relative pronouns (that, who, which, whomever, what) Compare: When she was thirty years old, she made her first solo flight across the Atlantic. (emphasizes the flight)* When she made her first solo flight across the Atlantic, she was thirty years old. (emphasizes her age)* She was thirty years old when she made her first solo flight across the Atlantic. (slightly emphasizes her age) She made her first solo flight across the Atlantic when she was thirty years old. (slightly emphasizes the flight) * In these two cases the writer clearly signals the subordination for the reader. The reader instinctively knows to give less weight to the subordinated info, and to stress the point coming in the main clause.

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Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Restrictive: - The boy who broke the window is at the door. ==> 'who broke the window' is essential to identify the boy. - How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese? - Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. ==> This quote has three restrictive clauses 1) 'who dream by day' 2) 'which escape those who dream only by night' 3) 'who dream only by night' Nonrestrictive Joey, the boy who broke the window, is at the door. ==> 'the boy who broke the window' is not essential information.

Notes / When to use: 1) A restrictive clause is a clause which functions as an adjective to identify the word it modifies. A restrictive clause is essential for the intended meaning. A restrictive clause is not offset with commas.

Guideline: Avoid Use of "To Be" Verbs "to be" verbs ==> am, are, is, was, were Weak: Kim Nelson is my English teacher. She is a very good teacher. Better: Kim Nelson, my English teacher, makes our class special. * Special Note: Notice how the passive sentence can be fit inside another sentence as either an appositive or an absolute construction. As an appositive ==> see above example As an absolute construction: Before Absolute Construction (as a passive): Caesar continued his march through Gual. His army was tattered, exhausted, hardened--but victorious. Active Absolute Construction: Caesar continued his march through Gual, his army tattered, exhausted, hardened--but victorious.

Notes / When to use: 1) Although useful, they show no action and their overuse will make your writing boring. 2) Save them for when you want to downplay the actor and focus on the recipient of the action.

Understand the Importance of Modifiers: To clarify or lengthen a sentence that is too brief, add modifiers. 1) Descriptive Detail: The lovely model--tall, blonde, graceful--captured the audience's attention. 2) For a Pair of Short Sentences, Make One a Dependent Clause Modifier: Original: The artist painted an exceptional picture. He was from Memphis. Changed To: The artist, from Memphis, painted an exceptional picture. 3) Detail/Motivation/Explanation Placed Within an Introductory Clause: Grabbing her umbrella, Kate raced toward the door. 4) Appositive Renaming the Subject My next trip, a journey to Scotland, will be my longest. 5) Appositive Renaming a Whole Idea in a Sentence: To speak freely, to bear arms, to vote--these are freedoms we often take for granted.

Notes / When to use: 1) Be careful when using introductory clauses, otherwise you may end up with a silly sentence: Running for the train, John's wallet fell from his pocket.

Pattern: Subordinating Clause Interrupting the Flow of a Main Clause Homer--if there was a single "Homer"--probably never "wrote" a word of the Iliad. Other Subordinating Conjunctions ("if" above): after, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order that, once, provided that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether, while, why

Notes / When to use: 1) Gives strong emphasis to the information in the interrupting, subordinating clause. 2) One effective purpose is to use the subordinating clause to hedge something implied up to that point, as is done in this example.

Pattern 10: Emphatic Appositive At End, After a Colon* * Or after a dash Her room revealed a love of fantasy: gauzy curtains, pink lamps, movie posters. When I go to the movies, I need two things to really enjoy it: popcorn and a soda. The story of civilization is, in a sense, the story of engineering--that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man's good. It is time to write the next chapter--and to write it in the books of law.

Pattern 10 Notes / When to use: 1) Shouts for your reader's attention. Says, "Hey! This is important!" 2) The 2nd naming is usually climatic or emphatic. 3) Punctuation: A dash almost always precedes a short, climactic appositive, whereas a colon generally precedes a longer appositive.

Pattern 10a: Appositive (single, pair, or series) After A Dash It is easy to answer the ultimate questions--it saves you bothering with the immediate ones. It's not surprising then, that many sociologists believe we are a nation of substance abusers--drinkers, smokers, over-eaters, and pill poppers. Sometimes I need what only you can provide--your absence. It has always been my favorite movie--The Matrix. A koala spends its whole life in one environment--eucalyptus trees. When I want comfort, I want one thing--a hot fudge sundae.

Pattern 10a Notes / When to use: 1) Don't just throw in the dash for dramatic effect. It might create an error in punctuation. Wrong: One class of teenagers can be labeled--students. Correct: One label would fit almost any teenager--student.

Pattern 11: Interrupting Modifier Between Subject and Verb: The restaurants downtown, whether Thai, Italian, or American, all offer excellent food. Condors--once almost extinct--have been saved by careful breeding. Research on the computer--using resources such as Wikipedia--makes writing papers much easier. Sometimes children from other classes, those presumably not so intellectually gifted, would tease and taunt us. I guess I couldn't read anything at all then--not even my own name--and they tell me I didn't talk as good as other kids. Women, who are still free from being expected to know anything about their vehicles, are nevertheless just as passionate in their relationship with them as men are, and at times just as wonderfully irrational.

Pattern 11 Notes / When to use: 1) Use this pattern when you believe dramatic signaling is appropriate.

Pattern 11a: A Full Sentence (statement, question, or exclamation) As Interrupting Modifier: Juliet's famous question--early in the balcony scene she asks, "Wherefore are thou Romeo?"--is often misunderstood; she meant not "where," but "why." One of Thoreau's most famous analogies--"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away."--echoes Shakespeare's advice that we should be true to ourselves. He leaped at the chance (too impetuously, I though) to go whitewater rafting. Narcissus ignored Echo so completely (how could he? she was such a lovely nymph!) that she just faded away. If you are having trouble with your conclusion--and this is not at uncommon occurrence--it may be because of problems with your essay itself. The excreta gets into the bear's gut--you know, he's got about 20 foot of gut in there, it's all over the place--and starts his stomach working so he can break down the stuff that's poisonous.

Pattern 11a Notes / When to use: 1) Do not put a period before the second dash unless the statement is a quotation. 2) If the sentence is a question or exclamation, you will need punctuation.

Pattern 12: Introductory or Concluding Participles Sprawled on the sofa, I finally faced up to the grim task, took the list out of my notebook, and scanned it. Persevering, determined to succeed, driven by wanderlust, blest with discipline, the pioneers forged a civilization out of a wilderness. Inspired by the magnificent redwoods and the soft breeze, he found the peace he was looking for. Printed in Old English and bound in real leather, the new edition of Beowulf was too expensive for the family to buy. Provided a man is not mad, he can be cured of every folly but vanity.

Pattern 12 Participial phrase , S V. S V , Participial phrase . Notes / When to use: 1) A verb form that functions as a modifier. 2) Three Forms: a) Present ==> Persevering b) Past ==> Determined c) Irregular ==> Driven 3) All participles function as adjectives, modifying nouns. 4) Do not dangle participles. Place them next to the word they modify. Wrong ==> Walking onto the stage, the spotlight followed the singer.

Pattern 13: A Single Modifier Out of Place for Emphasis Inside, the child was noisy. Underneath, he could detect leaking oil. Delighted, Anna picked up the $20 from the sidewalk. Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill. Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.

Pattern 13 Notes / When to use: 1) To place additional emphasis on any modifier, put it somewhere other than its normal place in the sentence. 2) At times the comma is optional, at others, required. Required ==> To begin with, some ideas are difficult.

Pattern 14: Prepositional Phrase Before Subject and Verb (Inversion) After the dinner, but before the whiskey, Joe was fun to be around. After six penalties, the Packers scored a touchdown. From an evolutionary point of view, man has stopped moving, if he ever did move. After experiencing the fuel efficiency, quiet engines and smooth acceleration, test drivers report that the cars are not just greener--they're better.

Pattern 14 Notes / When to use: 1) The pre in pre-position means it comes *before* an object. It establishes time, place, setting. 2) Use more than one prepositional phrases in a row: After the storm, but before the FEMA relief checks arrived, the neighborhood suffered terribly. 3) Here are all the prepositions: about, above, according to, across, after, against, along, along with, among, apart from, around, as, as for, at, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but*, by, by means of, concerning, despite, down, during, except, except for, excepting, for, from, in, in addition to, in back of, in case of, in front of, in place of, inside, in spite of, instead of, into, like, near, next, of, off, on, onto, on top of, out, out of, outside, over, past, regarding, round, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, up to, with, within, without

Pattern 15: Object or Complement Before Subject and Verb Direct Object First: His kind of sarcasm I do not like. Subject Complement First: Satisfied with his game, a better result he will never have. An avid believer in luck is my sister Jean. Famous and wealthy an English professor will never be. Professional Examples: Corded and crisp and thirsty, the five of us seated ourselves at the counter.

Pattern 15: Object OR Subject Complement S V . Notes / When to use: 1) Here commas are optional, so always read your sentences in surrounding context to determine if they help or hinder the reader. 2) Don't overuse it.

Pattern 16a: A Paired Construction for Contrast Only * Simply say something is "this, not that"..... or "not this, but that." For some hummingbirds, migration involves a much smaller range measured in hundreds, not thousands, or miles. By chance (and not by studying) she made an A on the midterm. The famous actor was convinced that it was his personality, not his money, that attracted women. For many people, now, it is football--not baseball--that is the National Pastime. I believe that man will not merely endure, he will prevail. Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament.

Pattern 16a Notes / When to use: 1) Illustrates the difference between two ideas and usually involves a reversal. 2) The reversal may be dramatically emphatic or may simply reinforce an ironic purpose.

Pattern 18: Absolute Construction (noun plus participle) Anywhere in Sentence * The participle--a verb form but not a verb--can be present, ending in --ing; past, ending in --d or --ed; or irregular, such as torn or slept. With Present Participles: The American economy, running on ingenuity, will soon return to normal. With Past Participles: The students, biased by past experience, viewed the substitute teacher with distrust. With Irregular Participles (torn, burnt): her skirt torn and her leg burnt, Sara cried on her mothers shoulder after the accident. She sat back on the bed, her head bowed, her lips moving feverishly, her eyes rising only to scan the walls. Doublas Camp'ss Small Iriabo, for example--fashioned of steel, copper and wood and finished with red paint--represents a young Kalabari Ijo girl. Variation: Absolute Constructions in Series - Then Contradicted Caesar continued his march through Gual, his army tattered, exhausted, hardened--but victorious.

Pattern 18 Notes / When to use: 1) Stands out because it resembles nothing else in the English language. 2) Uses a noun or pronoun plus a participle and has no grammatical connection to the rest of the sentence 3) Because it has no grammatical connection with the sentence, this construction must always have punctuation to set it off (dashes, commas, or parentheses) 4) These constructions emphasize, support, and lend credibility to the rest of the statement by providing evidence, reasons, motivation, explanation, or qualities of the subject engaged in the action. 5) These are neither dependent nor independent clauses because they don't contain a verb: if you leave the phrase out, the sentence is still clear. Compare the three constructions: ABSOLUTE: His ball being lost, Johnny had to quit playing tennis for the day. DEPENDENT CLAUSE: Because his ball was lost, Johhny had to quit playing tennis for the day. INDEPENDENT CLAUSE: His ball was lost, so Johnny had to quit playing tennis for the day.

Pattern 19: Short, Simple Sentence for Relief or Dramatic Effect Days passed. But then she changed. Don't laugh. Perseverance pays. Jesus wept. Know thyself. Make my day. Call me Ishmael. I think not. He was unbearable. Let's talk. All efforts failed. Everything changed.

Pattern 19 Notes / When to use: 1) This pattern will be effective only: A) when you use it after several long sentences, or B) when you let it more or less summarize what you have just said, or C) when you let it provide transition between two or more ideas.

Pattern 19a: Short Question for Dramatic Effect Can we change? How did she cope? Where to now? What is next? Is it easy? Can you do it? Is that even possible? Variation: Statements made questions through inflection & intonation That's her mother? James flunked modern dance? You put them where? Remember typewriters?

Pattern 19a Notes / When to use: 1) It is effective in several places: A) in the introduction to arouse the reader's interest; B) within the paragraph to provide variety; C) between paragraphs to provide transition; D) at the end to provide a thought-provoking conclusion. 2) Works quite well for transitions.

Pattern 1a: Compound Sentence with Conjunctive Adverb (Connector) The helicopter took off on time; therefore, it easily made the rendezvous. * In place of 'therefore' you can use other conjunctive adverbs such as accordingly also, besides, consequently, conversely, finally, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, otherwise, similarly, still, subsequently, then, therefore, thus,

Pattern 1a Notes: You will need a semicolon before the connector, and a comma after the connector is often used, but optional.

Pattern 2: Compound Sentence with Elliptical but Abbreviated Construction. Thought is the blossom; language, the bud; action, the fruit. The painting on the wall represents chaos to Fred; to Alice, a wonderland. Lou Williams was in for adultery; john Jones for gambling. OR Lou Williams was in for adultery; john Jones, gambling.

Pattern 2 Notes: 1) Helpful when you don't want to repeat the same verb in the 2nd or 3rd clause. 2) Be sure all main portions are independent clauses. 3) Be sure that the verb (or portion) omitted in the second clause matches exactly, in form and tense, the verb (or portion) in the first clause. 4) Use a semicolon if there is no conjunction; if there is a conjunction (one of the FANBOYS mentioned in Pattern 1b), many writers use a comma. 5) A semicolon NEVER goes with a coordinating conjunction. So this would be wrong: Jill liked apples; but Sean liked peaches.

Pattern 3: Compound Sentence with Explanatory Statement The empty coffin in the center of the crypt had a single horrifying meaning: Dracula had left his tomb to stalk the village streets in search of fresh blood. Remember Yogi Berra's advice: It ain't over till it's over. To be successful, your paper must have a public purpose: It should be written to enlighten others beside yourself.

Pattern 3 Notes / When to use: 1) The first statement will contain a word or an idea that needs explaining; the second statement will give some specific information or example about the idea. 2) Use it when you want the second part of a sentence to explain the first part, give an example, or provide an answer to an implied question.

Pattern 7: An Internal Series of Appositives or Modifiers They learned the qualities of sportsmanship--cooperation, practice, dedication--by carefully studying their coach's example. My favorite red wines--Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir--account for most sales of California rose wines. Compare these: The basic writing skills (good vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, sense of style) can be learned by almost everyone. The basic writing skills--good vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, sense of style-- can be learned by almost everyone. Her exquisite hair--silky, flowing, radiant--draped over her porcelain shoulders.

Pattern 7 Notes / When to use: 1) You can have a series of appositives anywhere in the sentence.

Pattern 7a: A Single Appositive Or a Pair Thus, in old serial movies--appropriately called cliff hangers--a strong element of suspense was created at the end of the episode. My grandfather's motto--take that extra step--guided him and now guides me. Reading the assigned book--Life of Pi--turned out to be more fund than I expected. My vacation plans, to go to Australia, will have to wait another year. Car makers (Ford and GM) are now focusing on gas-saving autos.

Pattern 7a Notes / When to use: 1) This variation creates an interruption in thought immediately after the subject, but the appositive can have a variety of effects, depending on your punctuation. a) a pair of dashes will make the appositive dramatic; b) parentheses will make it almost a whisper; c) a pair of commas will make it nearly inconspicuous because they are so ordinary.

Pattern 9: Repetition of a Key Term in a Modifying Phrase Attached to the Main Clause She celebrated her acceptance to Yale, an acceptance she thought would never happen. We live in our individual worlds--our inner worlds, the worlds of the mind. We all have problems but we can find a solution, a solution that works, a solution that is equitable. A talent for drama is not a talent for writing, but is an ability to articulate human relationships. The man for whom the law exists--the man of forms, the conservative--is a tame man. ~Thoreau But remember that too much variety, too obviously achieved, may be worse than none at all.

Pattern 9 Notes / When to use: 1) Make sure the term is worth repeating. 2) Make sure the attached phrase is not a complete sentence. A common error: =================== She celebrated her acceptance to Yale. An acceptance that she thought would never happen. The 2nd sentence above is really a subject and a dependent clause without any verb. S V . S + [dep. clause] but NO verb.

Pattern 16: Paired Constructions (Paired Words) 1) Not only S V , but also S V . (the also may be omitted) ==> Not only do I knock them out, but I pick the round. 2) Just as S V , so too S V . ==> Just as you can't hope to find water in a dessert, so too is it impossible to find happiness in the promise of a brighter tomorrow. 3) The more S V , the more/the less S V . ==> The more you try to save yourself, the more you add thicker bars to the prison. ==> The more critical reason dominates, the more impoverished life becomes. 4) The former S V , the latter S V . 5) If not , at least . (joins individual grammatical units, not complete clauses) ==> if not praise, at least not blame ==> if not in the park, at least not in the back alley ==> if not beautiful, at least not homely 6) Whether _____ or _____ , S V. ==> Whether young or old most people enjoy the great outdoors. 7) Not only S V , more than that S V . ==> Not only does texting take up most of her time, more than that it makes her skip class. 8) Neither ______ , nor ______ S V . ==> Neither his teacher's suggestions, nor his father's pleas stopped his gaming. 9) It is not _____ , it is ______ . ==> It is not what they built, it is what they knocked down. 10) When S V , but when S V . ==> When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm even better.

Pattern a6 Notes / When to use: 1) The paired words are correlative conjunctions and link words. 2) These constructions are helpful for making comparisons. 3) Make sure you position the paired words in the proper locations so that they produce parallel constructions. Wrong: The puppy was not only found chewing the shoes, but also the table leg. Correct: The puppy was found chewing not only the shoes, but also the table leg. Wrong: I not only forgot my keys, but also my purse. Correct: I forgot not only my keys, but also my purse.

Avoid Dash Splices Wrong: Mary Sheley spent a full year at Marlow writing Frankenstein--her monster has survived better than some of her husband's poems.

Right: Mary Sheley spent a full year at Marlow writing Frankenstein--creating a monster that has survived better than some of her husband's poems.