Sentence Patterns 4-8 Lecture Notes

Slide 1
Sentence patterns 4-8 use series in sentences in a variety or ways
Purpose and benefits of series
1.Help eliminate wordiness – if you have 3 short sentences, you can reduce them to a
single sentence with a series
2.Provide details – if you want to list or give several examples
3.Give different kind of emphasis to the items in a series – create a pattern w/o a
conjunction – you don’t single out the last item for special emphasis; instead, you say that
all the items are equal

Slide 2
Pattern 4
Make all items in the series parallel in form as they are already parallel in function
Though the comma before the conjunction is optional it ultimately makes the meaning
clear

Slide 4
Pattern 5
This construction creates a balanced rhythm

Slide 5
Pattern 6
This pattern begins with a cluster of appositives after which you need a dash, a word that
summarizes the appositives and the subject/verb combination for the main clause
The purpose of this pattern is to squeeze a lot of info into the same slot
You can also put appositives at the end
Put a comma between appositive in the series and a dash after the series
Appositive must be parallel in structure and related in meaning

Slide 6
Pattern 7
A series of appositive or modifier may be anywhere in a sentence.
Any kind of series may come between the s and v, between 2 subjects, and so on.
Because this kind of series is a dramatic interruption w/in the sentence and may even
have commas between the items, there MUST be a dash before and after it
( ) set off less important info
Modifier must closely follow the word it describes
Checkpoint – if you take out the words between the dashes and still have a complete
sentence, you’ve used the punctuation correctly
Slide 7
Pattern 7a
-The appositive creates an interruption in thought immediately after the subject,
depending on the punctuation

-- make the appositive dramatic

-( ) make it almost whisper
-, , make it nearly inconspicuous because they are so ordinary

Slide 8
Pattern 8
Previous patterns showed a series with single words or phrases. This pattern shows a
different series with dependent clauses - All the clauses in this series must be dependent,
parallel in structure and express conditions or situations or provisions dependent upon the
idea expressed in the main clause.
The series may come at the beginning or end of a sentence.
Omit the third clause and just have 2 if you want - You will normally have 2 or 3 clauses;
rarely will 4 or 5 sound graceful and smooth
Arrange the clauses in order of impact
This pattern is unique and should be used in the following situations
1.At the end of a single paragraph to summarize the main points
2.In structuring a thesis statement having three or more parts or points
3.In the introductory or concluding paragraph to bring together the main points of a
composition in a single sentence