Six Sentence Openers Anna Ingham Ppt: B.Ting

Hints to varying sentence openers To assess your use of sentence openers, read the first four words of each of your sentences. Make sure that no more than two openings are used consecutively in a paragraph. Vary sentence openers so they add variety to your writing and so your writing isn’t monotonous. There should be an even balance of these throughout your writing piece. Try to use each sentence opener once in each paragraph (where possible).

1. Subject Opener Begins with the subject of the sentence: Who or what the sentence is about. Begins with the main noun of the sentence. Examples: Marsha detested doing homework on Sunday night. The boys began to tremble when they realized they were cornered. Nip, who is the tallest boy in his class, reached beyond the shelf and plucked the book from the top. The small ape walked down the stairs.

2. Prepositional Opener The sentence begins with a prepositional phrase The prepositional phrase is always followed by a comma Examples: Despite her homework, Martha still found time to read from her novel. Throughout the year, Martha stayed up late to study. Because he couldn’t help showing off, Nip swung from the rafters on the ceiling.

Prepositions about above across after against along amid among around at atop before behind below beneath beside between beyond for by concerning down during except from in inside into like near of on onto out outside over past regarding since through to throughout toward under until up upon with underneath without but (meaning except)

3. Adverb opener Words ending in “ly” Other common adverbs include Examples: Needlessly worried, Martha studied until midnight for her vocabulary quiz. Tomorrow evening, the mobs will gather to celebrate Australia Day. today tomorrow then yet yesterday there fast way

4. Gerund (-ing) opener An “ing” verb that functions as a noun. Example: Thinking about her quiz, Martha began to tremble. Caring about her grades, Martha was determined to study. Loving the sciences over English, Martha decided to study her Life Science unit first.

5. Clausal OPENER Begins with a subordinate clause. After the clause, place a comma. Examples: While the rest of her classmates were sleeping at their homes, Martha stayed up late to study. Unless she passed this test, she was sure to fail the course. after although as because before even though if since though unless until when where

6. Very short sentence (VSS) A sentence that is three words or less. Examples: Tom was stressed. He lied. Hester cannot know.