The Tyler P. Fick Writing Center
Brush up Your Syntax!
Are you tired of the same old sentences? Are you tired of the repeated Subject-Verb, SubjectVerb syntax? It is time to brush up your syntax by trying a few new sentence patterns. Are you
ready? Try imitating each of the sentences below. Just use each pattern to write a new sentence
of your own!
The Semicolon Sentence
Some people dream of being something; others stay awake and are.
The Elliptical Sentence [a sentence in which the verb in the second clause is replaced by a
comma]
A red light means stop; a yellow light, go very fast.
The Colon Sentence [What comes after the colon explains what comes before--a favorite SAT
syntax.]
Weekdays are very similar to identical suitcases: they are all the same size, but some people can
pack more into them than others.
The Sentence Using a Series without a Conjunction
The coach is loud, profane, demonstrative; he has again been trapped, caught, humiliated.