STYLISH SENTENCES Good writers use a variety of sentence types. simple compound complex questions exclamations.

What do you think of this paragraph? The key turned in the lock. Jo stared. Tom gasped. The key scraped. The door creaked. It opened. The children ran. They hid. The man entered. They shook. He searched. YES – TOO MANY SHORT SENTENCES SOUNDS ODD.

Is this next paragraph any better? The key turned in the lock and the door creaked. Jo stared and Tom gasped. The key scraped but the door opened. The children ran and they hid. The man entered and he searched. THIS TIME THE WRITING SOUNDS ODD BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPOUND SENTENCES.

What about this? As the key turned in the lock, Jo stared. Tom gasped while the key scraped. Although the door creaked, it opened. The children ran so fast that they had time to hide. As the man entered to search the room, they shook. THE WRITING STILL SOUNDS ODD. IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLEX SENTENCES

Finally, read this. Jo stared. The key was turning slowly in the lock. Who was about to enter the room? Tom gasped! The key scraped and the door creaked open. Without thinking, the children ran to hide behind the sofa. As the man entered to search the room, they shook … THIS TIME THE WRITING IS GOOD BECAUSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENTENCES ARE USED.

How do I know what type to use? Simple sentences are used for drama and clarity, for example: Jo stared. Compound sentences are often easy to read. They keep a story flowing smoothly along, for example: The key scraped and the door creaked open. Be careful using ‘and’. It can only join ideas that relate to one another. Complex sentences can add extra layers of meaning, for example: As the man entered to search the room, they shook. Complex sentences help you to explain, justify, reason, argue, show what is happening elsewhere, or give alternative views. Questions help to draw the reader into the action, for example: Who was about to enter the room? Exclamations help to add emphasis and drama, for example: Tom gasped!

See if you can analyse the language features in these passages from The Silver Sword. Look for: sentence structure well chosen adjectives and adverbs descriptive verbs that give power to the writing Notice, too, how the writer uses the senses in this description. Tensely Joseph waited. He heard the key grate in the rusty lock of the outside door of ‘the cooler’. The hinges creaked open. There was the sound of a match spluttering – the guard lighting the lamp’ Heavy boots clumped across the floor towards the cell. Joseph dived into the hearth and hauled himself up over the iron spit. The fire was only smouldering and there was not much smoke. He had not found the opening when the door burst open and too soldiers came in. While they searched the room, he stood very still, his legs astride the chimney. He wanted to cough. He thought his lungs would burst.