1. Six Sentence Openers
Anna Ingham
Ppt: B.Ting

2. 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).

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Prepositions about above across after against along amid among aroundat
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)

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

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