sentence variety(英语修辞与写作 lecture 19-1)
unit 9 sentence variety
Unit 9
Sentence variety
Teaching objective today
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The importance of sentence variety. Learn to improve sentence variety in terms of length, pattern, emphasis and the sentence beginner Grammar: Use inversion correctly and avoid word-for-word-translation in writing composition writing: Short composition(П)- introduction
9.1 Sentence Variety
1）types of sentences： Sentence classification according to grammatical structure
Simple
Grammatic al structure
Compound Complex
Compoun d-complex
Attributes and relative clauses Participle and absolutes Coordination subordination
9.1 Sentence Variety
Misconception: Most students take for granted that short sentences are a symbol of the writer's immaturity, and that good writers should use long and complex sentences. Conclusion: Sentences with different lengths are more desirable in writing.
Sentence Variety
Sentence VarietyAdding sentence variety to prose can give it life and rhythm. Too many sentences with the same structure and length can grow monotonous for readers. Varying sentence style and structure can also reduce repetition and add emphasis. Consequently, good writing has a mixture of:●varied sentence lengths●varied sentence structuresSentence TypesStructurally, English sentences can be classified four different ways, though there are endless constructions of each. The classifications are based on the number of independent and dependent clauses a sentence contains. An independent clause forms a complete sentence on its own, while a dependent clause needs another clause to make a complete sentence. By learning these types, writers can add complexity and variation to their sentences.Simple sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and no dependent clauses.∙My aunt enjoyed taking the hayride with you.∙China's Han Dynasty marked an official recognition ofConfucianism.Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clausesbut no dependent clauses.∙The clown frightened the little girl, and she ran off screaming.∙The Freedom Riders departed on May 4, 1961, and they were determined to travel through many southern states.Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.∙After Mary added up all the sales, she discovered that the lemonade stand was 32 cents short∙While all of his paintings are fascinating, Hieronymus Bosch's triptychs, full of mayhem and madness, are the real highlight of hisart.Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.Catch-22 is widely regarded as Joseph Heller's best novel, and because Heller served in World War II, which the novel satirizes, the zany but savage wit of the novel packs an extra punch.Vary Sentence LengthsThis sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones.It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important.So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music. One short sentence after another makes your prose sound choppy, childish, or like a bad imitation of Hemingway:Example:The new governor was sworn in today. He is a Democrat. Tenthousand people attended the ceremony. The governor gave a briefinaugural address. The governor promised to end unemployment. He said he would reduce inflation. He also promised to improve theenvironment. The audience gave him a standing ovation. Revision:The new Democratic governor was sworn in today. At a ceremony10,000 people attended, he gave a brief inaugural address, promising to end unemployment, reduce inflation, and improve the environment.The audience gave him a standing ovation.Conversely(相反地), all "long" sentences can make your writing hard to read.Example:The company reported that yearly profit growth, which had steadilyincreased by more than 7% since 1989, had stabilized in 2009, and in 2010, the year they launched the OWN project, actually decreasedfrom the previous year by 2%. This announcement stunned Wall Street analysts, but with the overall decrease in similar company profitgrowth worldwide, as reported by Author (Year) in his articledetailing the company’s history, the company’s announcement aligns with industry trends and future industry predictions.Revision:The company reported that profit growth stabilized in 2009, though it had steadily increased by more than 7% since 1989. In 2010, the year they launch the OWN project, company profit growth decreased from the previous year. This announcement stunned Wall Street analysts.According to Author (Year), however, this decrease is exemplar of a trend across similar company profit growth worldwide; it alsosupports future predictions for the industry.Example:Whether the terrorists style themselves as separatists, anarchists,dissidents, nationalists, Marxist revolutionaries, or religious truebelievers, what marks them as terrorists is that they direct theirviolence against noncombatants with the goal of terrorizing a wideraudience than the immediate victims, thereby attempting to gainpolitical influence over the larger audience. In one variant of terrorism,organizational terrorism, represented by such groups as the Red ArmyFaction in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, Direct Action in France, and 17 November in Greece, small, tightly knit, politicallyhomogeneous organizations that are incapable of developing popularsupport for their radical positions resort to terrorism to gain influence.In a second variant of terrorism, that conducted within the context ofethnic separatist or countrywide insurgencies, such as in thePhilippines, El Salvador, and Colombia, groups conductingparamilitary or guerrilla operations against the established governmentturn to attacks on the populace at large to undermine the government’scredibility, legitimacy, and public support.However, using all "medium"-length sentences doesn't work, either.Sentences that are all about the same length (and often follow the samegrammatical pattern) create monotony（n. 单调；千篇一律）.Example:Many really good blues guitarists have all had the last name King.They have been named Freddie King and Albert King and B.B. King.The name King must make a bluesman a really good bluesman. Thebluesmen named King have all been very talented and good guitarplayers. The claim that a name can make a guitarist good may not bethat far-fetched.Revision:What makes a good bluesman? Maybe, just maybe, it's all in a stately name. B.B. King. Freddie King. Albert King. It's no coincidence that they're the royalty of their genre. When their fingers dance like courtjesters, their guitars gleam like scepters, and their voices bellow likeregal trumpets, they seem almost like nobility. Hearing their music is like walking into the throne room. They really are kings.A longer sentence, such as the one I'm creating here, serves to offer more details, to focus in, to probe an idea more thoroughly or— perhaps—to present a powerful description. A short sentence gets to the point. So, vary the rhythm by alternating short and long sentencesOur senator maintains two elaborate houses, one in our state and one in Washington. Although I understand the reasons for having twohomes, owning two $300,000 residences seems needlessly extravagant.In short, I disapprove.Example:The Winslow family visited Canada and Alaska last summer to findsome native American art. In Anchorage stores they found someexcellent examples of soapstone carvings. But they couldn't find adealer selling any of the woven wall hangings they wanted. They were very disappointed when they left Anchorage empty-handed. Revision:The Winslow family visited Canada and Alaska last summer to findsome native American art, such as soapstone carvings and wallhangings. Anchorage stores had many soapstone items available. Still, they were disappointed to learn that wall hangings, which they hadespecially wanted, were difficult to find. Sadly, they leftempty-handed.A complete example:I was thinking one day. I thought of something the world hadn’t seenlately. My thought was of an adventurous man. The man was on awalking trip through Europe. I thought some more. Then I decided thatI should take such a trip. I should give the world something to watch.So I determined to do it. This was in March 1878.One day it occurred to me that it had been many years since the world had been afforded the spectacle of a man adventurous enough toundertake a journey through Europe on foot, so after much thought, I decided that I was a person fitted to furnish to mankind this spectacle, and it was in March 1878 that I decided I was determined to do it.One day it occurred to me that it had been many years since the world had been afforded the spectacle of a man adventurous enough toundertake a journey through Europe on foot. After much thought, Idecided that I was a person fitted to furnish to mankind this spectacle.So I determined to do it. This was in March, 1878.To analyze your own writing, you first need to find out your ANW/S (average number of words per sentence; ... I just made that term up :).1) Take an essay that represents your normal writing (e.g., one with a great deal of dialogue or an unusual amount of description could skew the results) and mark off twenty sentences.2) Count the number of words in each sentence and then add those totals to get a grandtotal.3) Divide the grandtotal by 20. Your result will be the average number of words per sentence.In general—and this type of analysis is very tenuous—an average sentence length below 14 words per sentence may indicate that you use too many short sentences and you need to learn how to combine and/or subordinate ideas. If your average sentence length is well above 22 words a sentence, you may be piling too much freight on your sentences and have a prose style that is dense and tangled. If your average word length falls between14 and 22, you need to look at your sentences to see if there is some variety or if they are all about the same length.Should you decide your sentences are just spiffy the way they are, don't get too smug. Hearing the "rhythm" of your sentences, knowing when to use a longer sentence or a shorter one, and knowing when to vary the pattern of a sentence is a "work-in-progress" for most of us. Effective sentence style doesn't just happen. It takes work.Vary Sentence StructuresIf too many sentences start with the same word, especially The, It, This, or I, prose can grow tedious for readers, so changing opening words and phrases can be refreshing. Below are alternative openings for a fairly standard sentence. Notice that different beginnings can alter not only the structure but also the emphasis of the sentence. They may also require rephrasing in sentences before or after this one, meaning that one change could lead to an abundance of sentence variety.Superior writing can be achieved by using single word adjectives or adverbs, prepositional phrases, participial phrases, infinitive phrases, or clauses in the beginning position. Notice how some variety imposes the sentences in the original paragraph below.I walked into the room. The patient looked up at me. I greeted himwith a smile. His eyes brightened.Most people, however, would write something like the following without realizing their error:Having entered the room, I saw the patient look up at me. Sensing his discomfort, I tried to ease his concerns by greeting him with a smile.Appreciating my gesture, he responded with glowing eyes.Every sentence starts with a present participle (a verb + "ing" adjective), states the subject, and gives the predicate. The following is a revision:I saw the patient look up as I entered the room. Sensing his discomfort,I tried to ease his concerns by greeting him with a smile. Although hisbrightening eyes showed that he appreciated my gesture, painprevented him from responding any further.Example:Revision:Example:The biggest coincidence that day happened when David and I ended up sitting next to each other at the Super Bowl.Possible Revisions:∙Coincidentally, David and I ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙In an amazing coincidence, David and I ended up sitting next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙Sitting next to David at the Super Bowl was a tremendous coincidence.∙But the biggest coincidence that day happened when David and I ended up sitting next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙When I sat down at the Super Bowl, I realized that, by sheer coincidence, I was directly next to David.∙By sheer coincidence, I ended up sitting directly next to David at the Super Bowl.∙With over 50,000 fans at the Super Bowl, it took an incredible coincidence for me to end up sitting right next to David.∙What are the odds that I would have ended up sitting right next to David at the Super Bowl?∙David and I, without any prior planning, ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙Without any prior planning, David and I ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙At the crowded Super Bowl, packed with 50,000 screaming fans, David and I ended up sitting right next to each other by sheercoincidence.∙Though I hadn't made any advance arrangements with David, we ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.∙Many amazing coincidences occurred that day, but nothing topped sitting right next to David at the Super Bowl.∙Unbelievable, I know, but David and I ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.Guided by some bizarre coincidence, David and I ended up sitting right next to each other at the Super Bowl.Example:The house is located between a beach and the main street of the town.The beach lies to the south, and the main street runs along the north.The main street is heavily traveled and often noisy, but the beach isusually secluded and peaceful. It was Sunday afternoon, and we were on the beach. We lay stretched out on the sand, and enjoyed thesunshine.Revision:The house is located between a beach and the main street of the town.Heavily traveled and often noisy, the main street runs along the north.Usually deserted and peaceful, the beach lies to the south. On Sunday afternoon we lay there stretched out on the sand enjoying thesunshine.Example:My philosophy of education is derived from my personal experiences.I have been an educator for 4 years, and I have learned a lot from moreexperienced teachers in my district. I also work mainly with students from a low socioeconomic background; my background was quitedifferent. I will discuss how all of these elements, along with scholarly texts, have impacted my educational philosophy.Revision:My philosophy of education is derived from my personal experiences.Having been an educator for 4 years, I have learned a lot from moreexperienced teachers in my district. I also work mainly with students from a low socioeconomic background that is quite different frommine. In this paper, I will discuss how all of these elements, along with scholarly texts, have impacted my educational philosophy.A Technical Example:In her article, Author (Year) noted that the participants did not see a change in symptoms after the treatment. Even during the treatment,Author observed no change in the statements from the participantsregarding their symptoms. Based on these findings, I will not use this article for my final project. Because my project will rely on articles that note symptom improvement, Author’s work is not applicable.Notice how the writer relies solely on complex sentences in this paragraph, even placing dependent clauses at the beginning of each sentence. Here is an example of merely adjusting the placement of these dependent clauses but not the sentence type:In her article, Author (Year) noted that the participants did not see a change in symptoms after the treatment. Author observed, even during treatment, no change in the statements from the participants regarding their symptoms. I will not use this article for my final project based on these findings. Because my project will rely on articles that notesymptom improvement, Author’s work is not applicable.While this change in the placement of dependent clauses does avoid a repetitive rhythm to the paragraph, try combining sentences or using conjunctions to create compound or compound-complex sentences to vary sentence type:In her article, Author (Year) noted that the participants did not see achange in symptoms after the treatment. Author observed, even during treatment, no change in the statements from the participants regarding their symptoms, and based on these findings, I will not use this article for my final project. Because my project will rely on articles that note symptom improvement, Author’s work is not applicable.Fix "Short" SentencesSentence combining and subordination are two methods to fixshort-sentence-itis. Sentence combining is just what it sounds like. Often, a series of short sentences can be combined into a longer, more effective sentence.Sentence combiningFor example, consider the following paragraph (this is taken from Writing with a Purpose by Joseph Trimmer):Last weekend I saw a science fiction film. Three friends went with me.The film focused on the experiments of a mad doctor. He altered hispatients' lives by manipulating their dreams.In the sample paragraph above, the short sentences, all having the same noun-verb-object pattern, create a choppy effect. Here are the sentences "combined" into one, more economical sentence:Last weekend three friends and I saw a science fiction film in which a mad doctor altered his patients' lives by manipulating their dreams.Now, look at your own writing. Are there groups of shorter sentences that could be combined?SubordinationShort, choppy sentences also make it difficult for a reader to understand the connection between ideas. By using subordinating conjunctions (connective words that make one clause in a sentence dependent—or subordinate—and thus show the relationship between one clause and another) a reader is given more direction. Subordinating conjunctions include words such as after, when, although, because, etc.Consider the following examples:I kicked the chair. My foot hurt terribly.Now consider how subordination links and show the connection between the two sentences. By using different subordinating conjunctions, the sentences take on very different meanings:After I kicked the chair, my foot hurt terribly.orI kicked the chair because my foot hurt terribly.Now, check your own writing. Do your sentences show the relationship between more important ideas and less important ideas? Is it clear how the ideas in one sentence relate to the ideas in the next sentence? If not, you may need to join these sentences with a subordinating conjunction. A list of subordinating conjunctions is provided in the Commonly Used Grammatical terms link.An Editing ExampleBecause this chapter looks separately at sentence length and sentence variety, you may think good writers always look at each separately as they revise their work. Certainly you could revise that way if you find it helpful. In most cases, though, that’s not how writers work through their revisions. Experienced writers usually revise for varied lengths and varied structures at the same time. Let’s begin with a short paragraph with overly simple and repetitive sentence style.Scientists have known of sickle-cell anemia for a long time. It stillremains a menace for African-Americans. The problem is that nobody has discovered a cure. Scientists have experimented with several drugs.They have experimented with other chemicals. Some of these reduce a few ill effects of the disease. The fight against sickle-cell anemia has been waged on a small scale. Serious research is just beginning. These eight sentences average 8.6 words per sentence, and only thenext-to-last sentence falls in the desired range of 12- to 20-words per sentence. In addition, each sentence begins with the subject of an independent clause. Now let’s edit for both varied sentence lengths and structures. We do this by looking at what ideas can be combined and which ideas should be emphasized in those combinations through subordination.●The first two sentences share the idea of time (―for a long time‖and ―still remains‖), so let’s use subordinations to combine themand focus on the continuing menace of the disease: Althoughscientists have known of sickle-cell anemia for a long time, itremains a menace for African-Americans.●Sentences four and five both deal with scientific testing, whilesentence six indicates only limited positive results have beenachieved. Sentence three contains the bottom line—no cure. Wecan combine all four sentences into one effective one: Whilescientists have tested several drugs and chemicals, and reduce afew ill effects, nobody has discovered a cure.●The seventh sentence can stand alone, though we can strengthenit by adding ―only‖—a point the preceding sentences reinforce: Thefight against sickle-cell anemia has been waged on only a smallscale.●The eighth sentence stands on its own. Don’t be concerned thatit has only five words. With the other sentences in the paragraphnow considerably longer, a short sentence adds to the variety:Serious research is just beginning.Now let’s put all our revised sentences together and evaluate the results: Although scientists have known of sickle-cell anemia(镰状细胞性贫血) for a long time, it remains a menace（威胁，恐吓）forAfrican-Americans. While scientists have tested several drugs andchemicals, and reduce a few ill effects, nobody has discovered a cure.The fight against sickle-cell anemia has been waged（进行，开始，有职业的）on only a small scale. Serious research is just beginning.We now have four sentences averaging 14.5 words per sentence. The first two sentences begin with dependent clauses, while the third and fourthsentences begin with the subjects of independent clauses. We’ve achieved the desired range for sentence lengths, and the sentences present varied sentence patterns.Fix Long, Wordy （冗长的；口头的；唠叨的；文字的）Sentences∙Longer sentences can be extremely effective; they can also be just plain wordy. Try some of these strategies to streamline（vt. 把…做成流线型；使现代化；组织；使合理化；使简单化∙n. 流线；流线型∙adj. 流线型的）your sentences:1) Avoid using passive verbs such as is, was, were, are, has, had, etc.;passive constructions create wordiness. The pedestrian（行人，步行者，缺乏想象力的）was hit by the man who was driving a red car vs. The man in the red car hit the pedestrian.2) Avoid using too many prepositional phrases (e.g., "the house of my mother" rather than "my mother's house").3) Prunevi. 删除；减少vt. 修剪；删除；剪去n. 深紫红色；傻瓜；李子干your sentences. Eliminate repetition (don't state the same idea three different ways) and eliminate unnecessary words, e.g., In my mind, I decided that ... – where else are you going to decide something? In someone else's mind? or phrases like "true fact" (a fact is true), "new innovations," and so forth.4) Cut back on the use of words such as it, which, whose, that, those, thing, these, they.5) Eliminate what Ken Macrorie calls "namery" (the habit of naming things that do not need naming). Here's a wonderful example of sentence "tightening" from his book, Telling Writing:Sample paragraph:Juliet and Rosalind are women who fall in love. This is one of the few similarities between these two characters. They are different in age,with Juliet being an impetuous adolescent and Rosalind being a mature adult. This different is illustrated by the manner in which eachcharacter falls in love. Juliet rushes into romance and gets married as quickly as possible while Rosalind makes sure of her love forOrlando—a much more rational and logical choice than Juliet's.This paragraph is devastated by Namery. The author says that Juliet and Rosalind falls in love and then unnecessarily says these acts are similar. He says the two are different in age and then later says one is an adolescent and the other an adult. He wastes completely the sentence:This difference is illustrated by the manner in which each characterfalls in love.because the next sentence shows the difference specifically. The paragraph could be cut in half without losing essential meaning:One of the few similarities between Juliet and Rosalind is that they both fall in love; but Juliet rushes into （仓促行动）romance while Rosalind makes sure of her love for Orlando. Juliet is an impetuous （冲动的，鲁莽的）adolescent; Rosalind is a mature adult.。
Sentence Variety
Sentence Varietysentence (noun): a group of words that expresses a thought and is complete in itself (starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop or question/exclamation mark)variety (noun): the quality of being different; not having uniformity or samenessDo you read your sentences out loud after you write them? It is a good idea to do this. Writing that reads easily and sounds conversational is easier to understand. When we talk, we vary the length of our sentences. Some of our sentences are long and exciting and seem to go on forever until it is time for us to finally stop and take a breath. Some are short and sweet. A wise English poet once said, "Variety is the spice of life." Remember this advice as you write your stories, essays and letters.How to add Sentence VarietyThere are a number of ways to add variety to your writing. Imagine yourself cutting up a sentence into individual words and placing them in a paper bag. Now shake it up! Did you do a little dance? Great. Now lay out your sentence and experiment. Can you make two sentences out of one? Can you put your sentence back to front? Try turning your sentence into a question. Or, if you think your sentence is too short, you may want to add another sentence to it. If you have a really important point, perhaps a famous person has said something similar. In other words, there may be a quote you can use to strengthen your writing.Sentence TypesBefore we look at sentence variety, let's review the 4 main types of simple sentences. Simple sentences contain one clause.:1.Declarative sentence (most common): The sky is blue.2.Interrogative sentence: Why is the sky blue?3.Exclamatory sentence: The sky is blue now! (It was black just a minute ago.)4.Imperative sentence: Don't go outside! (It's pouring rain.)More advanced types of sentences are "compound" (combining two sentences with a conjunction) and "complex" (using at least one dependent clause and one independent clause). To create these sentences you need to know how to use conjunctions, adverbial phrases, prespositional phrases, conditionals and noun phrases.Simple sentences: The boy wanted to go outside. He had to eat his pizza first.Compound:The boy wanted to go outside but he had to eat his pizza first. Complex: Although the boy wanted to go outside, he had to eat his pizza first.Sentence PatternsThe most common sentence pattern that writers use is sentence-verb-object (SVO). This is how beginners write. For example:∙The boy ate pizza.∙I play soccer.∙Homework is boring.There are many ways to rewrite SVO sentences. Let's play with this sentence:∙The boy ate pizza.1.Turn it into a question:Do you know what the boy ate? Pizza.2.Turn it into a passive sentence:The pizza was devoured by the boy. (You could use "eaten" but here "devoured" gives a better reason for placing the pizza first.)3.Turn it into an exclamatory sentence:The boy ate pizza again!bine it with your next sentence:The boy wolfed down the pizza and then ran outside to play.e a transitional phrase:Even though the boy ate the pizza, you could tell that he wanted to be outside playing.6.Start with a participle:Eating the pizza, the boy watched his friends playing outside.7.Place modifiers in different places:The pizza, which was a huge pepperoni slice, was devoured by the boy.Wolfing down his pizza, the boy barely noticed the pepperoni on it.The boy ate the large pepperoni pizza as quickly as possible.Although he wanted to keep playing, the boy rushed in and wolfed down his pizza lunch.As fast as he could, the boy ate the pizza.Sentence LengthAvoid using sentences that are all the same length. Short sentences are powerful. Combine short sentences with long sentences to make your writing flow more naturally. Your most important sentences should be clear and concise. Keep them short. Descriptive sentences can have more length, but you should read them out loud to make sure that they flow naturally.Example of a paragraph with poor sentence length:The boy's mother called him inside for dinner. The boy ate his pizza. He was very hungry. He didn't want to eat, though. He wanted to play outside with his friends.Example fix:The boy's mother called him inside for dinner. It was pizza. Even though the boy was hungry and pizza was his favourite meal, he wanted to stay outside and play. He wolfed the pizza down and ran back outside.Note: Occasionally writers start three or more sentences in a row with the same word. This is a stylistic trick used for emphasis, for example:It was hot. It was humid. It was the last day of summer.Sentence Variety: Writing Challenge:How many ways can you rewrite, expand, reorder, reword these ten boring sentences?1.The sky is blue.Example:Blue skies like these make my day.There isn't a cloud in the sky.It's a clear day.You won't get a finer day than today.The sky is as blue as the sea.Have you ever seen such a blue sky?What a fine day!2.I am sick.3.I have school tomorrow.4.My room is small.5.Andrea is busy.6.There's nothing to do.7.It's cold in this house.8.I don't want to be late.9.I'm hungry.10.It's Wednesday.。
Lecture 1修辞学英文课件
e.g. 1) Because Huang Ming, one of my roommates, had his tape recorder stolen, I became a thief. 违反逻辑规则 2) While my father, who came back from the south with a suitcase, was getting through the gate, my 7-year-old brother ran very, very quickly from the sitting room to greet him. 修辞问题
音韵修辞格 phonetic stylistic devices
• alliteration, • assonance, • consonance
结构修辞格 syntactical stylistic devices
• • • • • • • Parallelism Chiasmus Climax Contrast Repetition Anastrophe Rhetoriacal question
课堂分析：学生习作
Is Life All Beautiful ? “life” is an eternal topic in human life. It is extolled as beautiful, powerful and priceless. As a young inexperienced girl, I cannot make presumptuous comments. But it really shocks me not because of its colorfulness, but its ruthlessness. I love life ardently: I like blue sky, white clouds, red flowers and green trees; I am fond of the rising sun and evening glow. I give all my love to everyone around me and share theirs. I have always said to myself: “Living in today’s world is all happiness.” However, this is only one side of the life.Just one year ago, I found
超实用高考英语复习：书面表达句式多样化多样化Sentence Variety in Writing
书面表达－句式多样性
Writing
面对高三繁重的学习和生活，我们同学更应该 重视提高自身免疫力，以保持身体健康。请你以 “How can we keep healthy?”为题，给学校英语报写 一篇短文投稿。 参考词汇：免疫力 immunity 注意： 1．词数100左右； 2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Characteristics
Hlaocwk toof
1 审题准
vasroielvdestehnitsepnrcoebplaemtte?rns 2 要点全
3 句子美
4 卷面洁
Appreciation
What advanced expressions are used?
Discuss with your classmates and underline the highlights of it!
A balanced healthy diet which provides the body with nutrition to fight many diseases is a must for teenagers.
Exploration 2 定语多样化
A balanced healthy diet is a must for teenagers.
Practice 主题句+建议 + 理由
______________________________________________ First of all,____________________________________ _________________________Besides,______________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Last but not least,______________________________ _____________________________________________
Sentence Variety I
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Sentence Variety I
CompoundCompound-Complex Sentence
• A compound-complex sentence is made up of two (or more) simple sentences and at least one dependent statement statement.
Sentence Skills, Form A, 7E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Sentence Variety I
Complex Sentence
• A complex sentence is made of a complete simple sentence and a statement that begins with a dependent word (such as: although, before, that, which.) For example: The dog ate my homework, although I told him not to. Jo-Jo was in Tuscon, which is very Jostrange.
For example: Before my dog arrived, I always arrived, handed in my homework, and I always got perfect grades. Unless you come over here, Jo-Jo will go Joback to Tuscon, and Loretta will start to cry.
大学英语写作教程第三册unit--sentence-variety课件
The group of sentences in a paragraph should be regarded as a whole and should be different enough in types to avoid boredom. This is called sentence variety
The boys leaned against the willow tree (growing) next to the stream, their fishing poles resting on sticks, their eyes gazing at the bobbers on the ripples. The morning had been cool and comfortable, but the afternoon was becoming very hot. Both boys had taken great pleasure in planning for the trip on Friday, their only day off in the whole month.
n Conclusion: Sentences with different lengths are more desirable in writing.
18
9.1 Sentence Variety
n Follow-up activities: p144
n Reference for the Classroom Activities:
1 ) types of sentences：
more on sentence variety(英语修辞与写作 lecture 19-2)
verb
I don’t phrase prepositionalcare what you call it; just know how to use it.
Mount St. Helens erupted on May…
In minutes, the mountain emitted… Recently, debate has arisen... Although the exact time of the eruption surprised scientists, evidence had been collected... To understand the eruption, we have to...
Subject Prepositional Phrase Prepositional Phrase Adverb Dependent Clause Infinitive Phrase
Vary sentence openers to vary rhythm
Now, I will use this subject- pick. hygienic
slope collapsing, the mountain emitted a cloud of hot rock and gas. (3) Within minutes, the cloud devastated more than 500 square kilometers of forests and lakes. (4) Although the effects of the eruption were well documented, the origin is not well understood. (5) Volcanic explosions are driven by a rapid expansion of steam. (6) Recently, debate has arisen over the source for the steam. (7) Is it groundwater heated by magma or water originally dissolved in the magma itself? (8) To understand the source of steam in volcanic eruptions, we need to determine how much water the magma contains.
Sentence Variety
C. 若兩動詞有逗點相隔,而無連接時,就不 必考慮動詞所代表的動作先後發生的次 序,第二個動詞一定要變成現在分詞 • He left home at six in the morning, arrived there about four in the afternoon.
分詞構句的語態
現在分詞構句 (a) Ving: Turning on the light, he began to write a letter. (b) Having + p.p.: 用來更清楚地表達先後順 work, they closed the shop. (= After doing all the work, they closed the shop.)˙˙˙步驟 1.去連接詞 2. 3.動詞變ving (c)獨立分詞構句: 兩個子句主詞不同所構成的分詞構句 The train having arrived at the station, he found his friends had gone.
Another new project will link the largest airport in Taiwan, the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport,withthe city of Taipei by a high-speed train. Which airport is the largest in Taiwan? The Chiang Kai-shek International Airport 中正國際機場
Sternutation, the act of sneezing, is not particular to man. What is "sternutation"? the act of sneezing 打噴嚏的動作 Chest auscultation, the act of listening for sounds made by the heart, can help detect heart problems What does "chest auscultation" mean in this sentence? the act of listening for sounds made by the heart 聽（診）
sentence variety
yet, for, so
Original: John likes football. His wife likes football. Revised: John likes football and his wife likes it too.
• 2. For Repeated Subjects or Topics ( Subordination 替换为从属关系)
of the room.
Revised: We could not go out of the room because
the rain was heavy. (adverbial clause)
B. Participles（分词形式）
Original : Wei Xia was surprised to get a phone call from his sister. He was happy to hear her voice again. Revised : Surprised to get a phone call from his sister, Wei Xia was happy to hear her voice again.
Ways to achieve sentence variety
1. For short and choppy sentences
John likes football. His wife likes football.
Conjunction (用并列的连词)
Combine Sentences With Conjunctions. Join complete sentences, clauses, and phrases with conjunctions:and, but, or, nor,
Sentence_Variety
Now you try it! Combine the following four pairs of short sentences into four sentences with compound predicates. Use and, but, or, and yet. 1 – She love him. 2 – She cannot live without him. 3 – The cat loves to watch television. 4 – She sits right in front of the screen. 5 – The fuchsia is a showy houseplant. 6 – It droops terribly when it gets dry. 7 – These statistics are very interesting. 8 – They prove that your theory is true.
1 – He serves elaborate meals. 2 – He never uses a recipe. 3 – He serves elaborate meals yet never uses a recipe. 4 – Aviators rarely get nosebleeds. 5 – They often suffer from backaches. 6 – Aviators rarely get nosebleeds but often suffer from backaches Sentences 1 and 2 are combined by yet and no comma proceeds yet. Sentences 4 and 5 are joined by but and no comma proceeds but.
Sentence variety
More Practice
• Jules is sweet. He is considerate. He is loving. • Jules is sweet, considerate, and loving. • Jack applied for a job. He went for an interview. He was hired. • Jack applied for a job, went for an interview, and was hired.
Basic techniques for combining short sentences
• Eliminate unnecessary words • Group similar words or sets of words together • Use words like and, so, for, etc • Use commas
Using Participle Phrases
• Examples • Jogging every day, I soon increased my energy level. • Mary, amused by the joke, told it to a friend. • My eyes opened wide, shocked by the red “F” on my paper.
• I enjoy Christmas very much. I like shopping, decorating the tree, and I also enjoy giving presents. On Christmas Day I love eating all the turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie. In addition, I look forward to being with the family, seeing my grandmother, and play wstmas very much. First of all, I like shopping, decorating the tree, and giving presents. Besides, I enjoy eating Christmas food such as turkey, a lot of dressing, and pumpkin pie. In addition, I like being with my family, seeing my grandmother, and playing with my nieces.
大学英语写作教程第三册unit 9 sentence variety
9.1 Sentence Variety
1）types of sentences：
Sentence classification according to Sentence length
Sentence length
Long
Short
sentences sentences
9.1 Sentence Variety
sentences that consist of two or more simple sentences connected by coordinators.
For example: I hate writing, but I 1ike that sense of achievement after finishing an article .
Conclusion: Sentences with different lengths are more desirable in writing.
9.1 Sentence Variety
Follow-up activities: p144
Reference for the Classroom Activities:
Exclamatory:
sentences that express strong emotions. They usually begin with what or how, and end with an exclamation mark For example: How I hate writing!
9.1 Sentence Variety
2. Ways to achieve Sentence Variety： To use different types of sentences
5. Sentence Variety
Example: The campus parking problem is getting worse. The university is not building any new garages. Revision: The campus parking problem is getting worse because the university is not building any new garages.
Revision 1: Wei Xie, surprised to get a phone call from his sister, was happy to hear her voice again. Revision 2: Surprised to get a phone call from her, Wei Xie was happy to hear his sister's voice again.
For the same subject or topic repeated in consecutive sentences
1. Relative pronouns which, who, whoever, whom, that, whose Embed one sentence inside the other using a clause starting with one of the relative pronouns listed above.
Revision 1: Because it has been facing pressure to cut its budget, the university has eliminated funding for important programs. (dependent clause, independent clause) Revision 2: The university, which has been facing pressure to cut its budget, has eliminated funding for important programs. (subject, relative clause, predicate) Revision 3: Under pressure to cut its budget, the university has eliminated funding for important programs. (prepositional phrase, independent clause: the most concise version of the four)
高三英语一轮复习作文专题修辞格讲座19拟声PPT幻灯片(27页)
咔嚓地拍照 4. There came the ticktack of high heels
nearby.高跟鞋的笃笃声
高三英语一轮复习作文专题修辞格讲 座19 拟声教学PPT-（27页）-PPT执教课件 【推荐 】
Mark Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
5.Jack London: The Mexican
The crowd began to hiss and boo him for his unsportsmanlike conduct, but he sat unmoved.
修辞格：拟声
Onomatopoeia
Enjoy Chinese examples
1. 不闻爷娘唤女声,但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。 （北朝民歌《木兰诗》）
2.他含着两泡眼泪望着他的祖父，肚子里却咕 咕地叫。（茅盾《秋收》） 3. 快用“傻瓜”给我“咔嚓”下来。 4. 站在后面的几个姑娘交头接耳，叽叽喳喳起 来。
pieces.
高三英语一轮复习作文专题修辞格讲 座19 拟声教学PPT-（27页）-PPT执教课件 【推荐 】 高三英语一轮复习作文专题修辞格讲 座19 拟声教学PPT-（27页）-PPT执教课件 【推荐 】
高三英语一轮复习作文专题修辞格讲 座19 拟声教学PPT-（27页）-PPT执教课件 【推荐 】
A maiden fair he loves. 许渊冲译
3.Spring
by Thomas Nash
Spring, the sweet spring, is the year’s pleasant king,
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SIMPLE SENTENCE
A simple sentence has only one subject and one predicate verb, but it may contain more than one object, attribute or adverbial. Short simple sentences are usually emphatic; they have special clarity, and provide variety when used with longer sentences.
COMPOUND SNETENCE
A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses (or simple sentences) related to each other in meaning, and linked by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or etc.) or by a semicolon without a conjunction.
Examples
One arrow is easily broken, but you can’t break a bundle of ten. Forecasting technologies are more sophisticated and today's forecasters are better trained, but weather predictions are still not very reliable.
We stood at the kitchen door, studying the sky beyond the apple tree.
Example
He undertook to cook the breakfast, so that Mother could have time to herself to dress at more leisure and take stock of all the luggage, the locking up of the house, the final arrangements about the cat and a hundred other minor responsibilities anyone of which would have lain under her holiday like the rose petal under the mattress of the little princess.
COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE
A compound-complex sentence contains at least two main clauses and at least one dependent clause --- a combination of a compound and a complex sentence. e.g. When the train goes through, the windows rattle noisily and the whole house shakes.
Examine the following example
To Americans, industriousness, thrift, and ambition are positive values. We encourage our children to be competitive, to get ahead, to make money, to acquire possessions. In games and in business alike the aim is to win the game, the trophy, the contract. We go in for labor-saving devices, gadgets, speed, and short-cuts. We think every young couple should set up a home of their own, and we pity the couple who must share their home with a parent, let alone with other relative. Actually, of course, not all Americans hold these values, and those who do may hold other, and at times contradictory, values that affect their ways of behaving. In the main, however, the collective expectation of our society is that these are desirable goals, and the individual, whatever his personal inclination, is under considerable pressure to conform.
Sentence type according to rhetoric
Loose
sentence Periodic sentence Balanced sentence
松散句 吊尾句
Loose sentence
The main idea of a sentence is put at the beginning, and supportive or qualifying information comes after it. E.g.
Sentence type according to use
Declarative
sentence Interrogative sentence Imperative sentence Exclamatory sentence
陈述句 疑问句 祈使句 感叹句
Sentence type according to structure
English Rhetoric and Writing
Seeking Sentence Variety
Standards of good sentence
Variety
Unity
Coherence
Conciseness Emphasis Good
grammar
What does sentence variety aim at?
Most Chinese students of English learn to write grammatically correct sentences fairly easily, but are less adept at writing stylistically effective English sentences. This may partly be due to the fact that they are not fully aware of the rhetorical properties of sentences like length, balance, degrees of complexity, repetition, climax, and so on. You could only choose correctly if you know the function or effect of each syntactic device.
Example
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
--- Jane Austen
Compared with loose sentences which are easier, simpler, more natural and direct; periodic sentences are more complex, emphatic, formal, or literary. It should be noted that the periodic sentence is often used to summarize a passage consisting of several loose sentences and to produce a variety in sentence arrangement.
COMPLEX SENTENCE
A complex sentence contains one main (or principal) clause and one or more dependent (or subordinate) clauses, with a connective word denoting the relation between the two parts.
Periodic Sentence
A long and complex sentence in which the main idea is expressed at or near the end of it, and it is not grammatically complete until the end is reached.