MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 6, Lesson 4
1
Focus of the lesson: revising sentences
1.
REVISING SENTENCES
To produce the rhythmic flow of language in your paper, you must avoid sentence
monotony (too many sentences with the same pattern or structure) and sentence
choppiness (short sentences that need to be combined), and you must use effective
transitions.

To avoid sentence monotony, vary the beginnings of your sentences.
ACTIVITY 6-4-1
Read the information that begins below to familiarize yourself with
methods of varying sentence beginnings. Then complete the practice that
follows.
Revising Sentences: Beginnings
The rule “All sentences shall have a subject and a verb” is one of the top ten
commandments of grammar. However, there is no rule that says all sentences have
to begin with a subject and a verb. Professional writers know that varying sentence
beginnings is one way to hold their audience’s attention.
The first sentence in each pair below begins with the subject. The second sentence
has been revised to vary the sentence beginning.
Mr. Jones cunningly plans his vengeance against Allen.
Cunningly, Mr. Jones plans his vengeance against Allen.
Allen is wearing a costume because it is the carnival season.
Because it is the carnival season, Allen is wearing a costume.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 6, Lesson 4
Methods of Varying Sentence Beginnings
USING SINGLE-WORD MODIFIERS
Eager, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room. [adjective first]
Excitedly, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room. [adverb first]
Deceived, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room. [participle first]
USING PHRASES
In good faith, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room. [prepositional phrase first]
Thinking of great riches, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room.
[participial phrase first]
To taste the great riches, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room.
[infinitive phrase first]
A true fool, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the back room. [appositive phrase first]
USING SUBORDINATE CLAUSES
Because he was proud of his wine expertise, Allen followed Mr. Jones to the
back room. [adverb clause]
Revising Sentences to Vary Sentence Beginnings
DIRECTIONS: Revise each of the following sentences according to the
directions in brackets. You will not need to add information to any of the
sentences; simply move, change, or delete words and change punctuation
where necessary.
1.
I ran into Mr. Jones in the city office building. [Begin with a prepositional
phrase.]
2.
I looked striking wearing my pin striped suit. [Begin with a participial
phrase.]
3.
I could tell he was glad to see me, because he shook my hand for almost a
minute. [Begin with an adverb clause.]
2
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 6, Lesson 4
3
4.
He told me a far-fetched story about finding some great riches. He was
talking breathlessly.
[Create one sentence beginning with a participial phrase.]
5.
I pretended, for a little while, that I was interested even though I felt sorry
for him. [Begin with an adverb clause.]
6.
I knew that he must have been swindled, because one simply can’t find great
riches these days. [Begin with an adverb clause.]
7.
“Go ask my friend Mr. Carter, if you need a real expert,” I told him at last.
[Begin quoted sentence with an adverb clause.]
8.
Mr. Jones, gesturing, pulled a map from under his jacket. [Begin the
sentence with a participle.]
9.
Mr. Jones, a man jealous of his family’s honor, carefully planned his revenge.
[Begin with an appositive phrase.]
10.
Mr. Jones heard the alarm in the building go off and tried to run before he
could be caught. [Begin with a participial phrase.]
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 6, Lesson 4

Use sentence combining to eliminate short, choppy sentences and to
enhance sentence variety.
ACTIVITY 6-4-2
Click the link below and complete Practice 1 and Practice 2 on
sentence combining.
Sentence Combining Practice

4
Transitions can help your paper to flow more smoothly and can
clarify the relationship between and among ideas, details, and
information in your paper.
ACTIVITY 6-4-3
Click the link below for practice with using transitions. After
reviewing the information, try the interactive game.
Transitional Words & Phrases
ACTIVITY 6-4-4
Now reread your paper and rewrite sentences that need to be
revised to increase the rhythm and flow of your paper or to better
indicate the relationship between one idea or detail and another.