by Joshua Raven Lesson 4 Creative Sentences

Look at the following words: Whenever Cat Noise Now try to combine them into a sentence, beginning with the first word ‘Whenever’. Try to create sentences that are meaningful, interesting or funny, for example: ‘Whenever Rachel saw a cat, she remembered the noise of the panther.’

Clauses Whenever is a type of connective. This means that: ‘Whenever Rachel saw a cat…’ is a subordinate clause, i.e. it does not make sense as a sentence on it’s own. THIS MEANS THAT THE FULL SENTENCE IS A COMPLEX SENTENCE. You must always use a comma to separate the subordinate clause from the main clause.

What other sentences do you know? Simple sentences: - Make sense on their own and are a complete clause. ‘Caleb Noble was his name’ Compound sentences: - Combine two clauses together using a connecting word such as ‘and’ ‘An impressive mountain range soared up and brushed the sky.’

Revision Remember, a complex sentence consists of a main clause, which makes sense on its own, and one or more subordinate clauses. ‘The black panther flew through the air’ (simple sentence) Which is the verb? ‘As Rachel hid, the black panther flew through the air.’ (complex sentence) Which is the main clause?

Development We could have written two simple sentences: 1. Rachel hid from the panther. 2. The black panther flew through the air. How else could we have linked the sentences? Linking sentences with and is boring. Can you think of any other ways to link them? ‘As she ascended, it was as though she was climbing out of a strange dream’ Identify the subordinate clause. What separates the two clauses? ‘The man was in his mid-forties and had sun-worn weathered skin.’ Identify the subordinate clause. A comma is not necessary here because the subordinate clause follows the main clause.

Here are some more examples of subordinating connectives: although because when if whereas owing to despite as a result of some time after thanks to even though Come up with your own sentences to describe events in chapters 5 & 6 using these connectives.

Your turn Write two complex sentences, using the following pairs of nouns and your own choice of subordinating connective: black/cat mountain/sky sunglasses/hair window/glass

Remember The subordinate clause can go at the beginning of the sentence: ‘Back in the ward, she saw the broken window glass on the floor.’ Or at the end: ‘It was the window that had shattered, breaking glass onto the floor’ ALWAYS REMEMBER TO USE A COMMA TO SEPARATE THE CLAUSES!

Chapter 5 & 6 Skim read chapter 5 & 6 again, making a note of the different types of sentences Joshua Raven uses in his writing. ◦ Can you find a simple sentence? ◦ Can you find a complex sentence? ◦ Can you find a subordinate clause? ◦ Can you spot creative use of commas to divide sentences? ◦ Can you spot a connective and how it is being used? Evaluate Joshua Raven’s use of sentences and comment on his style of writing. Use quotes to expand your answer.

Extension activity Provide more confident writers with constraints on their sentences, e.g. Fewer than 10 words More than 18 words In the style of a newsreader In the style of a soap opera As an advertising jingle