Combining Sentences What is sentence combining?

It is the act of making one smoother, more detailed sentence out of two or more short, choppy sentences. Look at the following examples. A BMW screamed around the corner. The BMW was fire red. It screeched to a stop in front of the doors. The doors led into the school. Sound choppy? Here are two ways of combining these shorter sentences. The fire-red BMW screamed around the corner and screeched to a stop in front of the school doors. Screaming around the corner, the fire-red BMW screeched to a stop in front of the school doors. How will this help you improve as a writer? Be able to combine short choppy sentences into more detailed and smoother ones. By decombining sentences into their separate parts, you will be able to spot unnecessary ideas, delete them, and then recombine your thoughts into a clearer sentence. Guidelines For Sentence Combining (We will learn six ways) 1. Use a Series of words or phrases 2. Use Compound subjects and Compound verbs (compound means they combine two or more subjects or verbs) 3. Use a Keyword 4. Use Phrases 5. Use Compound sentences 6. Use Complex sentences 1. Use a Series of words or phrases: Lets combine the following example. Shorter Sentences: The cat is soft. The cat is cuddly. The cat is warm. Combined Sentence: The cat is soft, cuddly, and warm. Remember: ALL words should be the same, nouns, ing words, 1. Use a Series of words or phrases: Lets combine the following example. Awkward Series: The dog was friendly, reliable, and he showed exceptional intelligence. Corrected Sentence: The dog was friendly, reliable, and intelligent. The three items in the series are now parallel. This is all of the items are single word adjectives. 2. Use Compound subjects and Compound verb: Example: John ran into the glass door. Sarah ran into the glass door. Compound subject sentence: John and Sarah ran into the glass door.

Example: Mr. Fingers fumbled with the stack of papers. He dropped them down the stairs. Compound verb sentence: Mr. Fingers fumbled with the stack of papers and dropped them down the stairs. 3. Use a Key word: (move one word between sentences) Shorter sentences: Julios cat sat near the fishbowl. The cat is fat. Combined sentence with adjective: Julios fat cat sat near the fishbowl. 3. Use a Key word: (compound adjective) Shorter sentences: Those grass hoppers were delicious. They were covered with chocolate. Combined sentence using a compound adjective: Those chocolate- covered grass hoppers were delicious. 3. Use a Keyword: Using a participle and then an adverb Shorter sentences: The lady told a joke. The lady giggled. Combined sentence using a participle: The giggling lady told a joke. Shorter Sentences: My brother is going to meet the president. Hell meet him tomorrow. Combined sentence using an adverb: Tomorrow my brother is to meet the president. 4. Use Phrases: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into one sentence using: Prepositional phrases (a group of words which shows how two words or ideas are related) Participial phrases (a verb form ending in-ing or-ed and functions as an adjective) Infinitive phrases (a verb form introduced by to, can be a noun, adjective or adverb) Appositive phrases (specific word or phrase that identifies or renames a noun or pronoun) 4. Use Phrases: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into one sentence using: a prepositional phrase. Shorter Sentences: The laser satellite guards the space fortress. The space fortress is on asteroid X-7. Combined sentence using a prepositional phrase: The laser satellite guards the space fortress on asteroid X-7. 4. Use Phrases: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into one sentence using an appositive phrase. Shorter Sentences: Our best basketball player scored fifty points. The player is Biggy Small. Combined sentence using an appositive phrase: Our best basketball player, Biggy Small, scored fifty points. 4. Use Phrases: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into one sentence using an infinitive phrase.

Shorter Sentences: The maid gave the detective a clue. She offered the clue to help him solve the mystery. Combined sentence using an infinitive phrase: The maid gave the detective a clue to help him solve the mystery. 4. Use Phrases: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into one sentence using participial phrase Shorter Sentences: Billy walked through the dark woods. He was whistling a nervous tune. Combined sentence using a prepositional phrase: Billy, whistling a nervous tune, walked through the dark woods 5. Use Compound Sentences: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into a compound sentence. A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences which are equal in importance. The coordinating conjunctions and, but, or, nor, for, and yet are used to connect the two simple sentences. 5. Use Compound Sentences: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into a compound sentence using a conjunction Two simple sentences: A small brook trout looks like a minnow. It fights like a whale. One compound sentence: A small brook trout looks like a minnow, but it fights like a whale. 6. Use Complex Sentences: Ideas from shorter sentences can be combined into complex sentence. A complex sentence is made up of ideas which are not equal in importance and combined with a subordinate conjunction such as after, although, since, until. Two shorter sentences: Janet returned to the team. We have won every game. One complex sentence: Since Janet returned to the team, we have won every game. 6. Use Complex Sentences: Another type of complex sentence can use relative pronouns: who, whose, which, that. Two shorter sentences: Our coach works us very hard at practice. He is new this year. One complex sentence: Our coach, who is new this year, works us very hard at practice. The more important of the two ideas should be an independent clause and the less important idea should be a dependent or subordinate clause.