Sentence Variety Exercise1/6/15-1/9/15

Writing Concise Sentences Combine four ideas in each set of sentences.

1. Alicia read her horoscope. 2. Horoscope was in the newspaper. 3. The newspaper was called The Daily Spectator. 4. The horoscope said that Alicia’s persuasive powers were strong.

First, identify the ideas. Then rewrite the sentences using only the ideas without overlapping information. For example, you would not need to say the horoscope was in the paper which called The Daily Spectator.

1. Alicia read her horoscope.

2. Horoscope was in the newspaper.

3. The newspaper was called The Daily Spectator.

4. The horoscope said that Alicia’s persuasive powers were strong.

Answer:

In The Daily Spectator, Alicia read in her horoscope that her persuasive powers were strong.

2. Rashad picked up an empty soft drink can.

The can was in the parking lot.

The parking lot was a student parking lot.

Rashad put the can in a trash container.

Rashad picked up a can in the student parking lot and put it in the trash container.

4. The window on the driver’s side of the car was rolled down.

The car belonged to Rosa.

The window had been open during a thunderstorm.

The seat on the driver’s side of the car was wet.

The window of Rosa’s car was rolled down during a thunderstorm, leaving the driver’s side of the car wet.

4. Someone in the classroom was chewing gum.

The same person was popping the gum.

Some students were annoyed.

The class was taking a test.

Someone was annoying the students during a test by chewing and popping gum.

5. There was a calendar on the wall.

The wall was in the machine shop.

The calendar showed women.

The women were wearing bathing suits.

The calendar on the wall in the machine shop showed women wearing bathing suits.

Joining Sentence with Dependent words

Connect each sentence pair using the following pattern: Dependent clause, Independent clause

Ultimately, you are being asked to turn one sentence into a fragment not a compound or complex sentence. However, a compound/complex sentence does not make the sentence incorrect.

The dependent clause is a fragment that modifies or describes the rest of the sentence by showing how, when, where, and for forth.

Also, there is not only one way to rewrite the two sentences into one sentence.

1. My little brother turned sixteen.

He took the test for his driver’s license.

When my little brother turned 16, he took the test for his driver’s license.

“When” is the dependent word needed to make the sentence into a fragment that modifies the independent clause.

How does it modify the sentence?

2. Quinton was not sure he was good enough to make the team. He decided to try out anyway.

Even though Quinton was not sure he was good enough to make the team, he decided to try out anyway.

3. Mika had lived in the same town all her life. She was eager to attend college in a different city.

Even though Mika had lived in the same town all her life, she was eager to attend college in a different city.

4. The weather forecast had predicted morning rain. The day dawned sunny and clear.

Even though the weather forecast had predicted morning rain, the day dawn sunny and clear.

5. Fredo was accepted at a technical school. He changed his mind and decided to apply to a four- year college. Even though Fredo was accepted at a technical school, he changed his mind and decided to apply to a four – year college.

Even though was used in each answer because the sentences needed to illustrate contrast, but other dependent words can work.

Practice 8 This activity is slightly different because the dependent clause comes at the second part of the sentence and requires a word in the middle. The word in the middle indicates WHEN or WHY something happens.

1. A small house was swept away by the flood. Onlookers watched in horror.

A small house was swept away by the flood as onlookers watched in horror.

2. Sarah let out a sigh of relief.

She saw that she had passed her midterm exam.

Sarah let out a sigh of relief once she saw that she had passed her midterm exam.

3. Trenton was angry.

He had to wait almost an hour for his job interview.

Trenton was angry that he had to wait almost an hour for his job interview.

4. Brandy did not finish her research project. She became distracted exploring the internet.

Brandy did not finish her research project because she became distracted exploring the internet.

5. The workers were confident they would finish the project on time. They were three weeks behind their planned schedule.

The workers were confident they would finish the project on time though they were three weeks behind their planned schedule.