Having sentence variety in your writing means using assorted sentence patterns, lengths, and rhythms. Here are some strategies for achieving more sentence variety in your writing.
Start Some Sentences with Adverbs
Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs; they often end with -ly. As long as the meaning is clear, you can place an adverb at the beginning of a sentence or near the word it describes. An adverb at the beginning is usually followed by a comma.
| ADVERB AT BEGINNING | Frequently, stories about haunted houses surface at Halloween. |
| ADVERB NEAR A VERB | Stories about haunted houses frequently surface at Halloween. |
Join Ideas Using an -ing Verb Form
One way to combine sentences is to turn one of them into a phrase using an -ing verb form (such as walking or racing). The -ing verb form indicates that the two parts of the sentence are happening at the same time. The more important idea (the one you want to emphasize) should be in the main clause, not in the phrase you make by adding the -ing verb form. In the examples that follow, the idea the writer wanted to emphasize is underlined.
| TWO SENTENCES | Jonah did well in the high jump. He came in second. |
| JOINED WITH-ING VERB FORM |
Jonah did well in the high jump, coming in second. Doing well in the high jump, Jonah came in second. |
Join Ideas Using an -ed Verb Form
Another way to combine sentences is to turn one of them into a phrase using an -ed verb form (such as waited or walked ). You can join sentences this way if one of them has a form of be as a helping verb along with the -ed verb form.
| TWO SENTENCES | Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many talents. He was noted most often for his painting. |
| JOINED WITH –ED VERB FORM | Noted most often for his painting, Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many talents. |
Join Ideas Using an Appositive
An appositive is a phrase that renames a noun. Appositives, which are nouns or noun phrases, can be used to combine two sentences into one.
| TWO SENTENCES | Elvis Presley continues to be popular many years after his death. He is “the King.” |
| JOINED WITH AN APPOSITIVE | Elvis Presley, “the King,” continues to be popular many years after his death. [The phrase “the King” renames the noun Elvis Presley.] |
Join Ideas Using an Adjective Clause
An adjective clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that describes a noun. Adjective clauses often begin with the word who, which, or that and can be used to combine two sentences into one.
| TWO SENTENCES | Lorene owns an art and framing store. She is a good friend of mine. |
| JOINED WITH AN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE | Lorene, who is a good friend of mine, owns an art and framing store. |
NOTE: If an adjective clause can be taken out of a sentence without completely changing the meaning of the sentence, put commas around the clause.
Lorene, who is a good friend of mine, owns an art and framing store. [The phrase who is a good friend of mine adds information about Lorene, but it is not essential; the sentence Lorene owns an art and framing store means almost the same thing as the sentence in the example.]