The Art of Styling Sentences

1
The Art of Styling Sentences
2

• There are 20 patterns (with variations).
• Practicing what these patterns can do will show
  you a way to improve your writing and
  understanding of correct punctuation.
• The patterns have been divided by grade levels.

The Art of Styling Sentences
3
What is a Sentence? an effort to communicate a
complete thought

• What? (communicates the confusion or surprise of
  the speaker)
• Stop! (issues a simple command to an intended
  audience)
• Drats! (expression of emotion)

4
Basic sentences have a subject and verb
The cat ate.
I fell.
subject
verb
5
Basic sentences have a subject and verb
The cat ate.
I fell.
6
Basic sentences have a subject and verb
The
cat ate.
I fell
.
7
Basic sentences have a subject and verb
gray
The
cat ate.
awkwardly
I fell
.
8
Single Modifier
The gray cat ate.
I fell awkwardly.
9
Single Modifier
The gray cat ate.
I fell awkwardly.
10
Phrases as modifiers
The gray cat ate.
I fell awkwardly.
11
Phrases as modifiers
with yellow eyes
ate.
The gray cat
.
I fell awkwardly
to the stage
12
Phrases as modifiers
ate.
The gray cat
with yellow eyes
.
I fell awkwardly
to the stage
13
Clauses

• Independent clauses--complete thoughts that can
  stand on their own as complete sentences
• Subordinate clauses--may have a subject and verb,
  but are ultimately an incomplete thought

14
Dependent Clauses
complex sentence dependent clause independent
clause
After the mean neighborhood dog left,
the gray cat with the yellow eyes ate.
complex sentence independent clause
dependent clause
I fell awkwardly to the stage
when the choreography required me to spin in a
circle.
Subordinate ClauseTest Read it. If the thought
is incomplete, then it is subordinate.
15
Sentence types
Simple Sentence--a single independent clause
I fell.
16
Sentence Types
Compound sentence--has 2 independent clauses,
makes two statements or has two or more
subject/verb combinations
I fell and I cried.
17
Sentence Types
Complex sentence--contains an independent clause
and one or more dependent clauses
I fell awkwardly to the stage when the
choreography required me to spin in a circle.
18
Sentence Types
Compound complex sentence--has two or more
independent clauses and one or more dependent
ones.
The crowd booed and then they threw rotten apples
at me when I fell on the stage.
independent clause
independent clause dependent
clause
19
Were almost finished
appositive--a word or description that renames
something elsewhere in the sentence
Bill
tried to ask the new girl out.
20
Were almost finished
appositive--a word or description that renames
something elsewhere in the sentence
Bill
, my awkward cousin from Frog Creek,
Pennsylvania,
tried to ask the new girl out.
21
You should be comfortable with

• subjects
• verbs
• dependent clauses
• independent clauses
• appositives
• simple sentences
• compound sentences
• complex sentences
• compound complex sentences

22

• If you are not comfortable with any or all of
  these
• COME TO TUTORING SOON!!!