1. SENTENCE FLUENCY HOW YOU CAN USE EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN ABSOLUTELY DYING TO KNOW ABOUT SENTENCES TO WRITE WELL

2. SENTENCE TYPES SIMPLE SENTENCE: 1 Independent Clause (I-CL) The Giver nodded. Jonas sat up and tried to answer honestly. Only Asher and Fiona remained. COMPOUND SENTENCE: I-CL, for/and/nor/but/or/yet/so I-CL. It wasn’t a practical thing, so it became obsolete. It broke my heart to transmit pain to her, but it was my job. COMPLEX SENTENCE: I-CL because/when/after/since/so I-CL. Because/when/after/since/so I-CL, I-CL. Since you asked the question, I think I have enough energy for one more transmission. I didn’t try this time because it was so new.

3. SO WHAT IS SENTENCE FLUENCY, ANYWAYS? Good writing has a mix of all three sentence types. This is called “sentence fluency.” But why is sentence fluency considered good writing? Good writing is clear writing. You need to clearly show the reader the relationships between the ideas in your sentences. Compound sentences allow you to show seven different types of relationships. Complex sentences allow you to show approximately 3.2 bazillion different types of relationships.

4. WHICH PARAGRAPH DO YOU LIKE BETTER? Jonas is anxious. His Ceremony of Twelve will happen soon. He will learn his Assignment. He is worried about his Assignment. Jonas will have to do this Assignment for the rest of his life. He has no idea what his Assignment will be. He thinks that he will hate it. Jonas is anxious because his Ceremony of Twelve happens soon, and he will learn his Assignment. As he will have to do this Assignment for the rest of his life, he is worried. He has no idea what his Assignment will be, yet he thinks that he will hate it.

5. NOW YOU DO IT Open your essay about The Giver. Review your essay. Are there any parts of your essay that you can make better by improving your sentence fluency?