2. Varying Sentence Structure

3. Adding Variety to Sentence Structure To make your writing more interesting, you should try to vary your sentences in terms of length and structure. You can make some of your sentences long and others short. Read the two paragraphs on the next page.

4. Two Paragraphs Read the paragraphs below. Choose the paragraph that is more effective. I love living in the city. I have a wonderful view of the entire city. I have an apartment. I can see the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see many cargo ships pass under the bridge each day. I like the restaurants in San Francisco. I can find wonderful food from just about every country. I don’t like the traffic in the city. I love living in the city of San Francisco. I have a wonderful view of the entire city from my apartment window. In addition, I can see the Golden Gate Bridge under which many cargo ships pass each day. I also like San Francisco because I can find wonderful restaurants with food from just about every country; however, I don’t like the traffic in the city.

5. How do you vary sentence structure? To help YOU make your writing more interesting we will study these two sentence types: - Simple Sentence - Compound Sentence

6. The Simple Sentence A simple sentence has one independent clause (one subject and a verb): I live in San Francisco. Subject Verb

7. Compound Sentence A compound sentence contains two independent clauses that are joined together. She works in the city, but she lives in the suburbs. Independent Clause

8. Compound Sentence You can make a compound sentence by joining two logically related independent clauses by using… - a semicolon - a coordinating conjunction

9. Using a Semicolon Independent Clause ; Independent Clause I love living in the city ; there are so many things to do. Independent Clause

10. Using a Coordinating Conjunction Independent Clause,coordinating conjunction Independent Clause He couldn’t watch the show, so he decided to tape it. Independent Clause

11. Coordinating Conjunctions Logical RelationshipCoordinating Conjunction AdditionAnd ContrastBut, yet ChoiceOr, nor CauseFor ResultSo

12. FANBOYS For  F And  A Nor  N But  B Or  O Yet  Y So  S Another way to remember these is…

13. CAUTION! Do NOT use a comma every time you use the words and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet. Use a comma only when the coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses. Independent Clause No comma- not an independent clause The necklace was beautiful but expensive. Simple Sentence

14. Quick Review: Simple Sentence John drank a Pepsi. Alfred bought a diamond ring for his lovely wife Anne. Both of the sentences are simple sentences because they each only have one independent clause. The second may have more adjectives and adverbs, but it is still a simple sentence.

15. Quick Review: Compound Sentence A compound sentence uses one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) and connects two complete simple sentences. Each half of the sentence is equally important to the meaning of the sentence. A comma must come before the coordinating conjunction.

16. Coordinating Conjunctions The seven coordinating conjunctions are also known as FANBOYS words. If these words are written out, the first letter of each one spells FANBOYS. For And Nor But OrOr Yet SoSo

17. Compound Sentence John drank a Pepsi, and he enjoyed it. This is a compound sentence because it has a complete sentence on both sides of the coordinating conjunction, the sentences make sense together, and the coordinating conjunction makes sense with the sentences.

18. Compound Sentence John drank a Pepsi, or he enjoyed it. John drank a Pepsi, nor he enjoyed it. These are examples of faulty coordination since the coordinating conjunction does not make sense with the sentences it is connecting.

19. Compound Sentence John d rank a Pepsi, so computers hate people who have poor usage skills. This is another example of faulty coordination because these two sentences don’t make any logical sense together.

20. Suppose you wrote these sentences in your story… Melanie forgot her lunch. She called her mother. How can you combine these sentences using a conjunction? and but or so

21. Melanie forgot her lunch, so she called her mother. Melanie forgot her lunch and she called her mother Which compound sentence is better?

22. Suppose you wrote these sentences in your story… Pam bought three pencils. She lost two of them. How can you combine these sentences using a conjunction? and but or so

23. Pam bought three pencils, but she lost two of them. Pam bought three pencils and she lost two of them. Which compound sentence is better?

24. Maybe you wrote… Bobby has a football. He threw it across the yard. How can you combine these sentences using a conjunction? and but or so

25. Bobby has a football, and he threw it across the yard. Bobby has a football, but he threw it across the yard. Which compound sentence is better?

26. More practice. Missy went to the zoo. She saw monkeys. Which one is a compound sentence? 1. Missy saw monkeys at the zoo. 2. Missy went to the zoo, and she saw monkeys.

27. More practice. Maria wanted a new bike. She got a job to earn the money. Which one is correct? 1. Maria wanted a new bicycle, so she got a job to earn money. 2. Maria got a job washing bicycles to earn money.