Sentence Fluency

Sentence Fluency
Sentence Beginnings

Use one of these methods to create variety at the beginnings of sentences to break out of the “subject- verb begin sentence rut.”

1.   Two adjectives:  Intelligent, hardworking students study every night.

2.   Appositive: Margaret, the top student in the class, often goes to the library.

3.   Prepositional phrase:  In the brightly lit classroom, students study for the test.

4.   Infinitive: To prepare for the test is the student’s responsibility.

5.   Gerund:  Listening and studying all day will be the responsibility of the students.

6.   Participle: Having sat in the classroom all day, the students were ready for a snack.

7.   Adverb clause: Until we learned the parts of speech, we didn’t improve our writing.

8.   Adjective clause:  Andy, who has the mind of a scientist, worked in the lab.

9.   Parallel structure:  Tall and handsome, the lifeguard stands proudly.

Hints for improving sentence fluency

• Never start two sentences the same way in a paragraph unless it is to create a sense of repetition.

• Read the written text aloud.  Often the writer can hear errors when the text is read aloud.

• If there is a lack of variety in sentence beginnings, look at the words that appear later in the sentence.  Could they move to the beginning?

• If there are too many short choppy sentences, try combining them or adding clauses.

• Be careful of sentences that have too many conjunctions or subordinating clauses. Try to avoid “and overload.”

• Check the commas.  Lack of commas can cause unclear meaning, and commas used in the

wrong places can lead to choppy sounding sentences.

Words that help build longer sentences

Use these words at beginnings of sentences to make complex sentences.

after although
as as if
as long as because
as soon as before
if even though
once since
so that than
though unless
until when
whenever where
wherever whether
while

Words that slow down the writing

Why say… When you mean…

a large number many
adjacent to next to
at the present time now
being that because
by the use of with
despite the fact that although
due to the fact that because
during the time that while
for the reason that because
in the course during
most of the time usually

Voices you might try to use

Horrifying humorous suspenseful critical persuasive
Sarcastic scholarly thoughtful happy ridiculous
Concerned gloomy childlike frightened informative
Sad rude flighty