When students get back their Composition papers or Personal Recount essays, it is common to see a teacher’s comment – “Sentences are too simple. Don’t use only subject-verb sentences.”
Students who are not avid readers struggle to vary their sentences since this is not a specific lesson topic in the curriculum. Writing is a skill which needs to be developed with practise and over time. Most students join Creative Writing tuition classes to ace their exams. Few want to develop the craft of writing. In this post, I’ve added some examples and practices for you to try out.
A. Begin with an adverb
Rewrite the following sentences by moving the adverbs to the beginning.
1. The fire truck sped furiously along the street, blaring its siren.
2. The firefighters bravely fought the blaze, but they were beaten back by flames.
3. Mario snatched the pot of pasta hungrily, polishing off three plates in under five minutes.
Answer: Furiously, the fire truck sped along the street, blaring its siren. Bravely, the firefighters fought the blaze, but they were beaten back by flames. Hungrily, Mario snatched the pot of pasta, polishing off three plates in under five minutes.
B. Begin with adverb of time (to show transition)
Adverbs that indicate when an action took place. Include words such as: soon, later, moments later, in the blink of an eye…
1. He arrived at his destination moments later.
2. Taylor Swift’s concert came to a close in the blink of an eye.
3. I normally take a nap in the afternoon but today…
Answer: Moments later, he arrived at his destination. In the blink of an eye, Taylor Swift’s concert came to a close. Normally, I take a nap but today…
C. Begin with a prepositional phrase
1. Dinner will be ready by the time you get home.
2. Cobblestone streets echoed with the footsteps of travellers in the heart of the ancient city.
3. The golden sun dipped down below the horizon beyond the towering mountains, painting the sky with brilliant hues of crimson and violet.
Answer: By the time you get home, dinner will be ready. In the heart of the ancient city, cobblestone streets echoed with the footsteps of travellers. Beyond the towering mountains, the golden sun dipped down below the horizon, painting the sky with brilliant hues of crimson and violet.
D. Begin by inverting subject and verb
1. A lone traveller wandered down the winding path, his cloak billowing in the evening breeze.
2. The city had never before witnessed such a breathtaking display of fireworks lighting up the night sky.
3. Taylor Swift had barely stepped onto the stage when thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Answer: Down the winding path wandered a lone traveller, his cloak billowing in the evening breeze. Never before had the city witnessed such a breathtaking display of fireworks lighting up the night sky. Barely had Taylor Swift stepped onto the stage when thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
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