(On board)

Basic Sentence Patterns in English

Every sentence in English (except interjections) has a subject and a verb. The subject is
either a noun or a pronoun. The verb is either an action verb or a helping verb.
There are several basic sentence patterns in English.
Basic Sentences
SUBJECT PREDICATE
Non!Pronon "erb
Michelle swims.
They are laughing.
Non!Pronon "erb Non!Pronon
Their teacher is holding a book.
Renukha is eating ice cream.
Non!Pronon "erb Ad#ecti$e
Mary s smart
!e s "uite tall.
Non!Pronon "erb Pre%ositional Phrase
T##y $iun studied %or the &'M test.
The dog waited %or its owner yesterday.
Non!Pronon "erb Ad$erb
(ue )i swims daily
*e are walking slowly
1
SIMPLE, COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES
2
Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting and lively.
Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and immature while too many
long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to understand.
This page contains definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences with many simple
examples. The purpose of these examples is to help the ESL/EL learner to identify sentence
basics including identification of sentences in the short !ui""es that follow. #fter that, it
will be possible to analy"e more complex sentences varieties.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
# simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a sub$ect and a verb, and it
expresses a complete thought. %n the following simple sentences, sub$ects are in yellow, and
verbs are in green.
#. Some students like to study in the mornings.
&. 'uan and #rturo play football every afternoon.
(. #licia goes to the library and studies every day.
The three examples above are all simple sentences. )ote that sentence & contains a
compound sub$ect, and sentence ( contains a compound verb. Simple sentences, therefore,
contain a sub$ect and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain a
compound sub$ects or verbs.
COMPOUND SENTENCE
# compound sentence contains two independent clauses $oined by a coordinator. The
coordinators are as follows* for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. +,elpful hint* The first letter of
each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.- Except for very short sentences, coordinators are
always preceded by a comma. %n the following compound sentences, sub$ects are in yellow,
verbs are in green, and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.
#. % tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
&. #le$andro played football, so .aria went shopping.
(. #le$andro played football, for .aria went shopping.
The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two
independent clauses, and they are $oined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it. )ote
how the conscious use of coordinators can change the relationship between the clauses.
Sentences & and (, for example, are identical except for the coordinators. %n sentence &,
which action occurred first/ 0bviously, 1#le$andro played football1 first, and as a
conse!uence, 1.aria went shopping. %n sentence (,
1.aria went shopping1 first. %n sentence (, 1#le$andro played football1 because, possibly, he
didn2t have anything else to do, for or because 1.aria went shopping.1 ,ow can the use of
other coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses/ 3hat implications
would the use of 1yet1 or 1but1 have on the meaning of the sentence/
COMPLEX SENTENCE
# complex sentence has an independent clause $oined by one or more dependent clauses. #
complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when
or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. %n the following complex sentences,
sub$ects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas +when
re!uired- are in red.

#. 3hen he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
&. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
(. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
4. #fter they finished studying, 'uan and .aria went to the movies.
E. 'uan and .aria went to the movies after they finished studying.
3hen a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences # and 4, a comma is
re!uired at the end of the dependent clause. 3hen the independent clause begins the
sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences &, (, and E, no comma is re!uired.
%f a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences &, (, and E, it is wrong.
)ote that sentences 4 and E are the same except sentence 4 begins with the dependent
clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with the independent clause
which contains no comma. The comma after the dependent clause in sentence 4 is re!uired,
and experienced listeners of English will often hear a slight pause there. %n sentence E,
however, there will be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.
COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
inally, sentences containing ad$ective clauses +or dependent clauses- are also complex
because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause. The sub$ects, verbs,
and subordinators are marked the same as in the previous sentences, and in these sentences,
the independent clauses are also underlined.

#. The woman who+m- my mom talked to sells cosmetics .
&. The book that 'onathan read is on the shelf .
(. The house which #braham Lincoln was born in is still standing .
4. The town where % grew up is in the 5nited States .
#d$ective (lauses are studied in this site separately, but for now it is important to know that
sentences containing ad$ective clauses are complex.
CONCLUSION
6emember that with the skill to write good simple, compound, and complex sentences, you
will have the flexibility to +7- convey your ideas precisely and +8- entertain with sentence
variety at the same time9
COMBINING SENTENCES
Combing simple sentences to make complex sentences is an important exercise to help you advance in
your writing abilities. This writing exercise focuses on taking simple sentences and transforming them
into complex sentences which are then combined into a paragraph.
Simple Sentence -> Complex Sentence
Example: Tom is a boy. He is eight years old. He goes to school in Philadelphia.
Complex entence! "# Tom is an eight"year old boy who goes to school in Philadelphia.
Here are some simple rules to remember when combining simple sentences into complex sentences!
$on%t repeat words
Change words if necessary
&dd words to connect ideas
Complex Sentence Exercise
Combine the following sentences into complex sentences. 'emember that a number of answers may
be correct. Click on the following page to compare your answers following page to compare your
answers with two possible paragraphs.
His name is Peter.
He%s a famous professional athlete.
He%s a baseball player.
He has a large house in (iami.
The house is beautiful.
He often travels around the ).
He plays away games in different cities in the ).
He travels by airplane.
He usually sleeps on the plane.
He stays up late after games.
He is an excellent pitcher.
*ans love his abilities.
Coaches love his abilities.
+very week he plays a home game.
The game is played in ,lover tadium.
The game is usually sold out.
,lover tadium is old.
,lover tadium doesn%t have enough seats for all the fans.
-
Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting and lively.
Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and immature while too many
long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to understand.
This page contains definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences with many simple
examples. The purpose of these examples is to help the ESL/EL learner to identify sentence
basics including identification of sentences in the short !ui""es that follow. #fter that, it
will be possible to analy"e more complex sentences varieties.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
# simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a sub$ect and a verb, and it
expresses a complete thought. %n the following simple sentences, sub$ects are in yellow, and
verbs are in green.
#. Some students like to study in the mornings.
&. 'uan and #rturo play football every afternoon.
(. #licia goes to the library and studies every day.
The three examples above are all simple sentences. )ote that sentence & contains a
compound sub$ect, and sentence ( contains a compound verb. Simple sentences, therefore,
contain a sub$ect and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain a
compound sub$ects or verbs.
COMPOUND SENTENCE
# compound sentence contains two independent clauses $oined by a coordinator. The
coordinators are as follows* for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. +,elpful hint* The first letter of
each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.- Except for very short sentences, coordinators are
always preceded by a comma. %n the following compound sentences, sub$ects are in yellow,
verbs are in green, and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.
#. % tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
&. #le$andro played football, so .aria went shopping.
(. #le$andro played football, for .aria went shopping.
The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two
independent clauses, and they are $oined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it. )ote
how the conscious use of coordinators can change the relationship between the clauses.
Sentences & and (, for example, are identical except for the coordinators. %n sentence &,
which action occurred first/ 0bviously, 1#le$andro played football1 first, and as a
conse!uence, 1.aria went shopping. %n sentence (,
1.aria went shopping1 first. %n sentence (, 1#le$andro played football1 because, possibly, he
didn2t have anything else to do, for or because 1.aria went shopping.1 ,ow can the use of
other coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses/ 3hat implications
would the use of 1yet1 or 1but1 have on the meaning of the sentence/
COMPLEX SENTENCE
# complex sentence has an independent clause $oined by one or more dependent clauses. #
complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when
or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. %n the following complex sentences,
sub$ects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas +when
re!uired- are in red.

#. 3hen he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
&. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
(. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
4. #fter they finished studying, 'uan and .aria went to the movies.
E. 'uan and .aria went to the movies after they finished studying.
3hen a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences # and 4, a comma is
re!uired at the end of the dependent clause. 3hen the independent clause begins the
sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences &, (, and E, no comma is re!uired.
%f a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences &, (, and E, it is wrong.
)ote that sentences 4 and E are the same except sentence 4 begins with the dependent
clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with the independent clause
which contains no comma. The comma after the dependent clause in sentence 4 is re!uired,
and experienced listeners of English will often hear a slight pause there. %n sentence E,
however, there will be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.
COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
inally, sentences containing ad$ective clauses +or dependent clauses- are also complex
because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause. The sub$ects, verbs,
and subordinators are marked the same as in the previous sentences, and in these sentences,
the independent clauses are also underlined.

#. The woman who+m- my mom talked to sells cosmetics .
&. The book that 'onathan read is on the shelf .
(. The house which #braham Lincoln was born in is still standing .
4. The town where % grew up is in the 5nited States .
#d$ective (lauses are studied in this site separately, but for now it is important to know that
sentences containing ad$ective clauses are complex.
CONCLUSION
6emember that with the skill to write good simple, compound, and complex sentences, you
will have the flexibility to +7- convey your ideas precisely and +8- entertain with sentence
variety at the same time9
The fans wait in line to buy tickets.
The fans often pay more than ./0 dollars for a ticket.
The fans are unhappy about the ticket prices.
The fans love Peter.
answer key"
Here are two possible paragraph answers to this exercise. Compare your answer with these examples.
'emember that there is more than one possible correct answer for each sentence.
Complex Sentence - Possible Paragraph 1
Peter is a famous baseball player. He lives in a beautiful house in (iami. He often flies around the
)nited tates to play away games. 1oth fans and coaches love his excellent pitching abilities. +very
week he plays home games in ,lover tadium which is usually sold out. ,lover tadium is an old
stadium without enough seats for all the fans. *ans wait in line to buy the tickets which often cost
more than ./0. +ven though the fans are unhappy about ticket prices2 they love Peter.
Complex Sentence - Possible Paragraph
Peter is a famous baseball player who lives in a beautiful house in (iami. He often flies to different
cities around the )nited tates to play away games. His excellent pitching is loved by both fans and
coaches. 3ld ,lover tadium doesn%t have enough seats for the fans who want to come to home
games. +ven though they are unhappy about ticket prices2 the wait in line and pay more than ./0 to
see Peter play.
&RITIN' 'OOD SENTENCES
I( )o continall) se short sentences in )or *riting+ )or %aragra%hs *ill sond
$er) cho%%), Read this %aragra%h and notice ho* it sonds,

It *as -) birthda), I as. (or a bi.e, /) %arents boght -e a red bi.e, It had
*hite stri%s on the (enders, I li.e to ride -) bi.e e$er)*here, I li.e to ride on
s-ooth %a)-ent best, I a- not allo*ed to ride on the side*al., Peo%le *al. on
the side *al., I( I ha$e ti-e, I ride on the bi.e trail in the %ar.,
To -a.e )or *riting -ore interesting+ )o can co-bine the short sentences to -a.e
longer sentences, The longer sentences can be either co-%ond or co-%le0, Read
the re$ised %aragra%h belo*, Notice ho* the %aragra%h (lo*s -ch better *ith
longer sentences,
4
It *as -) birthda)+ so I as. (or a bi.e, /) %arents boght -e a red bi.e+
and it had *hite stri%s on the (enders, I li.e to ride -) bi.e e$er)*here+ bt I li.e
to ride on s-ooth %a)-ent best, I a- not allo*ed to ride on the side*al.
becase %eo%le *al. on the side*al., &hene$er I ha$e ti-e+ I ride on the bi.e
trail in the %ar.,
Did )o notice the .ind o( changes that *ere -ade in the second %aragra%h1
Con#nctions and co--as *ere sed to connect the sentences,
&hat are con#nctions1 The -ost co--on con#nctions sed in co-%ond
sentences are2
and+ as+ bt+ or+ so
&hen )o -a.e a co-%ond sentence )o are #oining t*o or -ore si-%le sentences
together *ith a con#nction and a co--a, I( )o too. the con#nction a*a)+ the
sentences *old be co-%lete and the) *old still -a.e sense, 3oo. at this e0a-%le2
Sentence 42 I li.e to ride -) bi.e e$er)*here
Sentence 52 I li.e to ride on s-ooth %a$e-ent best
Co-%ond sentence2 I li.e to ride -) bi.e e$er)*here+ bt I li.e to ride on
s-ooth %a$e-ent best,
Co-%le0 sentences se con#nctions and so-eti-es co--as also, 6o*e$er+
co-%le0 sentences don7t #st di$ide into neat+ co-%lete+ si-%le sentences i( )o ta.e
ot the con#nctions, In co-%le0 sentences the con#nction is sed to #oin together
clases,
These con#nctions are sed -ost o(ten in co-%le0 sentences2
a(ter+ althogh+ becase+ be(ore+ ntil+ since+ *hen+ *hene$er+ *hile
&hat is a clase1 A clase is a gro% o( *ords that contains a sb#ect and a $erb,
So-eti-es clases are co-%lete short sentences+ bt in a co-%le0 sentence at least
one o( the- *ill de%end on the con#nction (or its -eaning, This -eans i( )o ta.e
the con#nction a*a)+ the sentence *on7t di$ide into co-%lete nits that -a.e sense
b) the-sel$es, 3oo. at these e0a-%les2
Clase 42 I a- not allo*ed to ride on the side*al.
Clase 52 Peo%le *al. on the side*al.
5
Co-%le0 sentence2 I a- not allo*ed to ride on the side*al. becase
%eo%le *al. on the side*al.,

Clase 42 I( I ha$e ti-e
Clase 52 I ride on the bi.e trail in the %ar.
Co-%le0 sentence2 &hene$er I ha$e ti-e+ I ride on the bi.e trail in the
%ar.,
Changing sentences
Can you join these sentences with an interesting connective and then change it around
using a different one? Write both sentences in your book.
E.g. Mum was reading. It was very late.
Mum was reading and it was very late.
Although it was very late Mum was reading.
!" We went out to #lay. We had our lunch.
$" We went on a tri#. We all enjoyed ourselves.
%" &he teacher was cross. &he boy was naughty.
'" (enny went to slee#. )he was tired.
*" &he weather was lovely. We #layed on the beach.
Task 1 ! +xtend these sentences using!
i! so "hile since tho#gh
+xamples!
The cat sat on the mat.
The cat sat on the mat so that he could curl up and go to sleep.
The cat sat on the mat while he was waiting for his tea.
6f the weather was cold outside the cat always sat on the mat in front of the fire.
The cat sat on the mat since it was the warmest place in the room.
Though the cat was really hungry for its tea it sat patiently on the mat.
1. 6t was cold outside.
2. 7ane was bored.
-. 7ack went out to play.
/
4. $ad lit the fire.
5. 8e walked down the road.
Task 2! )se the following words to give more information about someone or something!
"ho "hose "hich that
+xamples!
The girl walked into the classroom.
The girl2 who had long red hair2 walked swiftly into the classroom.
The girl2 whose red hair sparkled as the light caught it2 walked slowly and confidently into the
classroom.
The girl walked into the classroom2 which by now was filled with children.
The girl2 who was now feeling extremely nervous2 walked steadily into the classroom2 which by now
was filled with people2 who were busily getting ready for the start of the day.
The girl walked into the classroom that had been allocated to her on arrival at the school earlier this
morning.
1. The house was in front of her.
2. 7ake skipped down the road.
-. The cat sat on the mat.
4. There was a large field.
5. They could see fields.
SENTENCE COMBINING
9et%s consider an example. tart by looking at this list of eight short :and repetitive; sentences!
he was our 9atin teacher.
8e were in high school.
he was tiny.
he was a birdlike woman.
he was swarthy.
he had dark eyes.
Her eyes were sparkling.
Her hair was graying.
<ow try combining those sentences into three2 two2 or even =ust one clear and coherent sentence! in
the process of combining2 omit repetitive words and phrases :such as >he was>; but keep all of the
original details.
3ur 9atin teacher in high school was a tiny woman. he was swarthy and birdlike. he had
dark2 sparkling eyes and graying hair.
8hen we were in high school2 our 9atin teacher was a tiny woman. he was swarthy and
birdlike2 with dark2 sparkling eyes and graying hair.
3ur high school 9atin teacher was a swarthy2 birdlike woman. he was tiny2 with dark2
sparkling eyes and graying hair.
3ur 9atin teacher in high school was a birdlike woman2 tiny and swarthy2 with graying hair
and dark2 sparkling eyes.
?
T$S% 1& Combine the following sentences into a single clear sentence using one ad=ective or adverb.
1. 8illie had a beard and a moustache.
The beard was bushy.
The beard was long.
The moustache was droopy.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
2. The man handed me a photograph of a woman.
He did this silently.
The man was old.
The woman was beautiful.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
-. The man handed me a photograph of a woman.
The photograph was torn.
The photograph was faded.
The woman was young.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
4. The photograph brought back memories.
The memories were brought back instantly.
The memories were fine.
The memories were old.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
5. The photograph of the woman brought back memories.
The memories were brought back instantly.
The woman was beautiful.
The woman was young.
The photograph was torn.
The photograph was faded.
The memories were fine.
The memories were old.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
TASK 2: Revise these paragraphs using compound and complex sentences.
Paragraph 1: It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was high. The trees waved and
crashed against the arn. I looked around me and saw that I wasn!t alone. A man stood
ehind me. "e was tall. "e was mean. "e had a kni#e. It was shining in the moonlight. It
was long and slender. "e reached ack. "e staed with it. I $umped out o# the way. I ran
away.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
A
Paragraph 2: Tom pre#ers aseall to asketall. %aseall seems more interesting to
Tom. Tom #eels aseall is a gentleman!s sport. %aseall is more structured than
asketall. %aseall re&uires athletes to use more skill than aggression when playing.
Tom respects aseall players the most ecause o# this.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
T&B -! 7oining entences
)se the =oining words to match the beginning and end of the sentence together. 8rite the sentences
into your books. Cou can only use each word once. 'emember that there is a capital letter at the
beginning and a full stop at the end.
1eginning 7oining word +nd.
&lan was at school because he does not like peas.
,eeta ate breakfast but brushing her teeth.
8e had indoor play meanwhile there was a storm.
&li watched television before it was raining.
7ames likes potatoes after 6 chase cats.
$ogs chase me and she stayed in bed.
6 fell asleep so he went to bed.
(ary wasnDt well during the Christmas play.
'oining Sentences
1. 8e looked for the lost cat b#t
2. 8e had to wash our hands be!ore
-. The girl walked down the dark garden path an(
4. 'ani and Clare play chess mean"hile
5. ,eeta wanted to ride her new bike a!ter
/. 6 got bored and fell asleep (#ring
?. The whole class was in big trouble beca#se
E
$ns"er )e*&
T&B 1
1. 8illie had a long2 bushy beard and a droopy moustache.
2. ilently2 the old man handed me a photograph of a beautiful woman.
-. The man handed me a torn and faded photograph of a young woman.
4. The photograph instantly brought back fine old memories.
5. The torn and faded photograph of a beautiful young woman instantly brought back fine old
memories.
T&B 2
1+ It "as a (ar) an( storm* night an( the "in( "as high+ The trees "a,e( an( crashe( against
the barn+ I loo)e( an( aro#n( me an( sa" that I "asn-t alone+ $ tall an( mean man. "ho ha( a
)ni!e stoo( behin( me+ The )ni!e. "hich "as shining in the moonlight. "as long an( slen(er+ /e
reache( bac) an( stabbe( "ith it+ I 0#mpe( o#t o! the "a* an( I ran a"a*+
+ Tom pre!ers baseball beca#se it seems more interesting to him+ /e thin)s baseball is a
gentleman-s sport an( more str#ct#re( than bas)etball+ Since baseball re1#ires athletes to #se
more s)ill than aggression "hen pla*ing. he respects baseball pla*ers the most beca#se o! this+
1. &im! +xtend these sentences using!
i! so "hile since tho#gh
+xample!
The cat sat on the mat.
The cat sat on the mat so that he could curl up and go to sleep.
The cat sat on the mat while he was waiting for his tea.
6f the weather was cold outside the cat always sat on the mat in front of the fire.
The cat sat on the mat since it was the warmest place in the room.
Though the cat was really hungry for its tea it sat patiently on the mat.
/. 6t was cold outside.
?. 7ane was bored.
A. 7ack went out to play.
E. $ad lit the fire.
10. 8e walked down the road.
11. 8e had some work to do.
12. 6t wasnDt fair.
1-. 6 wanted to go out to play.
2. &im! )se the following words to give more information about someone or something!
"ho "hose "hich that
+xample!
The girl walked into the classroom.
10
The girl2 who had long red hair2 walked swiftly into the classroom.
The girl2 whose red hair sparkled as the light caught it2 walked slowly and confidently into the
classroom.
The girl walked into the classroom2 which by now was filled with children.
The girl2 who was now feeling extremely nervous2 walked steadily into the classroom2 which by now
was filled with people2 who were busily getting ready for the start of the day.
The girl walked into the classroom that had been allocated to her on arrival at the school earlier this
morning.
&im! )se the following words to give more information about someone or something!
who whose which that
/. The house was in front of her.
?. 7ake skipped down the road.
A. The cat sat on the mat.
E. There was a large field.
10. They could see fields.
11. There were lots of houses.
12. The beach spread before them.
1-. The castle was high on the cliff.
-. &im! 8rite complex sentences
,ive more information about someone or something using words like!
who whose which that
)se your 8&61F
+xample!
The girl walked into the classroom.
&s the girl2 with flaming red hair and freckles on her nose2 walked into the classroom2 all heads turned
to stare at her.
The girl2 who was feeling very nervous by now2 walked into the classroom2 although she really felt
like bolting out of the door.
ince this was her first day at her new school2 the girl thrust back her shoulders confidently and
walked into the classroom2 which by now was packed with children.
4. &im! 8rite complex sentences
,ive more information about someone or something using words like!
"ho "hose "hich that
)se your 8&61F
+xample!
The girl walked into the classroom.
&s the girl2 with flaming red hair and freckles on her nose2 walked into the classroom2 all heads turned
to stare at her.
1. The house was in front of her.
11
2. 7ake skipped down the road.
-. The cat sat on the mat.
4. There was a large field.
5. They could see fields.
/. There were lots of houses.
?. The beach spread before them.
A. The castle was high on the cliff.
SENTENCE COMBINING
&.
This exercise will introduce you to sentence combining""that is2 organiGing sets of short2 choppy
sentences into longer2 more effective ones. However2 the goal of sentence combining is not to produce
longer sentences but rather to develop more effective sentences""and to help you become a more
versatile writer.
entence combining calls on you to experiment with different methods of putting words together.
1ecause there are countless ways to build sentences2 your goal is not to find the one >correct>
combination but to consider different arrangements before you decide which one is the most effective.
$n Example o! Sentence Combining
9et%s consider an example. tart by looking at this list of eight short :and repetitive; sentences!
he was our 9atin teacher.
8e were in high school.
he was tiny.
he was a birdlike woman.
he was swarthy.
he had dark eyes.
Her eyes were sparkling.
Her hair was graying.
<ow try combining those sentences into three2 two2 or even =ust one clear and coherent sentence! in
the process of combining2 omit repetitive words and phrases :such as >he was>; but keep all of the
original details.
Have you succeeded in combining the sentencesH 6f so2 compare your work with these sample
combinations!
3ur 9atin teacher in high school was a tiny woman. he was swarthy and birdlike. he had
dark2 sparkling eyes and graying hair.
8hen we were in high school2 our 9atin teacher was a tiny woman. he was swarthy and
birdlike2 with dark2 sparkling eyes and graying hair.
3ur high school 9atin teacher was a swarthy2 birdlike woman. he was tiny2 with dark2
sparkling eyes and graying hair.
3ur 9atin teacher in high school was a birdlike woman2 tiny and swarthy2 with graying hair
and dark2 sparkling eyes.
1.
12
Combine the sentences in each set into a single clear sentence containing at least one
ad=ective or adverb :or both;. 3mit words that are needlessly repeated2 but don%t leave out any
important details.
&fter you have completed the exercise2 compare your new sentences with the original sentences at the
bottom of this page. Beep in mind that many combinations are possible2 and in some cases you may
prefer your own sentences to the original versions.
/. 8illie had a beard and a moustache.
The beard was bushy.
The beard was long.
The moustache was droopy.
?. The man handed me a photograph of a woman.
He did this silently.
The man was old.
The woman was beautiful.
A. The man handed me a photograph of a woman.
The photograph was torn.
The photograph was faded.
The woman was young.
E. The photograph brought back memories.
The memories were brought back instantly.
The memories were fine.
The memories were old.
10. The photograph of the woman brought back memories.
The memories were brought back instantly.
The woman was beautiful.
The woman was young.
The photograph was torn.
The photograph was faded.
The memories were fine.
The memories were old.
S$MP2E COMBIN$TIONS&
/. 8illie had a long2 bushy beard and a droopy moustache.
?. ilently2 the old man handed me a photograph of a beautiful woman.
A. The man handed me a torn and faded photograph of a young woman.
E. The photograph instantly brought back fine old memories.
10. The torn and faded photograph of a beautiful young woman instantly brought back fine old
memories.
C.
Combine the sentences in each set into a single clear sentence containing at least one prepositional
phrase. 3mit words that are needlessly repeated2 but don%t leave out any important details. &fter you
have completed the exercise2 compare your new sentences with the original sentences at the bottom of
this page. Beep in mind that many combinations are possible2 and in some cases you may prefer your
own sentences to the original versions.
1. & mouse darted.
6t darted across the salad bar.
This happened during the luncheon.
1-
2. 8e traveled this summer.
8e traveled by train.
8e traveled from 1iloxi.
8e traveled to $ubuIue.
-. The car swerved2 crashed2 and caromed.
6t swerved off the road.
6t crashed through the guardrail.
6t caromed off a maple tree.
4. (ick planted seeds.
He planted them in his garden.
He did this after the Iuarrel.
The Iuarrel was with (r. 7immy.
5. ,randpa dropped his teeth.
His teeth were false.
His teeth dropped into a glass.
There was prune =uice in the glass.
/. 9ucy played.
he was behind the sofa.
he was with her friend.
Her friend was imaginary.
They played for hours.
?. There was a man.
He wore a chicken costume.
He dashed across the field.
He did this before the ballgame.
The ballgame was on unday afternoon.
A. & man stood2 looking down.
He stood upon a railroad bridge.
The bridge was in northern &labama.
He was looking down into the water.
The water was twenty feet below.
The water was swift.
E. The gray"flannel fog closed off the alinas Jalley.
6t was the fog of winter.
The fog was high.
The alinas Jalley was closed off from the sky.
&nd the alinas Jalley was closed off from all the rest of the world.
10. 6 climbed to my perch.
6 did this one night.
The night was hot.
The night was in the summer.
The night was in 1E4E.
6t was my usual perch.
(y perch was in the press box.
The press box was cramped.
The press box was above the stands.
The stands were wooden.
These were the stands of the baseball park.
The baseball park was in 9umberton2 <orth Carolina.
S$MP2E COMBIN$TIONS&
1. $uring the luncheon2 a mouse darted across the salad bar.
2. This summer we traveled by train from 1iloxi to $ubuIue.
14
-. The convertible swerved off the road2 crashed through the guardrail2 and caromed off a maple
tree.
4. &fter his Iuarrel with (r. 7immy2 (ick planted seeds in his garden.
5. ,randpa dropped his false teeth into a glass of prune =uice.
/. 9ucy played behind the couch for hours with her imaginary friend.
?. 1efore the ballgame on unday afternoon2 a man in a chicken costume dashed across the
field.
A. & man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern &labama2 looking down into the swift waters
twenty feet below.
:&mbrose 1ierce2 >&n 3ccurrence at 3wl Creek 1ridge>;
E. The high gray"flannel fog of winter closed off the alinas Jalley from the sky and from all
the rest of the world.
:7ohn teinbeck2 >The Chrysanthemums>;
10. 3ne hot night in the summer of 1E4E2 6 climbed to my usual perch in the cramped press box
above the wooden stands of the baseball park in 9umberton2 <orth Carolina.
:Tom 8icker2 >1aseball>;
6mproving entences
These sentences are really boring and need to be made more interestingF
'ewrite each one neatly in your homework book.
Think about all the ways we have been learning to improve our sentences in class!
use powerful verbs
use ad=ectives :but not too manyF; to describe the noun
add adverbs to tell the reader about the verb
extend your sentence by using connectives
add a super sentences starter K time2 place and character
add extra information K donDt forget the commaDsF
donDt forget P)<CT)&T63<F

1. The band played.
2. The police searched the park.
-. The witch climbed onto her broom.
4. The footballer kicked the ball.
5. The man walked up the hill.
/. The cat walked along the wall.
Joining Sentences
+se the joining words to match the beginning and end of the sentence together. Write
the sentences into your books. ,ou can only use each word once. -emember that there
is a ca#ital letter at the beginning and a full sto# at the end.
.eginning (oining word End
Alan was at school because he does not like #eas.
15
/eeta ate breakfast but brushing her teeth.
We had indoor #lay meanwhile there was a storm.
Ali watched television before it was raining.
(ames likes #otatoes after I chase cats.
0ogs chase me and )he stayed in bed.
I fell aslee# so he went to bed.
Mary wasn1t well during the Christmas #lay.
Joining Sentences
We looked for the lost cat but
We had to wash our hands before
&he girl walked down the dark garden #ath and
Ellie heard a noise from the darkness of the garden and
-ani and Clare #lay chess meanwhile
/eeta wanted to ride her new bike after
I got bored and fell aslee# during
&he whole class was in big trouble because
1/