Transcript Sentence Patterns 1-10

TYPES OF
SENTENCES
SENTENCE PATTERNS #1-10
FOUR BASIC TYPES OF SENTENCES:
Declarative: expresses a fact, wish, intent or feeling.
It ends with a period.
“We’ve never swum out this far before.”
 Interrogative: asks a question and ends with a
question mark.
“Is that a shark following us?”
 Exclamatory: expresses strong feeling. It ends with
an exclamation point.
“We almost didn’t make it!”
 Imperative: expresses a command, request, or
direction. It ends with a period or exclamation point.
“Hide until it leaves. Now swim for shore!”

SENTENCE PATTERN #1:
USE STRONG, ACTIVE VERBS:
In declarative or imperative sentences, strong,
active verbs can bring your writing to life.
Fire belched from the dragon’s mouth.
 The car careened down the highway.
 The problem perplexed the student.

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE
The tiger prepared to
leap across the water.
 The water was leapt
across by the tiger.
 The tiger looked at his
reflection in the lake.
 The reflection was
looked at by the tiger.

PATTERN #2: ASK A QUESTION
Interrogative sentences ask a question.
Interrogative sentences frequently begin with one
of these words: who, what, where, when, why, or
how.
Who is Captain Ahab?
 Why does Melville portray
Ahab as a crazed man obsessed
with vengeance?
 Where is Moby Dick?

PATTERN #3: USE AN EXCLAMATORY SENTENCE
An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong,
genuine feeling or surprise. Using double or
triple exclamation marks does NOT add to the
feeling.
 I had the best day ever!
 What an amazing place Disneyland is!
PATTERN #4: STATE A COMMAND
(IMPERATIVE SENTENCE)
Don’t forget to read
your book.
 Tell me when you
want to meet.
 Get out of the way!

INVERTED SENTENCES:
Sentences can vary from the normal subject/verb order.
In fact, using inverted order throughout your writing
can more readily keep the reader’s attention and will
add sophistication to your style.
 Usual order: The savage storm came down on the ship.
 Inverted order: Down came the savage storm on the
ship.
 Usual order: John Burke, Miss Lottie’s son, sat in front
of the house in a squeaky rocking chair.
 Inverted order: In front of the house in a squeaky
rocking chair sat Miss Lottie’s son, John Burke.
PATTERN #5: WRITE A SENTENCE IN WHICH
A VERB PRECEDES THE SUBJECT
In the following sentences, the subject is red,
and the verb is blue. Notice how the verb
comes before the subject, despite any adverbial
or prepositional phrases:
•
•
•
Along the avenue sped a new corvette.
Across the page seared the frightening image.
Behind the door crouched Mr. Hyde.
NOT INVERTED: (PASSIVE VOICE): A BOTTLE OF MILK WAS GIVEN TO THE
TIGER CUB BY THE MONKEY.
INVERTED: A BOTTLE OF MILK GAVE THE MONKEY TO THE TIGER CUB.
PATTERN #6: OPEN WITH A
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
Prepositions describe:





Direction (from the hill, to the store, along the shore).
Position (at the fair, on the table, within the house).
Time (by nightfall, in ten minutes, until later).
Means (by hard work, with no help, without help).
Abstract (against all odds, of the war, except the toys).
With a smile on her face, she danced happily.
o During the day he read.
o On Sunday we went to the park.
o
MORE INVERTED SENTENCES:
PATTERN #7: OPEN WITH AN ADVERB
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
They answer: How? When? Where? Why? How
much? How many times?
 Remember, many but not all adverbs end in “ly.”
 Use a comma after the opening adverb only if it
needs special stress:
Examples:



Honestly, the roller coaster took my breath away.
Brilliantly the star shines.
Carefully the woman walked in her crazy shoes.
SENTENCE PATTERN #8:
OPEN WITH AN ADVERBIAL CLAUSE
Has a subject AND
predicate, but cannot
stand alone.
 Is part of the sentence
by modifying verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, or
main clauses.
 If it opens the
sentence, follow it
with a comma.


Common adverbs used
for adverbial clauses:
After, although,
as, as if, as long
as, before, if,
in order that,
provided that,
since, so that,
though, till,
unless, until,
whenever, where,
wherever, while,
because, so, when
WHILE THE GROUP LOOKED FOR LIONS,
THE LION WATCHED FROM BEHIND.
MORE EXAMPLES OF OPENING
WITH ADVERBIAL CLAUSES:



Although he appeared
happy, I knew he felt
sorrow.
If the barometer drops
sharply, a change in
temperature will
occur.
While we walked, he
told me his life story.
SENTENCE PATTERN # 9:
OPEN WITH AN ADJECTIVE

By putting an adjective
as the opening word of
a sentence, it adds
emphasis to the noun
or pronoun it describes.
Fearful, the hunter fled
through the jungle.
 Breathless and weary, he
trudged down the road.
 Furious, Peter felt
helpless and frustrated.
 Amorous, the elephant
gave his beloved some
flowers.

SENTENCE PATTERN #10:
OPEN WITH AN ADJECTIVE PHRASE:
Adjective phrases
consist of adjectives
plus a group of words,
often a prepositional
phrase, without a
subject and verb.
 Use a comma when
opening a sentence
with an adjective
phrase.

Passionate about the
subject, he spoke for
an hour.
 Shrewd in her practice
of law, Sarah rose
quickly to the top of
the firm.
 Confident with a pen
and paper, she wrote
four full pages.

PATTERN #10: EAGER FOR SALMON, THE
BEARS CONGREGATED AT THE RIVER.
UNHAPPY WITH HIS COSTUME, THE LITTLE
BOY WAS TAKEN TRICK-OR-TREATING.