Helpful hints for each of the sentence patterns:
General Information on Sentence Patterns
 Emphasize the use of specific nouns and vivid verbs.
 Proper nouns are not necessarily specific nouns
o Carla devoured six pancakes at breakfast. (Reader cannot visualize Carla.)
o Santa Claus devoured six pancakes at breakfast. (Reader can visualize because proper
noun is one known by general public.)
o The pharmacist devoured six pancakes at breakfast. (Specific noun)
 These are not vivid verbs: is – are – was – were – am – be – been – being – go – got – went –
seems – appears – become – became – seems – looks
As students begin writing paragraphs and essays, they will need these weak verbs to help
them put ideas on paper. But during the writing block, when a specific pattern is being
taught, students need to avoid these verbs.
 Use the patterns daily. Teaching the patterns on Monday without further reinforcement will
not do much to improve student writing. The skills do not transfer. The patterns must be
reinforced and must become the tool that students use during revision. The patterns give the
students and teachers a common language.
 Gradual Release of Responsibility
o Analyze 5 samples as a class
o Peer groups write 5 sentences that follow the pattern
o Individuals write 5 sentences that follow the pattern
 Don’t rush the analysis piece on Mondays. Make the students work to determine the pattern.
Let them use the power of inquiry; do not simply tell them what they need to do.
 Spice things up and let the students have some fun. Place a beautiful gift box on a shelf in
your room. Tell the students that the gift will be given to the student who writes the best
individual sentence during the sentence pattern block. Tell them you are looking for a
sentence that uses a vivid verb you haven’t heard in class yet, or a sentence that teaches you
something and allows you to visualize. Examples of presents: some loose change, piece of
candy, pencils, eraser, and note pads. I have even given students certificates that say,
“Congratulations, you have written the best sentence of the day. Please have someone cook a
large pot of brussel sprouts for your dining pleasure tonight.”
Using the helpful hints:
 You will find a helpful tools list following many of the patterns. Many of these tools are
lessons from the Writing Effective Sentence Workshop. These tools can be used to pre-teach
information prior to teaching a pattern. These tools can also be used to reinforce a pattern
once it has been taught.
 Look ahead to the pattern that you will be teaching. Many of the helpful hints are activities
that you will do with the students the week prior to presenting a pattern. It is easier to
pre-teach than to re-teach.
 Not all sentences require pre-teaching. Most are very doable without pre-teaching.
Pattern 1: Use specific nouns and vivid verbs in a Noun – Verb sentence
Pattern 2: Use specific nouns and vivid verbs in a Noun – Verb – Noun sentence
Helpful tools: Noun Town and Verb Suburb, Noun Charts, Noun Banks, Noun Crowns and
Verb Vests, Bulletin boards of nouns and verbs, Verb poems, Word bank posters,
Do not use the following verbs: is – are – was – were – am – be – been – being – go – got –
went – seems – appears – become – became – seems – looks
The students might want to add adjectives or prepositional phrases to these two patterns. That’s
fine; let them. But it isn’t necessary.
Pattern 3: Interrogative -- Ask a question
Information on interrogative sentences:
Interrogative sentences lend themselves to the weaker verbs, but strong modeling will help the
students write questions that use vivid verbs.
Examples:
 Is that hammer from WalMart? (weak verb)
 Did your dad buy that hammer from WalMart? (vivid verb)
 Are you going to the game tonight? (weak verb)
 Do you plan on going to the game tonight? (vivid verb)
Pattern 4: Open with an adverb
Helpful tools: Paper plate faces that have adverbs on the tongues.
Color coded sentences that start with adverbs.
Adverb Alley in Noun Town.
Adverb relay race.
Flip books that start with adverbs
List of adverbs
Information on adverbs:
 Common adverb suffixes are wise – ly – ward
 Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
 Adverbs can bounce around in a sentence, but in this particular pattern put the adverb at
the opening.
 Too many adverbs slow down a piece of writing. It is better to focus on vivid verbs that
do not need the help of an adverb to paint a picture. Good writers use adverbs sparingly.
Examples:
Adverbs provide the following information:
HOW something happened:
 Carefully, the doctor removed the splinter from my hand. (How did the doctor remove
the splinter? carefully)

Cautiously, the trick or treaters opened the wooden door. (How did the trick or treaters
open the door? cautiously)
WHEN something happened
 Yesterday the cooks served pizza for lunch. (When the did the cooks serve pizza?
yesterday)
 This morning the dentist pulled my wisdom teeth. (When did the dentist pull your
wisdom teeth? this morning)
WHERE something happened (usually requires an adverb phrase – see pattern 5- or an adverb
clause- see patterns 7 and 8)
WHY something happened (usually requires an adverb phrase – see pattern 5- or an adverb
clause- see patterns 7 and 8)
Pattern 5: Open with a prepositional phrase
Helpful Tools:
 Paper plate faces with prepositional phrases on the tongues
 Preposition Park
 Preposition song – sing the preposition list to the tune of Yellow Rose of Texas or some
other favorite tune
 Preposition Hunt
 Color coded sentences
 Preposition relay race
 Flip books that start with prepositional phrases
 List of prepositions
Information on prepositional phrases:
 Prepositional phrases that open a sentence will be ADVERB phrases – they will tell
HOW, WHEN, WHERE, WHY something happened. Notice that these phrases can
bounce to another location in the sentence without changing the meaning. That is another
clue that the prepositional phrase is working as an adverb phrase.
Examples:
 With total confidence, the guard launched a 3 pointer to win the game. (HOW did the
guard launch the 3 pointer? with total confidence)
 In the morning the chef made an urn of coffee. (WHEN did the chef make the coffee? in
the morning)
 On the beach vacationers enjoyed the morning sun. (WHERE did the vacationers enjoy
the sun? on the beach)
 Because of the ice storm, Grandpa stayed home this morning. (WHY did Grandpa stay at
home? Because of the ice storm)
Be careful:
Some prepositions can also be used as subordinators that open clauses.
Prepositional phrases do not have verbs. Clause have verbs.
Prepositions that might be subordinators: after, as, before, during, since
Phrase: I have had a headache since noon. (no verb in the phrase)
Clause: I have had a headache since the computer exploded. (exploded is a verb)
Phrase: Because of the rain my hair turned frizzy. (no verb in the phrase – because of is a
preposition)
Clause: Because it rained, my hair turned frizzy. (rained is a verb – because is a subordinator)
Phrase: Before dinner I baked six pies. (no verb in the phrase)
Clause: Before I ate dinner, I baked six pies. (ate is a verb)
Phrase: After school the 8th grade boys have a basketball game. (no verb in the phrase)
Clause: After school ended, the 8th graders sang Christmas carols at the nursing home. (ended is
a verb)
These are some of the more commonly used prepositions. Be careful because some of them are
also subordinators and one (but) is also a coordinating conjunction.
COMMON PREPOSITIONS
As
At
About
Across
Along
Among
Ahead of
Around
Aboard
Among
By
Beside
Besides
Between
Because of
But*
Before
Behind
Below
Concerning
Down
During
Except
For
From
In
Into
Instead of
In spite of
Just
Like
Out
Out of
On
Onto
Over
Since
To
Toward
Towards
Through
Throughout
Until
Up
Under
With
Within
Without
*Everyone went to the prom but me. (but as a preposition)
Everyone went to the prom, but I stayed home. (but as a coordinating conjunction)
Pattern 6: Use an Appositive
Helpful Tools:
 Samples of sentences with weak adjective clauses that can be turned into sentences with
appositives. (see worksheet below)
Examples:
My brother, who is an airplane pilot, lost his job. (adjective clause)
My brother, who is an airplane pilot, lost his job. (appositive)
The horse, which is an Appaloosa, can jump hurdles.
The horse, which is an Appaloosa, can jump hurdles.
Please cross out the relative pronoun and the weak verb in each of the following adjective
clauses to create a sentence that has an appositive behind a noun:
1. The colonists, who were settlers in Massachusetts, built furniture for their homes.
2. The German Shepherd, which is a fierce guard dog, alerted the family when fire broke out.
3. My baby sister, who is a playful pest, ripped the paper from her birthday present.
4. The diner gave a huge tip to the waiter, who was a most efficient worker.
5. The professor purchased a new computer, which was an IMAC.
6. Shaquille O’Neal, who is the center for the Lakers, won the MVP trophy.
7. The crowds stood in silence in praise of Paul Simon, who was an honorable Illinois Senator.
8. The speaker, who is a graduate of Yale University, dazzled the crowd with her brilliance.
9. The garbage truck carried away Dad’s recliner, which was his favorite chair for 10 years.
10. The students, who were brilliant young children, completed the boring English exercise.
Information on Appositives:
 The appositive comes behind a noun.
 Appositives do not have verbs, but they can have adjectives attached.
 Appositives can come behind a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition
as well as behind a subject.
 The appositive renames the noun.
 Do not fall into the trap of putting a prepositional phrase behind a noun and think it is an
appositive: (The boy, from Wisconsin, ate macaroni and cheese for dinner. from Wisconsin
does not rename the boy; therefore, it is not an appositive. from Wisconsin works as an
adjective phrase explaining which boy we are talking about.)
Examples:
 The singer, a blues crooner, sang at Blueberry Hill. (singer and blues crooner = same
person)
 The superintendent, a saxophone player for the Jorrells, traveled to New Orleans for a
conference. (superintendent and saxophone player = same person)
 Many people attended the funeral of Keiko, the star of Free Willie. (Keiko and star of Free
Willie = same animal)
 My sister gave her boyfriend a sweater, an Irish fisherman’s knit. (sweater and Irish
fisherman’s knit = same thing)
Pattern 7: Open with an Adverb Clause
Helpful Tools:
 Paper plate sentences with adverb clauses on the tongues
 Flip books that begin with adverb clauses
 Color coded sentences that start with subordinators (remove the coordination
conjunctions and use only subordinators)
 Simple sentence combination exercises (see worksheet below)
 List of subordinators
Information on adverb clauses:
 Sentences that begin with an adverb clause must put a comma between the two clauses.
 Subordinate clauses are sometimes called adverb clauses or dependent clauses because
they cannot stand alone; they depend upon the main clause or independent clause.
 Subordinators can indicate several relationships between two clauses: time, cause/effect,
condition, etc.
Be sure the subordinator that students use reflects the correct relationship. For example,
discuss the difference in meaning in the following sentences:
o I will not buy a car from the Swindler Brothers because they give 0% financing.
o I will not buy a car from the Swindler Brothers until they give 0% financing.
o I will not buy a car from the Swindler Brothers even though they give 0%
financing.
 Adverb clauses they tell HOW, WHEN, WHY something happened.
Examples:
 As if he could read the other player’s mind, the guard stole the basketball on the pass.
(tells HOW the guard stole the ball)
 After the child fell from the boat, the Labrador leaped into the water. (tells WHEN the
Lab leaped into the water)
 Because they sold their house, my parents lived in a camper for 5 months until they
completed their new house. (tells WHY the parents lived in a camper)
Notice that some of the subordinating conjunctions in the table below — after, before, since —
are also prepositions, but as subordinators they are being used to introduce a clause and to
subordinate the clause that follows to the independent element in the sentence.
after
although
as
as if
as long as
as though
because
before
even if
even though
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
if
though
if only
till
in order that
unless
now that
until
once
when
rather than
whenever
since
where
so that
whereas
than
wherever
that
while
Sentence combination exercise:
Please use a subordinator from the chart above to combine the following sets of sentences. You
will have 10 complete sentences when you finish. Remember, if you start the sentence with a
subordinator, you must use a comma between the two clauses. If the subordinator appears in the
middle, you do not need a comma.
1. My brother ate turkey. Everyone else enjoyed the ham.
2. We watched the football games on television. We ordered pizza from Imo’s.
3. My sister knitted a sweater for her boyfriend. He did not give her anything for her birthday.
4. I will not eat at Diner’s Delite. My sister has an upset stomach.
5. We vacationed in Mexico. I bought blankets for all of my nieces and nephews.
6. The camper roof leaked. The rain ruined my mother’s clothes.
7. The 8th grade girls will play at the state championship. They beat the Eagles.
8. My sister hurried to finish her chores. She shrank my father’s good shirt.
9. The chef must thaw the turkey. He can stuff it with cornbread dressing.
10. I’ve celebrated my 16th birthday. I can drive my mom’s Cadillac.
Pattern 8: Close with an adverb clause.
Helpful Tools:
Color coded sentences
Flip books
Sentence combination exercises
This is just like pattern 7, but the clause will appear at the end of the sentence. These sentences
do not require a comma.
Examples:
 The guard stole the basketball on the pass as if he could read the other player’s mind.
(tells HOW the guard stole the ball)
 The Labrador leaped into the water after the child fell from the boat. (tells WHEN the
Lab leaped into the water)
 My parents lived in a camper for 5 months because they sold their house. (tells WHY the
parents lived in a camper)
Pattern 9: Use parallel structure in words
Helpful tools:
Noun banks
Information on parallel structure:
 The trick to this is to make sure that all of the words in the parallel structure are the same
type: all nouns or all verbs. The students might find it easiest to do all nouns. They can
also use adjectives in a series, but it usually creates a weak sentence.
 Some texts recommend that a comma should be used before the coordinating conjunction;
other texts recommend omitting the final comma.
 Coordinating conjunctions: so, and, but, or, nor, for, yet
Mom bought chips, soda, and pickles for the picnic. (nouns in a series)
Do you want chips, popcorn, or candy for your evening snack? (nouns in a series)
Did you travel to Aruba, Freeport, or the Cayman Islands on your cruise? (nouns in a series)
Mom bought, baked, and wrapped a frozen pie for the picnic. (verbs in a series)
Can your puppy beg, heel, or roll over? (verbs in a series)
The math teacher asked that we complete our work quickly, accurately, and thoroughly. (adverbs
in a series)
The math teacher asked that we complete our work quickly, accurately, and with careful
attention to detail. (not parallel because not all of the words in a series are adverbs)
Pattern 10: Parallel structure in phrases and clauses
Helpful Tools:
Sentence combination exercises
Information on parallel structure in phrases and clauses:
As in pattern 9, the items in the series must all be of the same type.
Examples:
My brother stomped his foot, screamed out loud, and was begging for a cookie. (not parallel
because not all verbs in the series are of the same form -- ending in ed – one uses was.
My brother stomped his foot, screamed out loud, and begged for a cookie. (parallel – all verbs
are of the same form)
Pattern 11: Open with an adjective
Helpful Tools:
Paper plate sentences that have adjectives on the tongue
Flip books that open with an adjective
Information on opening with an adjective:
 Adjectives tell WHAT KIND, WHICH ONE, HOW MANY -- the students will use WHAT
KIND almost exclusively for this pattern.
 The adjective will be set off with a comma
 Notice – normally students would write, The happy child clapped her hands. This pattern
pulls the adjective to the front of the word happy.
Examples:
Happy, the child clapped her hands. (What kind of child? a happy child)
Energetic, the racer crossed the finish line. (What kind of racer? an energetic racer)
Cold and hungry, the puppy hid under the porch. (What kind of puppy? a cold and hungry puppy
– a pair of adjectives)
Pattern 12: Open with an Adjective Phrase
Helpful Tools:
Paper plate sentences that have adjective phrases on the tongue
Flip books that open with an adjective phrase
Information on opening with an adjective:
 Adjectives tell WHAT KIND, WHICH ONE, HOW MANY -- the students will use WHAT
KIND most often for this pattern. The adjective phrases usually consist of an adjective
followed by a prepositional phrase that explains WHY; other structures are possible.
 Similes also work for this pattern: proud as a peacock, angry as a wet hen, grumpy as an old
bear, green with envy
 Often times students will use participles rather than adjectives. The participle works as an
adjective, so it can be used in this pattern. Since the participle is taught later, some people
feel that the students must use an adjective and not a participle.
Examples:
 Happy about the news, the students applauded. (What kind of students? happy students;
why are they happy – about the news.)
 Proud of his accomplishments, my son waved his diploma in the air. (What kind of son? a
proud son; Why – because of his accomplishments)
 Sick with worry, my sister asked her neighbor’s to please help find her kitten.
 Worried because of the hurricane, our landlord boarded up the windows of our condo.
(What kind of landlord? worried. Why is he worried? because of the hurricane – worried is
an example of a participle working like an adjective; most words ending in ED will be
participles – see pattern 15. Consider this – if students are using participles, have them use a
thesaurus to find a synonym – many of the synonyms will be adjectives.)
Pattern 13: Open with a present infinitive
Helpful Tools:
 Flip books that begin with a present infinitive
 Sentence combinations
 Paper plates with present infinitives on the tongue
 Infinitive phrase relay race:
o Students sit in rows to form a team.
o Give each row a piece of paper.
o Write the row number or team name on top of the paper.
o Students pass the paper up and down the row.
o Every time a student has the paper, he/she must write an infinitive phrase.
o No one is allowed to talk during the race.
o When you call time, everyone must stop writing.
o Read the infinitives to the students.
o Students must listen for repeats.
o Students must listen for phrases that are not present infinitives.
o Share the lists with students when they begin the writing block for this pattern.
Examples of present infinitives:
 To insure a safe trip, my dad purchased new tires for the car.
 To secure his position on the team, my brother began lifting weights.






To hold down costs, the studio filmed all three Lord of the Rings movies at the same time.
To cool down the coffee
To harness the energy
To prevent scratches on the lens
To launch the new CD
To announce her candidacy
Information about present infinitives:
 TO is considered the sign of the infinitive
 TO + a verb + a noun or a phrase, TELL WHO IS DOING THE ACTION
 Here’s the trick to constructing the pattern –
o Write the Infinitive phrase
o Put a comma
o The very next word must be a noun or a pronoun that the infinitive phrase describes
o The infinitive phrase must describe who is doing the action. If it doesn’t – it is a
dangling phrase and a poorly constructed sentence.
 To cool down the coffee, the ice melted quickly. (Does this make sense? To cool
down the coffee is dangling.)
 To cool down the coffee, my dad added ice cubes to it. (This tells who is trying to
cool down the coffee.)
 To prevent scratches on the lens, the botanist kept his binoculars in a leather case.
(tells who wants to prevent scratches)
 To prevent scratches on the lens, a leather case can keep binoculars safe. (The
leather case isn’t trying to prevent scratches – the infinitive phrase dangles.)
Pattern 14: Open with a present participle
Helpful tools:
 Paper plates with present participles on the tongue
 Flip books with present participles on the tongue
 Relay race for present participles (see pattern 13)
Information about present participles:
 Present participles end with ING and are often followed by a prepositional phrase.
 Present participles must be anchored to the noun they are describing.
Examples:
 Working as a team, the students created a Power Point presentation. (Working as a team is
anchored to students and describes the students.)
 Working as a team, the Power Point presentation earned points for the students. (Working as
a team is anchored to the Power Point and describes Power Point. This is a dangling
participle; the Power Point did not work as a team.)
 Looking for her next meal, the jaguar slinks along a path. (Looking for her next meal is
anchored to jaguar and describes the jaguar.)
 The jaguar slinks along the path, looking for her next meal. (Looking for her next meal is
now anchored to path and describes the path. This is a dangling participle.)


Searching for answers, the students surfed the Internet. (Searching for answers is anchored to
the students and describes the students.)
Searching for answers, the Internet provided the information the students needed. (Searching
for answers is anchored to the Internet and describes the Internet; this is a dangling
participle)
Pattern 15: Open with a Past Participle
Helpful Tools:
 Paper plate faces with a past participle on the tongue
 Flip books that open with a past participle
 Relay races for past participles (see pattern 13)
Information about past participles:
 Use the past participle form of a verb (Will end in “ed” if it is a regular verb)
 Add a prepositional phrase or a noun to the past participle form
 The opening past participle phrase must anchor to the noun it describes (see pattern 14)
 See pattern 12 about more information on participles working as adjectives.
Examples:
 Ignored by her classmates, the child sat quietly in her desk. (Ignored by her classmates
describes the child.
 Praised for his accomplishments, the child prodigy blushed. (Praised for his
accomplishments describes the child prodigy.)
 Shattered during the riot, the broken glass littered the street. (Shattered during the riot
describes the glass.)
 Blessed with good health, my grandmother celebrated her centennial birthday. (Blessed with
good health describes my grandmother.)
Pattern 16: Open with a perfect participle
Helpful Tools:
 Paper plate faces with a perfect participle on the tongue
 Flip books that open with a perfect participle
 Relay races for perfect participles (see pattern 13)
Information about past participles:
 Use the participle form of a verb and add having to make it perfect tense (Will end in “ed” if
it is a regular verb)
 Add a prepositional phrase or a noun to the perfect participle
 The perfect participle must anchor to the noun it describes (see pattern 14)
Examples:
 Having hoped for a new computer, my sister pouted when she opened the present to find a
new coat. (Having hoped for a new computer describes my sister.)


Having visited the Louvre, Aunt Betsy found Possum Junction’s Art Museum amusing.
(Having visited the Louver describes Aunt Betsy.)
Having lived in Paris for 20 years, our teacher spoke French fluently. (Having lived in Paris
for 20 years describes our teacher.)
Pattern 17: Restrictive adjective clause
Helpful Tools:
 Sentence combinations
 Flip books
Information on Restrictive adjective clauses:
 Adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: WHO or THAT (WHO is discouraged if
THAT will work)
 The restrictive clause usually follows a common noun; non-restrictive clauses often follow
proper nouns.
 The clause cannot be eliminated from the sentence because it gives vital information.
 Restrictive adjective clauses are not set off by commas.
 Adjective clauses can follow any noun; they do not have to follow the subject.
Examples:
The girls that failed the test could not play in the next soccer game.
The restrictive clause tells the reader exactly which girls cannot play.
Oprah bought a Corvette for each employee who had worked for her over ten years.
The restrictive clause tells exactly which employees received cars. If the restrictive clause is
removed, it becomes unclear which employees received the cars.
Sentence combination exercise:
Please combine the following sentences to include a restrictive adjective clause in each
sentence.
1. The boys could not play football. The boys lost their helmets.
2. The computers have broken screens. The computers fell off the delivery truck.
3. The volleyball team won a huge trophy. The trophy has their names carved on it.
4. My sister bought the sweater. The sweater has red and blue stripes splashed with white stars.
5. Grandpa bought a new CD. It has all of Frank Sinatra’s most famous hits.
Pattern 18: Use a non-restrictive adjective clause
Helpful Tools:
 Sentence combination exercise
 List of relative pronouns
Information about non-restrictive adjective clauses:
 Non-restrictive clauses begin with the relative pronouns: WHO, WHOSE, WHOM, WHICH,
THAT




Non-restrictive clauses often follow a proper noun
Non-restrictive clauses often follow a noun that names a unique person – (mom, dad)
The clauses are NOT NEEDED in the sentence – they just provide extra information.
These clauses must be set off by commas. I tell the students to think of the commas as little
handles that can be used to lift the clause and throw it away since the clause is not needed.
Examples:
 Mark McGwire, who set a home run record, now lives in California. (You can throw away
the clause and everyone still knows exactly who you are talking about.)
 Central High’s superintendent, who drives a PT Cruiser, purchases a new car every 5 years.
(Since Central High has only one superintendent, the adjective clause is not necessary. Set it
off with commas.)
 Starr Jones, who has a law degree, appears on The View.
Pattern 19: Compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction
Helpful Tools:
Sentence Combination Exercise
List of coordinating conjunctions
Information about compound sentences with a coordinating conjunction:
 Coordinating Conjunctions:
But
Or
Yet
So
For
And Nor
(Mnemonic device: BOYS FAN)
 These sentences are like a teeter totter, and one of the BOYS FAN words is the fulcrum. A
complete sentence sits on either side of the teeter totter. Add a comma to make the fulcrum
stronger.
Examples:
 The rain ruined the picnic, but the children enjoyed the lunch. (Complete sentence on both
sides of the conjunction so the comma is necessary.)
 Did you buy a Christmas present for the mailman, or did you bake cookies for him?
(Complete sentence on both sides of the conjunction so the comma is necessary.)
 Did you buy a Christmas present for the mailman or bake cookies? (The part following the
coordinating conjunction is not a complete sentence; no comma necessary.)
 The student failed her test and lost her science book. (The underlined part is not a complete
sentence so this is not a compound sentence and does not need a comma.)
Sentence combination exercise:
Please use a coordinating conjunction to create compound sentences. Remember to use a comma
in each sentence. You will have 5 complete sentences when you are finished.
1. My brother finds ancient languages fascinating. He studied Latin and Sanskrit in college.
2. Bilbo Baggins gave Frodo the sword Sting. Frodo carries the sword during his entire
journey.
3. The volleyball team won their Super Sectional. They lost the first game at the State
Tournament.
4. You can read Tolkien’s trilogy to learn the story of the Ring. You can watch 9 hours of
movies to learn the story.
5. Luxury cars need premium gasoline. My Taurus runs efficiently on regular gas.
Pattern 20: Compound with a semi-colon
Helpful Tools:
 Sentence combination
Information about compound sentences with a semi-colon:
 Use a semi-colon to join two sentences
 Be sure there is a complete sentence on both sides of the semi-colon
Examples:
 Tolkien designed a piece of clothing called a Jestvest; it enabled him to easily carry joke
books with him.
 James Arness played the role of Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke; Amanda Blake played the role of
Miss Kitty.
Sentence Pattern Exercise:
Please combine the following sets of sentences to create a compound sentence with a semi-colon.
1. The doctor performed a delicate surgery. The patient lived.
2. The teenagers played video games for three hours. The girls won the most games.
3. On Mondays Dad does laundry. On Tuesdays he bakes home-made bread.
Pattern 21: compound with a conjunctive adverb
Helpful Tools:
 Sentence combination exercise
 Color coded sentences using only the conjunctive adverbs
 List of conjunctive adverbs
COMMON CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
Moreover
Otherwise
Also
Furthermore
Therefore
Hence
Consequently
Else
However
Nevertheless
MATCH OF HEN -- a mnemonic device to help remember some conjunctive adverbs
Information on compound sentences with conjunctive adverbs:
 Put a semi colon at the end of the first sentence.
 Put a comma after the conjunctive adverb
Examples:
 Hemingway worked many years as a reporter for the war; hence, many of his stories have
powerful scenes of war zones.
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The studio made all three Lord of the Rings films at one time; nevertheless, it took three
years to release all of the films.
In Lord of the Rings people needed rubber ears and feet to look like Hobbits; consequently,
many actors spent hours in make-up prior to filming.
Sentence Combination Exercise:
Please combine the following sentences to create compound sentences with conjunctive adverbs.
1. The corpse of the dragon had seven heads. The phony specimen did not fool Peter Hogarth,
a dragon expert.
2. Tiamat, the first dragon, wanted to avenge the death of her husband. She battled Marduk.
3. Chinese folklore has many stories of dragons roaming their land. Elaborate embroidered
dragons decorate many kimonos.
4. The Komodo dragon lived in four tiny islands in Southeast Asia. No one knew about the
Komodo dragon when stories of dragons arose.
5. Many people credit St. George with slaying dragons in the 1300’s. He became the patron
saint of England.
Pattern 22: Compound with an elliptical expression.
Helpful Tools:
 examples
Information on elliptical expressions:
 This can be a difficult sentence to write, but it makes a powerful sentence.
 It is a compound sentence with repeated pieces of information (usually the verb) eliminated
from the second sentence.
Examples:
 Babylonians tell the story of the dragon Sirrush; Norwegians, the story of Midgard.
 Babylonians tell the story of the dragon Sirrush; Norwegians tell the story of Midgard.
 I ate a bowl of chili for supper; my sister, a salad.
 I ate a bowl of chili for supper; my sister ate a salad.
 Grandpa listens to rap music all day long; Grandma, to the blues.
 Grandpa listens to rap music all day long; Grandma listens to the blues.
Pattern 23: Parenthetical expression between subject and verb
Helpful Tools:
 examples
Information on parenthetical expressions:
 a parenthetical expression is a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb.
 Set the phrase off with commas – remember the commas are like handles that can be used to
throw away an unneeded phrase.
 Don’t confuse these with appositives – see Pattern 6. Appositives rename a noun;
parenthetical expressions are descriptive and provide additional information.
Examples:
 Gargoyles, inspired by pictures of dragons, decorate the corners of many buildings in St.
Louis.
 Peter Jackson, hoping to bring Tolkien’s work to the screen, worked hard to persuade a
Hollywood studio to finance his project.
 Magic squares, believed to bring luck to people, have a unique arrangement of nine numbers.
 Many scientists, fearing that anti-bacterial soaps kill harmless microbes, think people should
use regular soap instead.
Pattern 24: Parallel structure followed by a sentence
Information on parallel structure:
 These are fun once you get the hang
 Make sure a complete sentence follows the dash.
 Avoid using these are to begin the sentence after the dash.
Examples:
 Denali, Glacier, Yosemite – these are the parks my sister visited. (Boring)
 Denali, Glacier, Yosemite – my sister visited each of these national parks. (Better)
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The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King – these books make up
the Tolkien trilogy.
Carbondale, Edwardsville, Charleston – each of these Illinois towns has a state university.
Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train – my husband spends hours watching these three
westerns on television.