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Thursday, September 18, 2014
Reflection Blog Task--due October 9
What three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences do you like the most? Why? How are you working to enhance your sentence styling? Write 300+ words using examples.
11.Styling sentences, dependent or independent, may be a difficult topic to grasp and may seem forced. Once I started to read The Art of Styling Sentences, written by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker, I began to understand the varieties of sentence structures that are used to spice up writings. I used to receive comments on my written work all the time about sentence variety. I never knew what the teacher was talking about. I simply thought that they meant I was starting my sentence with the same word too often. Therefore, I would vary the first word of each sentence throughout my essay. Now, I understand. 19a.What caused this change? By reading this, I have found clarity. Not only do I understand, but I can now incorporate these sentence structures in my own works to enhance my writing quality.
Some of my favorite sentence structures featured in The Art of Styling Sentences included using a short question for dramatic effect. I actually used this structure a few times throughout my causal essay.
Examples from my causal essay:
Does heredity really affect our weight? They are exciting right?
I also really like the sentence structure known as the antimetabole. I enjoy this kind of sentence because it really gives the reader some time to think. I did not use this type of sentence in my essay, but I plan to make use of it sometime--whether it be in an essay, worksheet, or presentation.
Examples of antimetaboles:
When the tough gets going, the going gets tough. We eat to live, not live to eat.
The third sentence structure I really appreciate is the negative-positive sequence. I like this because a lot of people are very negative towards writing, therefore seem to write negatively. This structure will allow those who write negatively to write with a hint of a positive note. I also did not incorporate this structure into my writing, but I plan on it eventually.
Examples of negative-positive sequence” An adult does not have to agree with the government, but she must believe in them. A human does not have to love their food, but he must eat to survive.
In my opening pargraph, I labeled a few sentences because I used some other sentence structures that I did not define. The numbers correspond with the numbers on the document titled, The Art of Styling Sentences--Grade Enhancer! I plan on following this grade enhancing document to improve not only my writing, but my grade throughout the year.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are, hypophora, introductory series of appositives, and full sentence as an interrupting modifier.
First, a hypophora is a figure of speech in which the writer asks a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question. One might relate a rhetorical question to a hypophora but that is not correct. A rhetorical question the answer is not provided since it does not require an answer. However, in a hypophora, the writer first poses a question and then answers that question immediately. This type of writing technique helps capture the attention of the audience. Raising a question the reader might have and then answering it helps the reader understand what the writer is trying to get across. I like using this writing technique because I like raising questions in my writing. Sometimes I leave the question just as a rhetorical question therefore I am going to try to work on answering the question to make it a hypophora. This is a great technique to use because it does not leave the reader wondering or confused. The writer is telling the reader about the subject of his/her essay. With that being said, this method helps the reader never to be in question of something. Example: Why do people go on vacations? To get away from reality and enjoy time with their family.
Secondly, an introductory series of appositives is when the sentence starts of with a cluster of appositives. Make sure the appositives relate to each other. After the appositive comes a dash, followed by a summarizing word. This writing technique becomes effective in your writing when you want to squeeze a lot of information into the same sentence. I was able to use this writing style in my casual essay (example below). I like this writing technique because it helps change how you start of your sentences as well—gives variety. I am working on using this technique more to enhance my sentence style. The reader will be more interested in my writing if I have sentence variety and it adds maturity to my writing style. Examples: It is a religion thing, a Black thing, a culture thing, a South thing, a poverty thing—possible Adrian Peterson’s defenses. The trees on the shore, the water on the lake, the blue sky above – all told their story.
Lastly, full sentences can be embedded between dashes as effective modifiers which is called a full sentence as an interrupting modifier. Use dashes to indicate the interruption is important and parentheses to say it is not important. The interrupting modifier is usually placed between the subject and verb of the sentence. It provides additional information to a sentence, therefore gives it more detail. I used this technique in the casual essay to describe Adrian Peterson (example below). I like this writing technique because it describes the subject more in depth. In my sentence example my interrupting modifier is a full sentence placed between the subject and verb providing more information and giving detail. This enhances the style of the sentence, which is what I am working on to do in my essays. Example: Adrian—he is a man used to violence and rugged behavior—subconsciously yearned/needed to be in control and he thought physical violence was his only option. All of these strategies are just a few writing techniques I can use to improve my writing. I am going to continue to look at the art of styling sentences document to modify my writing style. This will be able to help my writing and my grade in the class.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very helpful and informative book. After reading through the book, I found the three strategies that I like the most. I will try to incorporate these, along with all of the other strategies, into my writing to help further enhance my writing skills.
My favorite strategy was The Negative-Positive Sequence. This tool helps give added emphasis to the second half of the sentence while still acknowledging the argument. This is a way of adding clarity to the "problem" presented during the negative positive sequence. I had an example of a negative-positive sequence in my causal essay.
Fast food may be greasy and fattening, but the food is piquant and convenient to most individuals.
The second strategy I really enjoy from the Art of Styling Sentences is the Antimetabole. For one, the word is really fun to say. From a writers perspective, these are statements that really make the reader, and even the writer think about the words and take them to heart. Antimetaboles, depending on where they are used and the topic at hand, can also add dramatic effect to an essay. I did not use an antimetabole in my essay. However, it is a fantastic writing technique that I will surely try to incorporate into a future essay. Here are some examples of antimetaboles:
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.-John F. Kennedy.
My third favorite writing technique is the short, simple sentence used for relief or dramatic effect. These surely adds suspense and drama to an essay, and it would be a great way to end an essay, as it reminds me of a cliffhanger. This sentence can also be used to force the reader to think and digest the words written. Here is an example of a short sentence for dramatic effect used in my essay:
Fast food restaurants are hectic places.
In my essays, I am working on adding lots of variety to my sentences. I am trying to use less commas in my sentences, and I am still trying to mix up my sentences between simple, compound, etc. After reading the Art of Styling Sentences, I will be trying to incorporate all of these techniques into my future essays. Using these techniques will help better my enhancement of my writing as the author, and it will add fluidity and suspense to my writing for readers.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are: Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb, The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and lastly the figurative sentence(metaphor).
First of them all is the introductory prep phrase before the subject and verb. This sentence starts with a prepositional phrase and ends with an inverted subject. I enjoy this type of sentence because it provides your writing with a variety. It more or less keeps your essays and paragraphs from sounding too redundant. Prepositional phrases also come very easily to me; we learned sang a sound about them in seventh grade and it has just stuck from then. An example of this from my term tuesday is: Up the snowy mountain climbed the powerful Elsa. In most cases people would just say “ the powerful Elsa climbed up the snowy mountain”; this sounds fine but is easily overdone a lot in essays.
Secondly is the short, simple sentences. This is a sentence that consists of only one independent clause which consists of a subject and verb; they can be filled with phrases. They are very easy to write and can cause a dramatic effect in your essay. Opposite from the dramatic effect they can also add relief. Despite simple sentences being easy to write, you must be careful that you do not use too many and make your paragraph sound choppy. They are one of my favorites due to their simple but complex side. They are easy to write but cannot be taken lightly! An example of this would be: I love puppies.
Lastly is the figurative sentences(metaphor). This sentence is basically a simile though it is lacking “like or as”. A metaphor implies a comparison between two things: one being a real thing or object, the other is imaginary. These types of sentences help add a visual image for the reader and keeps things interesting; this is why they are one of my favorites. Figurative sentences not only help keep readers involved or on the same page, but also can add some humor to your writing. An example of this type of sentence is: He is an emotional roller-coaster.
I am personally trying to better advance my writing by mixing up the sentences in my essays. I have learned that sticking to the simple, compound, complex sentences can get boring and redundant; by adding a intro prep phrase with an inverted subject is completely different and adds variety. I have learned a lot of new writing techniques this year and have started applying them to my essays. Having to add certain things to my essays from the 101 final exam study list has also guided me this way. After reading The Art of Styling Sentences has also given me some more ideas to add to my writing style.
The three strategies that I find most interesting are, emphatic appositive at the end after a colon, absolute construction, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis.
First, emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon. If the writer is trying to get the attention of the reader this is a technique they will more than likely use. This strategy makes the sentences more interesting and not plain; making it more fun for the reader to read. You can use this tool to put nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses at the end of a sentence instead of stating those at the beginning. When you put the appositive at the beginning of the sentence it is still interesting, but when you put it after a colon it makes you seem like a more intelligent person and writer; also it makes the reader more interested. This is one of my favorite strategies because it is easy and fun to put into an essay. Example: Substances have the ability to lead to rape and can be a way for justification: drugs and alcohol
Secondly, a sentence with absolute construction. This sentence structure needs a noun plus a participle. It has to have no grammatical connection to the sentence, the only connection it can have is that it modifies the sentence, not just a word. Also it can be used to explain a cause or condition or provide detail. This technique is also a fun one to use because it adds more ‘spunk’ to the sentence. Why write a boring sentence with the same words when you switch up the words a little and add a comma; just like that you catch the readers attention and they will be more interested in your essay. I also like this one a lot because you can make a boring sentence a fun one with much ease. Example: Alluding to rape, music impacts society greatly.
Lastly, a single modifier out of place for emphasis. This technique is used with adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases. They have their own positions in a sentence and that is to be near the word they modify. I find that boring, but if you move them around a little but it makes it more fun to read and adds a nice style to the writing. Its really easy to just say ‘‘my mom was very upset and yelled at me,’’ but that is just boring. It is more interesting to say ex.“upset, my mom yelled at me.” Thinking outside the normal writing style is somewhat difficult, but when the writer uses techniques like this it is difficult but it ends up being success because the reader enjoys reading the essay. This technique is also a good one because it can take a plain sentence and make it an interesting one that is not boring.
Using these techniques will bring my essays to the college level. It is very hard for me to incorporate these into my essay because i have been so use to just having the ordinary sentences. It pushes me a lot but it makes me a better writer and I really enjoy writing! I will continue to incorporate more sentence structures like these into my essay to make the better and more fun to read.
These tips on enhancing my writing will help me immensely in the essays to come. It is difficult to choose only three enhancers, but my favorite techniques used in styling sentences are: a variation: a single appositive or a pair, paired construction, and hypophora. I chose these because I know I use them in my essays and I know how powerful they make your sentences sound. Not only do I use these, but also I want to use the other tips to strengthen my sentences. I strive to be non-redundant in my essays and knowing these tips and how to apply them to my essay will just make my writing that much stronger.
First I chose variation: a single appositive or a pair. I use appositives all the time in my essays, not to be redundant but to emphasize. Appositives obviously rename a noun in a sentence, but these appositives are focusing on the punctuation, rather than the renaming/rewording of the noun. The punctuation in these appositives is vital to the integrity of the sentence. If there is a “dashed off” appositive, the rewording is stressed greatly. One would not use the dashed off appositive unless they really wanted to explain what they want to get across. It is almost a break in the sentence to emphasize. The next type is the “parentheses” appositive. This type is like a “whisper” to your reader about your noun. It is rewording it almost like an aside in a play. The final type is the most common, which is the comma appositive. This rewording is not as noticeable as the other appositives and can be taken out without losing too much information. Example from my causal essay: As long as they are in a safe environment--not driving--drinking is ok.
The next sentence enhancer I like is the paired construction. Sometimes I use paired construction in my writing to add a little more flare. Knowing the right time to use it is half the battle. One has to have parallel structure, which is the same tense of the verbs. One can use: not only,... but also, the more… the less, and just as… so too. The words after these paired constructions are easily remembered because of their placement. I try to have my words appear powerful in my essays. Example from my Comparison-Contrast essay: Not only is there a need for quality coaches, but also there has to be effectual, and avid leaders on the field and court; these are the captains.
The final sentence enhancer I appreciate is the hypophora. A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he/she answers in the successive sentences. The question raised is a question that the reader might be thinking about. The writer has to answer it as to not confuse the reader or to just make himself more clear. I love these because it is a simple and easy way to explain yourself or your thoughts. Make sure not to confuse this with a hypothetical question (a question which the writer does not answer). The writer answers the question. An example of this is in my causal essay: What is the purpose of drinking underage? Some say it numbs the pain or makes them forget everything, or for some to socialize; however, the three main reasons, scholars say, are heredity/family, advertising/availability, and peer pressure.
My most favorite method from The Art of Styling Sentences is using a semi-colon to form a compound sentence. I enjoy using that formula because it creates a smooth flow to the wording of an essay without causing a full-stop, like the use of a period would, or adding extra unneeded verbiage, the way adding a conjunction would. Semi-colons are fairly easy to use and enhance the quality of anyone’s writing. For example, instead of writing, “In the Burch family, nearly everyone savors chicken and wild rice soup, a family recipe passed down by Grandma Mary. However, Luke is the one exception, disliking the texture,” you could pen, “In the Burch family, nearly everyone savors chicken and wild rice soup, a family recipe passed down by Grandma Mary; Luke is the one exception, disliking the texture.” Though not a hugely noticeable difference, a stronger sense of connection does exist.
Another formula for styling sentences that I am fond of is adding an internal series of appositives or modifiers. They keep sentences spicy because they are usually unexpected. Creating little blurbbles (I know that isn’t an official word, but I like to use it. It means the same thing as snippets...) of description in the middle of a sentence adds interest. For example, instead of writing, “A car raced down the road,” one could pen, “A car--cobalt blue, engine revving--raced down the road.” It is so much more interesting!
The third method from The Art of Styling Sentences that I favor is putting a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb. We are masters of churning out prepositional phrases in essays; it only takes a miniscule amount of more effort to switch up the order in your sentences. I like moving the prep phrase to the beginning of the sentence occasionally because it is very simple to do and it creates something a little unexpected. For example, instead of writing, “My dog Max slept in the sun on the porch,” you could pen, “In the sun on the porch, my dog Max slept.”
I am working on being more aware when writing; I think the words and flow will become more interesting with some focus. It is very easy to just write and not put much thought into what you are doing, but really composing a piece of work requires more conscious effort.
The three strategies—using a compound sentence with elliptical construction, using a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and using absolute construction—are my favorite from The Art of Styling Sentences. Considering that these are all more complex sentence structures, they have an appeal to me; I think that these strategies show a higher level of compositional skill, and they certainly provide enhancement to any writing. In order to better my sentence styling, I try to use a wide variety of the examples given in The Art of Styling Sentences. Each sentence in my essay is now more than just a quick thought written down in haste, it is a well-thought-out piece of art, carefully constructed with the purpose of providing my reader with a diverse reading experience. Additionally, I re-read my essay thoroughly to ascertain that I have not overused any one type of sentence formation. “Depression--a problem that many teenagers are dealing with--can leave teens feeling plaintive, alone, and worthless,” is an example from my causal essay where I carefully constructed a sentence using an interrupting modifier. I used this to replace “Depression is a problem that many teenagers are dealing with, and it can leave them feeling plaintive, alone, and worthless.” The following is a sentence also from my causal essay that I used a combination of two strategies (compound sentence with elliptical construction and absolute construction) to construct: “All contributors considered, depression sometimes has no trigger at all; a teen may just feel exceptionally down and unhappy.” Utilizing differing strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences (and a combination of the strategies within a singular sentence) along with deliberate sentence construction is enhancing my sentence styling. Hopefully, as I continue to grow as a writer, I will be able to put these strategies to use within my essays skillfully and with ease.
Sentence structure is an essential part in the composition of all types of writing. From formal to casual, effective sentence variety is key to develop a credible and thorough analysis of a specific topic. In order to develop this valued credibility, one must branch out from the simple sentences of days past, and veer into unknown territory full of odd phrases and techniques. No more entire works of “I have a dog” type sentences, let us get creative and possibly even, oh yes, funky. The Art of Styling Sentences is a great resource that can help anyone learn improve their writing style. With a little practice and perseverance (and luck), you too could be the next Shakespeare! I am working to enhance my writing style to successfully express my own opinions and thoughts. I want to efficiently convey ideas and understand the English language completely. This could help me socialize and succeed in other aspects of day to day life.
The first sentence strategy that I like is a series without the usual conjunction. This type of sentence pairs similar items together, simply without the use of a conjunction, such as: and, but, for, yet, etc. I like this type because it feels more personal and less restricted. The writing appears to flow better and is less restricted by unnecessary words. An example of this sentence strategy is as follows, “The man was ecstatic, overjoyed, excited.”
The next sentence strategy that I find appealing is the repetition of a key term. This strategy includes repeating a word multiple times throughout the sentence. By repeating this certain word, emphasis is drawn to a single point and the reader is able to focus on one point. I like this technique because it adds dramatic effect and also creates credibility in the author. He/She seems to know what they are doing if a sentence of this variety is utilized. For example, “The man encountered a range of feelings, feelings of empowerment and drive, feelings of doubt and uncertainty.”
The final sentence strategy that I enjoy is the complete inversion of the normal sentence pattern. This strategy moves about all the components of a sentence, basically flipping the sentence around. The direct object or predicate noun materialize first, with the verb and noun following shortly thereafter. I like this type of sentence because it takes the reader off guard and forces him to focus. This type of sentence draws attention and renders the reader intertwined in the words. This type of sentence in use could appear like this, “No stranger to emotions is the man.”
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I find the most intriguing are: The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, a short question for dramatic effect, and the figurative sentence (simile).
The short simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect is one of my favorites because it provides transition and drama to the short little sentence. It also is very easy to write. The sentence is made up of one independent clause which includes a verb and a subject. Be careful of using too many of these though, because you can sound choppy, and people will more than likely not understand what you are trying to get across to them with your writing. Just keep these to a minimum. Only use them when you are really trying to add a dramatic effect into your writing. An example would be: She was angry.
The next one is a short question for dramatic effect. I like this one because it can get your reader thinking about what you are talking about. These questions are dramatic, so they can be somewhat on the extreme side. They can be offensive questions, and they can be questions that could bring tears to people's eyes. You can add a tone of voice to these questions too. By asking a short question, you can get the readers minds going, and you can get them to be more interested in what you are trying to say. I had a few of these in my causal essay. Those questions were used to try to get people to think about the reasons why an event happens. An example would be: Why would you say that?
The last one I found interesting was the figurative sentence (simile). These types of sentences can produce a powerful image in the readers minds and can keep them interested. Comparing an idea with something that can be picturable can produce creative, and imaginable images. It is like a metaphor, but instead you must use either like or as in your sentence to make it into a simile. An example would be: A storm without thunder or lightning is as boring as a monotone teacher.
I am working hard to try to show variety in my sentences by using different types of styles and still trying to make the writing flow at the same time. The Art of Styling Sentences helped me so much. It gave me so many new ideas with all of the techniques it showed and I will be incorporating a few of these into my future essays and writings. By using these techniques, it will show great variety in my writings, it will improve my writing skills, and it will make it so much more exciting to read.
From The Art of Styling Sentences, the strategies that I used the most are number eight--using dependent clauses in a pair or series, number eleven--using an interrupting modifier between a subject and a verb, and number sixteen/sixteen a--using paired constructions to compare and contrast things or concepts.
I like to use dependent clauses in a pair or series, because it allows to the writer to transmit preliminary, necessary, and descriptive information in an engaging and different way. Instead of wasting time and energy constantly and concretely defining what the subject is or does, you can address the broader point by highlighting what effect the subject’s context has on the larger concept. Because dependent clauses are incomplete thoughts, provide order variation, and cause the reader to yearn for understanding of the significance of clause, the sentences become more interesting to read. Since everyone hankers for comprehension of ideas, concepts, thoughts, and actions, dependent clauses are a great way to maintain a captively intrigued audience while adding emphasis to your words. An example of this strategy being strategized is present in my causal essay when I say:
Because members of the LGBT community tend to challenge or blatantly defy the traditional definitions of male and female, some heterosexual citizens feel confused and quickly take a threatened stance. (“Motives of Homophobia: Religious and Societal” Brendan Gayken)
I believe that this passage gives necessary and engaging background information that is important to understand before you can begin to comprehend the larger, and frankly malicious, concept at work.
I also enjoy using interrupting modifiers between subject and verb pairs, because I think that they can add fascinating and even essential subject matter to a sentence that was otherwise dull and bland. Interrupting modifiers can also add much needed emphasis to a passage that is intended to communicate your main point. An example of this strategy being utilized is apparent once again in my causal essay when I am concentrating on Biblical interpretation of the Sodom and Gomorrah story by asserting that, “These acts, much like any incidence of sexual abuse, were deliberately performed in order to instill a sense of dominance, control, and fear over their victims.” This interrupting modifier was manipulated so that it added importance to the intents of sexual violence.
Using paired constructions to compare and contrast is always a great way to convey a point. Paired constructions can also provide a point of reference for comparison of two ideas, concepts, thoughts, and/or actions. An example of paired construction usage is existent again in my causal essay when I address the enforcement of Old Testament laws by saying, “Because the Old Testament is a place where rules, regulations, and laws reign not only intrinsic, but also supremely necessary, some modern-day religious adherents attempt to implement these laws accordingly.” This usage of paired constructions does an efficient job of conveying emphasis to the importance of Old Testament rules laws and regulations.
I will work harder in the upcoming expansion essay to apply these, along with many other Art of Styling Sentences strategies, to strengthen and evolve my writing style.
I am partial to many different sentence tactics, but my current favorite types are: compound sentences with explanatory statements; sentences with emphatic appositives at the end, after a colon; and antimetaboles. Compound sentences with explanatory statements use a independent clause after a colon to clarify the previous independent clause. My example: Robert really liked running: it made him feel alive. In this case, “it made him feel alive” tells why Robert liked running. These sentences are useful, as they are an easy way to explain something without using cumbersome words like because. Sentences with an emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon, are used when renaming something. The use of the colon helps show how important the appositive is. My example: People who are currently on fire need to remember three things: stop, drop, and roll. Here, “stop, drop, and roll” are renaming the three things. The use of the colon helps show how much more important “stop, drop, and roll” are compared to the word things. These sentences are well suited to make simple appositives powerful, and are useful when trying to make a point. Antimetaboles, which are, disappointingly, not like the Rose Bowl at all, are when a sentence composed of two parts is repeated, with the two parts flipped, for emphasis. My example: We must end poverty, or poverty will end us. To explain this better, lets assign the phrase “we must end” the letter A, and assign the word “poverty” the letter B. The sentence has a form of AB conjunction BA. These sentences are useful for putting emphasis on a subject, which, in this example, is poverty. I am working to enhance my sentences actively, as I know that the only way to write proficiently is through the use of different sentence types, of varying lengths and complexity. With these sentence types, I can achieve excellence.
Sentence variety is highly important when attempting to write at a high level. Verdant writers, such as students in elementary school, use the same sentence structure to relay their thoughts to the reader. Skilled and well-trained, more experienced writers can entice their audience with a variety of practices. Marie. L Waddell describes a few of these strategies to elevate any composition to the next level. I enjoyed three of these ideas more than others: deliberate fragments, short sentence for dramatic effect, a single modifier out of place intentionally. If I can hone these sentence structures, my writing will be superior. First, deliberate fragments can be very useful. We are taught to use complete sentences the day we learn to write. While deliberate fragments are not really grammatically correct, they are acceptable to use in one’s writing to create a desired effect. For example-- I dropped my phone off the cruise ship. So much for that.-- “So much for that” is not a complete sentence, but it relays to the reader that the owner of the phone is angry, or does not care. I want to use fragments more often, to put more entertainment or emotion into my writing. Second, short sentences used for dramatic effect can be overwhelmingly effect to give more flavor to an essay. After a long sentence that may be giving the reader a lot of information or a lot to think about, a nice short sentence is a great way to summarize this. For example-- Playing by the stream, shooting hoops at the park, and reading before bedtime were my favorite pastimes as a child. But those days are gone.-- The second sentence relates to the longer sentence before, but definitely segues into the next thought the writer would like to put forth. I am trying hard not to use so many commas and long sentences, mixing in shorter sentences to create an effect. Third, a single modifier out of place intentionally can be a good tactic to make the reader think about your writing deeply. Instead of presenting a noun or subject then describing it, placing a modifier before the word it describes can make any composition more exciting and less boring. Let us check out an example. Sentence one: The grape was withering. Sentence two: Withering, the grape was on the verge of lifelessness. Yes I added a few words to sentence two, but beginning a sentence with a modifier opens many doors to add other enhancing words. I really enjoy giving vivid descriptions, so if I can do that all the while switching my sentence structures, right on!
The three strategies I like the best are, absolute constructions, appositives, and short questions. I like these three because they all make my writing sound more intelligent and more advanced. Absolute constructions are great because they sound very educated and can give great detail in a way we are not used to. Absolute constructions are fairly easy to use and enjoyable because they break up my writing. Another reason I like them is because they can leave the reader deep in thought because they do not have to have any grammatical connection to the rest of the sentence. If written properly the writer can leave the reader deep in thought and make their writing more memorable and mind boggling. Appositives are a great way to define something further without hurting your sentence. It can also explain the subject in a sentence using the correct punctuation. Commas are very ordinary but to spice it up it is fun to use dashes and parentheses in the right context. Short questions can be used for dramatic effect. They can help explain your side of an argument and explain how you feel about a particular topic. A question can be used as a point in order to persuade the reader. By leaving the reader to answer the question you furthermore interested the reader in your topic and they are more apt to finish the writing. Short questions however, can be overused and must be used in context. But, when used right they are very important and can make writing so much better. To advance my writing style I am starting to use different types of sentences and look at the “The Art of Styling Sentences” document more. I think that it is working and my writing is becoming more interesting because of the way I am writing. I hope to become fluent in many of these writing forms so that I can carry on my skills in college and further advance myself as an intellectually advanced writer.
Absolute Construction- Their mouths stuffed, fans are ready for their favorite team’s game. This absolute construction uses the their mouths stuffed as a reference to food, my paragraphs theme, and starts the sentence about the fans.
Appositive- Possibly the worlds greatest sport, football is a modern sport that has asserted itself as America’s best for the thirtieth year in a row. This example is an introductory appositive explaining football.
Short Question- Did someone just get murdered? Are they hurt? What if they are firing at me? These questions are in my classification essay about hunters explaining what people that are not used to guns may think if they hear gunshots. It gives a connection to the readers who think this.
1. Probably my favorite sentence structure from The Art of Styling Sentences is the use of the semicolon to conjoin two separate independent clauses. It eliminates unneeded words, a full-stop, or transitions between two closely related ideas. For instance, you could write this:
“I think my cat is plotting to kill me in my sleep. When I awake at night, I see him lying on the hardwood floors staring in my direction with a loathsome face.”
With the aid of a semicolon, the sentence can flow easier. Let’s take a look at the new version:
“I think my cat is plotting to kill me in my sleep; I seem him lying on the hardwood floors staring in my direction with a loathsome face.”
This connects the two ideas together thus helping to show the reader the connection between the two ideas.
2. My next favorite is the repetition of a key term (particularly the same word repeated in parallel structure). I like this method because it links distinct ideas together. When trying to prove a point, repetition is the way to go. It inculcates the key term into the reader’s mind.
“My cat tried to claw my face, claw my arm, and claw my neck all before I had my morning coffee; it’s going to be a bad day.”
The usage of “claw my [body part]” is a parallel structure that is repeated three times in the list. It stands out as you read it because it emphasises that “clawing” is involved, not the body parts.
3. My third favorite sentence structure from The Art of Styling Sentences is a single modifier out of place for emphasis. It adds interesting phrasing to your writing. You may write:
“Greg was anxious. Greg knew his cat would kill him.”
However, with the aid of a single modifier out of place for emphasis, it could read:
“Anxious, Greg knew his cat would kill him”
This flows much nicer and adds more detail that would otherwise require extra and unneeded verbiage.
I enjoy three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences: absolute construction, introductory participial phrase, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis. I like absolute construction because it is the one type of sentence I have trouble understanding and adding to my work. Though, when I have been able to make a sentence sound fluent, I feel as if it is the best flowing sentence in my writing. When people use this type of sentence, it improves their work and I am impressed. I am trying to add to add this type of sentence to my work, though I plan to add more than just the required 3 in my next essay because it is so fluent. I also enjoy using introductory participial phrases to start my sentences like using gerunds. They allow for fluent transitions between topics within a paragraph or between two paragraphs. Though I do use these fairly often in my writing and possibly too often so I will avoid using them more than I already do. The final strategy from The Art of Styling Sentences that I appreciate is a single modifier out of place for emphasis. I use this as often as possible because this allows added description or a break in the writing to describe or explain a piece of information that may or may not be as important as the rest of the sentence. I also like how I can use this type of sentence while still varying it through using parenthesis one sentence and dashes the next for more important information. I already try and add these to my sentences, but I will try and add them more instead of directly explaining a phenomenon in my papers to come.
In the Art of Styling Sentences, the three strategies I like the most are the hypophora, the antimetabole, and the use of prepositional phrases to start sentences. These all help mix up your writing, in turn, making it overall better.
First, the hypophora, a questioned raised by the writer and later answered, is a unique technique used in writing to make the reader stop and think. When I, personally, use these I try and place them at a spot where I believe my reader will have time to think about it. That means they are located in the introductory paragraph and somewhat hook the reader and encourage them to further read my essay. Hopefully the question hits home with the reader over something they enjoy personally and urges them to finish the essay to see what the answer to the question may be. Then, they can place their own opinion against what I have written and compare them. For example, “Why boys love football?” Well, it is a contact sport where hitting someone as hard as possible is acceptable. This generates adrenaline and boys love adrenaline. Etc. I use these in my essays to enhance variety of sentences.
Secondly, the use of antimetaboles. These are when you present two elements and then reverse them. For example, When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. In this, the going (whatever may be in front of the person or athlete) and the tough (hard times) are stated and then restated in reverse switching up their meanings. In the reverse form the tough become the people and the going becomes a verb saying they begin to take action. The use of antimetaboles enhance writing in the sense that they give dramatic meaning to the sentence. The reader anticipates the writing to become very interesting and meaningful if placed in the right spot. I used the example above in my writing but switched a few words to fit my writing scheme better. I would like to use more though.
Lastly, prepositional phrase help enhance writing styles when used at the beginning of the sentence. Not only are they easy to use (thanks to our 7th grade song), but they are a great way to mix up sentence style. You can even go farther with this and place the subject at the end of the sentence. There are so many prepositions that they become used in almost every writing. Placing them in the correct spot is key. An example is Up the wall climbed the monkey. I use prepositions all the time in my writing, but I need to be more conscious of where I place them.
I hope to better my writing after reading The Art of Styling. I need to work on different sentence styles like simple, compound, complex and compound-complex and also on incorporating these techniques above into my writing. I do not want to be redundant in my writing and only use one sentence type. I will continue to pursue more efficient writing by using more techniques written in the book.
Sentence structure is an important part of writing. The three strategies that I find interesting from The Art of Styling Sentences are the interrupting modifier between subject and verb, prepositional phrases before the subject and verb, and the hypophora. Using these different types of strategies will make my writing more professional.
A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he or she actually answers later on in the paper. I find the hypophora interesting because it makes the reader more interested. These questions can hint at what is to come in the essay and will encourage the reader to know more about it. Why is money so important to our society? This is a question I asked my reader to think about in my last essay. Later in my essay I answered this question with great detail and made the reader interested. Utilizing this tool may encourage the reader to be more interested in your topic.
The next thing that interested me was the prepositional phrase before a subject or verb. I believe that in my previous essays I did not do this. I feel like this is essential because it gives the paper a variety of sentence structure. Nobody wants to read sentences that do not change form or structure. I think that adding a prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence makes the reader more interested. Doing this strategy can make the paper flow better as well.
The last strategy that interests me is the interrupting modifier. An interrupting modifier can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs,or a phrase. The main goal of this is to give the reader better insight on a particular thing. Interrupting modifiers give the sentence more detail that the reader might want to know. Interrupting modifiers are not required, but the reader would benefit from knowing more information about the subject.
I like using internal modifiers and appositives. I enjoy them because they break up the sentence, keeping the writing style from becoming too boring. It’s a great way to add additional information without trying to transition to it in another sentence. It also adds sentence variety to the work as a whole, which is always a good thing. I don’t believe I have ever purposefully used one of these in a piece of writing before, and vow to begin. Some of my essays--womanhood, classification, and causal--include great sentence variety, while others do not. Using a dependent clause in a pair or a series is something I have not seen used very often. When done correctly, I find these interesting. Again, more information can be added cohesively, and it is a great way to add variety. I have not seen many, if any, examples of this in formal writing, which is disappointing. While this may be too difficult for some writers, I encourage my fellow students to attempt them. Although they seem very complicated, although one might worry if they possess the necessary skill, all should try this technique. If you are worried, if you are nervous, if you get the slightest anxiety thinking about trying this, read through The Art of Styling Sentences once more. Absolute construction is my final favorite sentence style. Absolute construction consists of a noun or pronoun and a participial phrase. I prefer to use these at the beginning of the sentence. Fingers skittering across the keyboard, I write an absolute construction as an example. Mind racing, I think of other ways to use these. Eyes flicking to the clock and back, I rush to finish this blog task in time. If I don’t finish, if the blog task is not complete in time, my grade will surely plummet. My heart thumping with anxiety, I struggle to reach three hundred words. Now, since I have used all the examples--internal modifiers, pairs of dependent clauses, absolute constructions--and have reached three hundred words, I can relax.
The three strategies I like the most out of The Art of Styling Sentences are the interrupting modifier, the short simple sentence, and absolute construction. I enjoy these three structures the most because all three of them add their own flair to the paragraph or sentence. The interrupting modifier is my favorite of the three because it separates the subject and the verb in a way that allows the reader to learn more or glean more information from the sentence. The interrupting modifier breaks up the sentence in an enjoyable manner. I think it is very important to not use an excess amount of interrupting modifiers. They are interesting, however, they could get old after being used too often. The short simple sentences are also fairly interesting because they can be difficult to use in a way that does not break up the flow of the essay or paragraph. Many people try to create sentences that are tedious and get across as much information as possible. Short simple sentences could be used to create a sense of change. However, once again, if the short, simple sentences are used in excess it could weaken the essay a fair amount. If people use the short, simple sentences effectively I think the essay could gain relief or dramatic effect that highlights something that previously happened, or will happen. It could also emphasize an action that is currently happening. They could definitely give the essay a choppy feeling that could annoy the reader as well. The absolute construction is also a very neat concept that seems fairly difficult to pull off. All of the examples read, I came to the conclusion that they are enjoyable to read. I hope to be able to write absolute constructions and I believe they would strengthen my essays.
An introductory set of appositives Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series Repetition of a key term
What three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences do you like the most? I chose an introductory set of appositives, dependent clauses in a pair or series, and repetition of a key term. I chose three that I would like the enhance more because I personally believe all three of those strategies enhance ones writing immensely and it would be smart to better myself in the knowledge and understanding of these strategies. I believe the strategy of using an introductory set of appositives is useful because to blatantly inform readers how what they are about to read is a way to draw them in. Personally I will use this to enhance my writing in the following ways: to grab the readers attention, to inform, and to differentiate between different strategies used throughout my writing. While I am reading, weather its an article, a book, an essay, or even a blog, I like to know what I am about to indulge myself in. Next, dependent clauses in a pair or in a series is difficult to apply to your own work properly. While writing you are suppose to use it towards the end to summarize the points you have made. In order to properly use this you have to understand parallel structure. Parallel structure is repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. I will use this strategy to improve my writing skills and make my writing more intriguing. Lastly, I chose the repetition of a key term. Redundancy is not always a bad thing. The word redundant has a negative connotation. In some cases, that negative connotation is correct but, in the strategy of repetition of a key term it is used to enhance, not dilute. When using this strategy you are suppose to use a dash or a comma to show that you are about to repeat. While using this, it is easy to show what is important and what to really focus on within the writing.
The Art of Styling sentences guidebook can be very helpful to those who may need to work on sentence variety in their essays--including me. As i was reading through this book, i was able to find three styles of sentences that are some of my favorites: a compound sentence with a semicolon, but no conjunction, repetition of a key term, and an interrupting modifier between the subject and a verb.
The first type of strategy i chose was a compound sentence with a semicolon, but no conjunction. This styling strategy can help you join two two, short simple sentences having two closely related ideas. I chose this style because I can combine two similar sentences into one, creating a more powerful sentence; making my writing more interesting at the same time.
example: It made no sense to anyone; it was just a style.
The second type of strategy i chose was the repetition of a key term. In this pattern, you repeat a key term in a modifying phrase attached to the main clause. You may repeat the exact word, or you could use a different form of the word. I chose this style as one of my favorites because i feel when a sentence has repetition, it helps get the point across easier an author’s point across without causing the reader to wonder.
example: She is an outstanding mother, a mother who loves her children like no one else could.
The final strategy i chose was an interrupting modifier between the subject and a verb. This is used when a modifier comes between the subject and the verb. The modifier can be separated from the rest of the sentence with dashes or commas. I chose this style because it adds variety. It also helps give great detail to the subject of the sentence.
example: Jamie, an amazing cheerleader, is excited for her last metro competition on Monday.
I hope that after looking through this guidebook, i will be able to incorporate more variety in my sentences. This class has already helped me grow as a writer. The study guide list has been very helpful for me to look at so I can become a better writer. I hope to show a change in my writing as the year goes on and be able to help others improve on theirs also.
There were a large number of strategies that I really enjoy using, so choosing which three to write about was difficult. In the list provided from The Art of Styling Sentences, I chose numbers one, four, and nine as my favorite strategies. The first one deals with compound sentences using a semi-colon as opposed to a conjunction. Using semi-colons can bring two relatable ideas together while still keeping unity in the sentence; this also keeps the sentence from splitting up into two shorter, choppier sentences. I like using semi-colons because they bring two similar ideas together into one compounded sentence. The fourth one listed is when using a series of words without a conjunction. The example given was ‘He has again been trapped, caught, humiliated.’ I like this because when using the series of words without using a conjunction, it adds an atmosphere of intensity or something similar to suspense to the sentence. The ninth sentence styler is the repetition of a key term. This can easily be used as an attempt to try a pull the reader’s attention to one specific word or area. Another example used in the Art of Styling Sentences is ‘Looking into the cottage, we saw great splotches of blood smeared on the walls, walls that only that morning had rung with shouts of joy and merriment.’ Clearly, the term ‘walls’ was repeated to give depth to the sentence and to guide the eyes of the reader to the spot where words are repeated. I enjoy this style of sentence because it brings focus to one specific area and I feel it is very effective in getting the point across. I am working toward enhancing my own sentence styling by learning other techniques--whether it be in class or on my own-- and applying them to my writing.
13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis 14. Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb 16. Paired constructions
What three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences do you like the most? I really like using a single modifier out of place for emphasis in my writing. I like that one word throughout the whole sentence, can describe how one feels, looks, etc. For example: Desperate, she held on to the railing, in hope, she would not fall. I think this sentence really grasps the desperate feeling. Although, sometimes it adds a pause, and can sometimes be misunderstood, they add a good variety throughout your work. Another strategy I picked out is a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb. A prepositional phrase and the beginning of the sentence rather than the end adds variety to the essay. Having the subject at the end of the sentence, allows the reader to keep reading. A prepositional phrase and the beginning helps the essay come together as less redundant. For example: Up the wall walked the spider, trying to reach it’s web. At the end of the sentence there is the subject, the spider, and there is even a participial phrase added. Not only are paired constructions easy to use, but they add variety to your essay, rather than the simple conjunctions of and or but. These paired constructions work together to reach a common goal. They are used to talk about the subject, they show parallelism, make it less confusing, and are easy to use. For example: Not only do I get to play my favorite sport during the winter, but also get to stay in shape. There are actually two paired constructions in this sentence: not only, and but also. Both help to get the point across on how not only during the cold winter months do I get to play my favorite, sport, but I get to feel good about myself doing it.
As I was reading The Art of Styling Sentences by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker I came to a realization that there is way more than a simple sentence out there waiting to be written.
I thoroughly enjoyed the compound sentence with elliptical construction strategy. This strategy is used to avoid using the same verb again in the second clause.
Example: His girlfriend told him to rent a car; his sister, to pack the
suitcases.
I found this to be extremely helpful to me considering the fact that I tend to use the same words over and over again in my writings. I hope to be able to accomplish this writing style and if I cannot, then I hope to improve my vocabulary in order to compensate for my loss of accomplishment.
I also found the internal series of appositives or modifiers to interest me.
Example: Active sports--basketball, soccer, or volleyball--are good exercises.
During my writings I tend to struggle with getting down to the point or even continuing to follow my point ( if I ever make one). Therefore I believe using appositives to make a list for myself in the beginning of my essays would improve my ability to to gain an outline for my future essays.
The last strategy to which I found catching my attention was the Interrupting modifier between subject and verb.
Example: Wolves—once feared and killed—are being reintroduced into the environment
I have found, recently this year, in my writing my ability to add dashes to spice up my sentences. However, my dashes would always be at the end of a sentence with just a few words to follow; instead of placing them somewhere in the middle to give the thought a little bit more meaning.
I hope in the future of my so called writing career that I lean to become more aware of the way I am writing and the way my sentences fit together. I do not want to simply know what a compound-complex sentence is. I want to be able to use it without a second thought as to if the sentence is grammatically correct or not.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer. 6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable. 9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader. In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer. 6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable. 9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader. In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer. 6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable. 9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader. In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer. 6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable. 9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader. In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer. 6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable. 9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader. In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
The Art of Styling Sentences gave me several ideas on how to make my writing better. My top three favorite styles that they offered included number 1: Compound Sentences with a semicolon, number 2: Introductory set of appositives and, number 3: Interrupting modifier between the subject and the verb. In my writing, I found that I use simple sentences too often. Writing tends to become boring when one uses several simple sentences. Using Compound sentences with a semicolon can assist one in making their writing more interesting by combining two sentences that could stand alone. I have often used this style type in my thesis statements: Based on their behavior in dark theaters, the five types of people you might encounter at the movies are the Parrot, the Hyena, the Pig, the Lovebird, and the Raccoon; knowing the antics of these types of people will empower you to prepare for and enjoy the solace of cinema more. Trumpets and clarinets are seen as two different instruments in the band, but they have several similarities that tie them together; knowing and understanding the juxtaposition between the two allows one to better appreciate music. An Introductory set of appositives are used to grab the attention of the reader before they even know what the sentence is about. (They will wonder what the appositives have to do with the rest of the sentence.) I would like to use more of them in my reading simply for that purpose. This style is beneficial to use when you would like to go more in depth on each appositive, but would like to introduce them first. This is an example from my causal essay: Swerving, skidding, stopping--These are the options that you can choose between depending on the speed of your car. Whenever you read a book or watch a movie, the first five minutes or five pages are reserved for a background story about what you are about to watch or read. The background stories are essential in order to give that extra bit of information to the audience. Interrupting modifiers between subjects and verbs do just that. I enjoy using this style in my writing because it enables me to add the extra data that I think the reader should know. One can write in an interrupting modifier using dashes, commas, or parentheses. I have used this style in my causal essay: Research--something that people rarely ever do--can help one to obtain the facts they need to ensure their safety. I have chosen these three sentence styling types in order to make my writing more intriguing to the audience. In our expansion essays, we are required to have three pages tacked onto what we already have written. While adding onto my essay, I have found myself revising sentences in order to make them more attractive. From reading The Art of Styling Sentences I have gained knowledge on writing with variation and hope to utilize it in my future compositions.
After examining the choices of writing styles from The Art of Styling Sentences I have come to the conclusion that my favorite three strategies include: a series without the usual conjunction (option 4), dependent clauses in a pair or in a series (option 8), and paired constructions (option 16). The first strategy I chose (a series without the usual conjunction) was due to the rhythm and therefore easy read that comes from a sentence of this structure. I find that when parallelism is used in a piece of writing that it allows the reader for a facilitated understanding regarding the story or point that the author is trying to express. Also, a variation of this method would include adding “and” in between the items rather than a comma. I use this strategy myself at times and feel that it is beneficial when trying to stray from the normal comma-filled sentence. The second strategy I chose (dependent clauses in a pair or in a series) was due to the use of parallelism, once again. I also noticed that I commonly use dependent clauses to begin sentences in my own pieces of writing so I feel as if that drew me to like this strategy as well. The last reason I chose this method of writing was because I think by following it’s structure techniques, it could be helpful when writing interesting thesis statements. Finally, the last strategy of writing I chose (paired constructions) was due to the contrast and emphasis it provides. By using short phrases such as “not only” and “but also” together I think it allows the author to organize their points and phrase them in an easy manner to read. Also, alike the other strategies I chose parallelism is evident in this sentence structure as well.
I am working on my sentence structure in many ways. By relearning the basics in which make up different types of sentences (simple, complex, compound, compound-complex) I have been able to mix a variety of these into my essays in hopes of creating more creative writing. Along with this, by adding more punctuation I have been able to create structured sentences more accurately than before. I plan to use The Art of Styling sentences to continue to add an array of different sentence structures into my writing and therefore enhancing it.
After examining the choices of writing styles from The Art of Styling Sentences I have come to the conclusion that my favorite three strategies include: a series without the usual conjunction (option 4), dependent clauses in a pair or in a series (option 8), and paired constructions (option 16). The first strategy I chose (a series without the usual conjunction) was due to the rhythm and therefore easy read that comes from a sentence of this structure. I find that when parallelism is used in a piece of writing that it allows the reader for a facilitated understanding regarding the story or point that the author is trying to express. Also, a variation of this method would include adding “and” in between the items rather than a comma. I use this strategy myself at times and feel that it is beneficial when trying to stray from the normal comma-filled sentence. The second strategy I chose (dependent clauses in a pair or in a series) was due to the use of parallelism, once again. I also noticed that I commonly use dependent clauses to begin sentences in my own pieces of writing so I feel as if that drew me to like this strategy as well. The last reason I chose this method of writing was because I think by following it’s structure techniques, it could be helpful when writing interesting thesis statements. Finally, the last strategy of writing I chose (paired constructions) was due to the contrast and emphasis it provides. By using short phrases such as “not only” and “but also” together I think it allows the author to organize their points and phrase them in an easy manner to read. Also, alike the other strategies I chose parallelism is evident in this sentence structure as well.
I am working on my sentence structure in many ways. By relearning the basics in which make up different types of sentences (simple, complex, compound, compound-complex) I have been able to mix a variety of these into my essays in hopes of creating more creative writing. Along with this, by adding more punctuation I have been able to create structured sentences more accurately than before. I plan to use The Art of Styling sentences to continue to add an array of different sentence structures into my writing and therefore enhancing it.
First of all, "The Art of Styling Sentences" taught me that I rarely use any of the strategies in writing, if I do it is unintentional and spontaneous. The reading taught me how to make words flow easier and with little effort(besides reading the document). With the forms of writing I learned I can open up my writing skills and write more fluently. There are three main points that helped me the most; Compound sentence: semicolon, no conjuction, repetition of a key term, and a full sentence as interrupting modifier. I used all of the terms in my writing unintentionally, but they were effective mistakes. The first example I used was a compound sentence:semicolon, no conjuction. An example of this would be: Talent is an important part of sports; hard work is the other. This sentence structure is effective because if brings flow to a sentence by combining what could fit into two sentences into one. When writing it is important to remember word flow and how to keep your reader interested. With this you want to always remind the reader of the key term in your writing. The repetition of a key turn is important to writing effectively. An example of this type of writing in a sentence is: We all inhabit a large world-a huge world, the world of the mind. This sentence type is also effective in writing because it will always keep the topic relevant in the readers mind. Interruptions are annoying in reality but in writing they can serve to be worthwhile. A full sentence as interrupting modifier sounds a little outrageous for being a full sentence and a interrupting modifier, but when used correctly it can be truly extraordinary. An example would be: Although the tennis players were viewed as whimps-when in reality they where not-they continued to practice hard. The interrupting modifier does not completely stop the sentence and stays relevant to the sentence. This type of sentence is effective because it describes another clause with a short interruption and the sentence continues.
While reading The Art of Styling Sentences, many strategies stuck out to me as being helpful tools for writing. The three that I like the most are a deliberate fragment, an interrupting modifier, and a hypophora. When reading a paper, I feel as if deliberate fragments stand out and add emphasis extremely well. While reading, I do not expect to see fragments because in normal writing, they are not grammatically correct, but if it is intentional to add style, it can be extremely effective, and a fun break-up of the normal flow of reading. These fragments should not be overused. So awesome. Interrupting modifiers--usually used in upper level writing--are also very effective to use in a literary work. An interrupting modifier is an explanation that comes between the subject and the verb. This explanation tells the reader some extra information and uses this technique to give more attention to the phrase. These interrupting modifiers can be can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs, or a phrase. Punctuation like commas, dashes, or parentheses, determine how strong of an emphasis you want on this interruption. Finally, I chose the hypophora as a sentence enhancer. A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that they answers in the next sentences. The question raised is a question that the reader might be thinking about. The writer answers it to clear up a previous statement. I enjoy this writing tactic because it is a relatively easy way to explain yourself or your thoughts. This may be confused with a hypothetical question, a question asked out of interest, as the answer will have no effect on the situation. The writer answers the question on their own. So why should the writer use them? They emphasize the point twice. The three strategies that I took from The Art of Styling Sentences were fragments, interrupting modifiers, and hypophoras.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are alliterative sentences, variations: single appositives or pairs, and interrupting modifiers. All three of these strategies can turn any tragic piece of writing into a masterpiece. It may seem as though something so simple could not transform a piece of writing into something greater, but these strategies have the ability to do just that. Alliterative sentence: a sentence containing two or more words that have the same beginning letter or similar consonant or vowel sound. The sounds or letters do not have to be exact but ideally, the need to be in close proximity. Alliterative sentences are often used in children’s books. They can also be found within poems of different types. Fun is a word that is not often associated with reading for most people but when alliteration is used within a sentence it gives a piece of writing rhythm. Rhythm makes reading fun and easy to flow. Sentences of this type also have the capability to create humor within a piece of writing. Examples of alliterative sentences include: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Haley hates when her hair hits the hair dryer. Ashley always associates with all of her allies. They can even be made into a title for an essay. An example would be, Self Esteem: Societies Standards on Something Subjective Variations often consist of appositives. An appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or a noun clause that sits next to another noun to rename it or describe it in another way. These can be extraordinarily helpful to give a reader insight in a simple way on a topic he/she may not be familiar with. They also add variety to sentences. Examples of appositives include: My two dogs, Buddy and Tanner, like to sleep. My favorite kind of ice cream, mint chocolate chip, is best served with a brownie. Lauren Chamberlain, an Oklahoma University softball player, is an outstanding athlete. Appositives are used often and have a very good use. They have so much to offer for sentences and the masterminds behind the sentences. Interrupting modifiers, a phrase that expands on the subject, comes before the verb in a sentence and after the noun. Their function is even stated within. It interrupts a sentence while modifying the noun. Similarly to appositives, they restate what the noun is but differentiating from an appositive, it goes into greater detail. These too also add variety to writing. Flow is also given to the writing because of these interrupting modifiers. It changes the way that each sentence is written and gives them variety. An example of an interrupting modifier would be like the introductory sentence to this very paragraph. Another sentence would be: Typewriters, once common in schools and offices, are rarely seen or used now. In my writing, I hope to continue to add more of these three strategies in order to give it more flow and an easier reading style for those who read it. Currently when I write, I try to include these strategies right away. But, sometimes thoughts rush through my brain and I type them as they are. I then go back through and try to further improve all of my sentences. Eventually I hope to include them from the start in order to make writing an easier and more intelligent process.
“The Art of Styling Sentences” is a profoundly useful book in which writers can be enlightened in learning more about different types of sentences. Writers should review and utilize resources such as “The Art of Styling Sentences” to make their writing more interesting and assure that their writing does not become stale or commonplace. Upon analyzing “The Art of Styling Sentences” myself I found all the suggestions it gives to be useful but three stuck out to me in particular: A single modifier out of place for emphasis, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject), and the deliberate fragment. I plan on using these sentence structures along with many others from the document to bring my writing to life and to create an enjoyable experience for my reader.
I find sentences that have a single modifier out of place for emphasis to be very compulsory. Most sentences provide information to the reader through long sentences, so moving around the adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases within the sentence can still provide the same information, but can be much more interesting to read.
Examples of this type of sentence:
Driven, the student achieved his goal. Humiliated, the teacher retreated to his office.
Another sentence type that I found interesting were the ones that included prepositional phrases before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject). This type of sentence still moves the writing along with providing the needed information but does it in a way that is stylistically different than a traditional sentence.
Examples of this type of sentence:
Behind the dorm room door hides the timid college student. Within the cupcakes, were FunFetti sprinkles.
Lastly, I enjoy deliberately fragmented sentences when they are used correctly. A writer would use a deliberate fragment to create emphasis or increase the drama in the writing. When a deliberate fragment is used the writer must indicate in some way that it was intentional.
Examples of this type of sentence:
The winter night was biting at the orphan. No matter (this is the deliberate fragment). The child pressed on in search for warmth. Frightened, the girl turned slowly towards the noise to see what was behind her. The man from her nightmare (this is the deliberate fragment).
The Art of Styling Sentences is true to its word. It can truly bring a writer success through the changing of their sentence types. As I surveyed over the multitude of sentence variations, I noticed many variations I can employ in my own writing. I found three I especially liked. 9a. A variation: same word repeated in a parallel structure, 19. The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and 13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis are my favorite of the group.
9a. A variation: same word repeated in parallel structure I especially enjoyed this type of sentence variation because it creates emphasis on the words which are coupled with the repeating word. It makes the sentence dramatic. Similarities can be noticed by the reader. The repeated words are grouped with words in succession. The dog is happily jumping, happily sniffing, and happily playing. The repeated 'happy' shows the dog is especially happy in everything he does.
19. The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect I try to disperse these sentences throughout my compositions. I feel when a writer graduates into a higher level of writing, they will most likely lengthen their sentences. These sentences can become overwhelming and may become a blur of words. The simple sentence breaks up the long sentences and provides a break for the reader. Simple sentences are raw and to the point. These sentences are abrupt, but a favorable abrupt. Its dramatic and can be ominous. Uncle Buck died. This sentence would only be muddled by more words. It is clear and shocking.
13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis I need to add more sentences with this type of variation. The modifier, when placed at the beginning of a sentence, sets the tone for the sentence. It prepares the reader for what will come. The word being modified is singled out and highlighted. Frustrated, the mother tried to balance her checkbook. The reader is made aware of the situation's overall frustration. If the sentence were changed to ,'The frustrated mother tried to balance her checkbook,' the reader would have noticed the mother was frustrated rather than the whole situation being frustrating.
For my enhancement essay, I am going to use more of the three variations I liked the most. I will also try delaying by subjects, and I will change the order of the sentences in general. Noticing I use too many compound sentences, I will try to decrease their amount. I also become too wordy when I write. To render this problem, I will use a combination of short and long sentences.
My favorite strategies from the Art of Styling Sentences are: an introductory set of appositives, an internal set of appositives, and paired constructions. However, I need to use more sentence variation to make sure the reader finds interest in my writing. I am working on my enhancement by using techniques that Mr. C is showing us in class and by paying attention to the term tuesday presentations and applying those examples to my own sentences.
I particularly like the use of introductory appositives because they are easy to use and they a great way to enhance your essay. I don’t use them as often as I should though. However if I use them more often there is no doubt that my essays will be more interesting to read and I will sound smarter as well. An example of an introductory set of appositives that I have used in my previous essay is: The earliest stages of education, in elementary school people begin to learn what is right from what is wrong, they then advance into information more relevant to everyday life. The earliest stage of education is unneeded information but it is used to give the sentence more information.
I also like to use internal set of appositives in my essays too. I like them because not only are they easy to use they also make me essays more enjoyable to read. I should also use them more often than I do to enhance my essay. An example of a use of internal set of appositives is: Reid’s favorite football team, the Broncos, is good. The Broncos is unneeded information but it placed to give the sentence more detail.
Lastly I like the use of paired constructions to enhance my essay. I like how they tie different parts of the sentence together to make them more interesting. Also it helps the reader know what is being compared or what is happening. For example: Not only was Reid late for school, but also he didn’t do his homework. In this example it helps the reader know the severity of what Reid did.
Thinking of the my three favorite sentence styling forms, I can only think of three that I enjoy to use; compound sentence: semicolon, no conjunction, an internal series of appositives or modifiers, or interrupting modifier between subject and verb.
A compound sentence using a semicolon instead of a conjunction, is by far one of my new favorite styles to use in my writing. A semicolon is used similar to a conjunction. The function of the semicolon is to combine two clauses. I have began trying to incorporate this style at least two times in every essay. An example of my own work using this style, “Adventure and RPG games are constantly converging in graphics and the way gamers interact with the characters, but their stories and core elements of the two types of games will probably stay far apart; noticing the difference can help you understand what type of game you are getting or should look into.” For me I love having the ability to add spunk to my sentences and giving my readers a different feel to a sentence. I also believe using semicolons make you the writer look, intelligent, literate, and experienced. I plan to use them strategically but not too often because they then become redundant and useless.
For me, using internal series of appositives has not been a concept I have used but will try to incorporate them into future and present essays. To introduce this form of an appositive either parentheses or dashes. The Video games -- Fallout 3, NBA 2K, and Assassin’s Creed -- allure many people towards playing video game. The former sentence used and internal series of appositives and as you can tell using this helps greatly increased sentence variety, and draws the eyes to that sentence. Sentences such as this should be used in small quantities but when used properly draw in the readers attention. I will begin to incorporate sentences using an internal series of appositives into my own writing.
Interrupting modifiers add a great deal of detail towards the subject of sentences and should be used much more often than they are. To introduce this modifier you can use a comma or parenthesis. Athletes, strong or fast, should have a place on any athletic team. In this sentence the interrupting modifier added detail towards the type of athletes, was introduced with a comma, and strengthened my sentence. As much as I used them in my own personal literary work, I should be using them or and have began to do so.
The Art of Styling Sentences has plopped new ideas into my mind and how to modify my sentences to flow well. I will be using these styles much more often to lengthen and strengthen my essays. I also will continue to use them through any type of writing I will have to do in the future regarding any class or topic.
The Art of Styling Sentences refreshed my view in a few areas of how I could be more creative. Three of them include an out of place, single modifier, infinitive phrases, and simple sentences. Happily, I like the thought of using a single modifier out of place, because it not only adds emphasis, but also description. The concept of using a description right smack in the front of a sentence grabs the reader’s attention, and keeps them interested. So, in sentences like such as, “Rushed, she threw on her pajamas and leapt into bed” and “Tired, he swung open the fridge for a snack he didn’t even know he wanted” adds emphasis and color to what the subject did, as well as how they did it. In my opinion, I also tend to read things at different tempos when I know how the character is feeling. To use an infinitive phrase at the beginning of a sentence allows for a contrast in the monotonous “subject, verb, extra stuff” type of sentences. Putting an infinitive phrase at the start of an idea like “To smile handsomely, he had to brush his teeth” or “To sing beautifully, she first needed to poise herself and walk onto the stage” connects a few thoughts together without adding too much verbiage. Simple sentences are eye-catching. Short, simple sentences allow for a break in a long sentence pattern, which can be very boring to read. Short sentences break the flow. They also add emphasis with a big impact if worded and placed correctly. “She slumped, defeated.” This example paints a picture instead of saying every detail that could still explain her frustration. “The door creaked open.” Eerily, this overused statement in every horror story adds to the tension and fearfulness that every scary tale should have. A small statement can have a large impact. I am trying to add spice to my writing. This flavor may be added through better vocabulary, varying sentence structures, and limited wording. I want my readers to be enthralled with my works. To achieve this, I will do my best to change up my sentence structures, and learn how to do it properly.
While all the sentence structuring styles are intriguing and great tools to add into your works, my favorite ones were: an introductory set of appositives, interrupting modifier between subject and verb, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. The first one that I personally enjoy is the introductory set of appositives. This style not only pulls the reader in by starting the sentences off with a topic, but it also leads the reader into what will be talked about in the sentence. It really just jumps out at you and makes you want to keep reading. An example of this type of sentence would be something like-- Computers, Ipods, and cameras-- ingredients to an electronic section of a store. Or a sentence such as “Car accidents, heart attacks, or murder-- which is the leading cause of death in the United States?” could be another example of this technique. The second of this wonderful trio is the always great, interrupting modifier between the subject and verb. I really like this structure because it adds detail to the sentence. And the detail it adds really drags the reader into the writing-- making them feel like they have to keep reading to find out more. A lot of times readers can lack in the little details that, if they were present, would be just enough to complete their thought. But if a writer uses this tactic more often they will find that their writing is much more intricate. A couple examples of this style would be, “The snow, falling from the night sky, began to cover the ground”, or “My shoes (that I bought from Scheels) are brand new.” Last, but certainly not least, is the short, simple sentence used for dramatic effect or relief. This is one of my favorites for one simple reason-- when used correctly, it adds emphasis and a little bit of drama to your writing. If I were to use this sentence I would definitely be trying to add a lot of emphasis to the sentence to prove a point. Sentences like-- “It was over”, and “They all knew it” are a few that in the right situation would add an immaculate amount of intensity to any work! Within my own writing, the thing I’m trying to work on is having more of a variety of sentences in my essays. A lot of the time I get comfortable with just a handful of styles, but I’d really like to broaden my area of material. I can achieve this simply by looking at this document we are using for this blog task. The Art of Styling Sentences is a great reference for me to use in the future to just see what I can add to my essays to really jazz them up!
I have noticed that I do not use all of the different types of sentences, although I am using more than I did at the beginning of the year. I now make more of an effort to use different sentence styles while composing my essays for class as well as short essays for scholarship applications. Three of my favorite strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences include introductory or concluding participle phrases, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or the verb and subject), and figurative sentences (simile).
I feel that introductory and concluding participle phrases are able to give a sentence more detail and description without becoming overly wordy. I think they are also easy to add into writing, although not everyone uses them, therefore they still differentiate writers who use them from those who do not.
Examples: She turned on the computer, thinking about her blog post. Tired from school, he was glad it was Friday.
Prepositional phrases before the subject and verb (or the verb and subject) are simple to use to describe or explain part of the sentence. Learned at a young age, prepositional phrases are not difficult to use how to use, however I believe they are often overlooked in importance. Using prepositional phrases can help writing become more descriptive and interesting than it would be without.
Examples: Around the tree, the dog ran. She pitched the ball toward the batter.
Figurative sentences--including similes--can be very beneficial in explaining a topic to an audience unfamiliar with it. I do not believe I use this sentence style as often as I could, and I would like to make an effort to use it more. When the audience is unfamiliar with the topic, using a simile to explain it can be a simple solution and is more interesting than a long, drawn out, confusing explanation.
Example: A golfer with no putter is like a volleyball player with no net.
15. Object or complement before subject and verb. 13. Single modifier out of place for emphasis. 4. Series without the usual conjunction.
These strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences seemed the most interesting to me. When I learn to use them correctly and appropriately, my sentence structure will greatly improve. The object or complement before the subject and verb was very interesting as my first reaction was it sounded like Yoda from Star Wars. I always thought his dialect was very interesting but I did not know how to ever write it. This style seems like it can really add structure to an essay. When someone reads this type of sentence, it can really confuse them as they do not seem very normal. The sentence seems to not flow smoothly but sometimes that can be good. Example: Exciting sport is soccer. Single modifier out of place for emphasis is next strategy. The single modifier at the beginning seemed to set the tone of the sentence. If it is not at the beginning sentence, it can still add a key descriptive word. An example would be: composedly, the student took the grammatical classification quiz. The next sentence style is series without the usual conjunction. This style really deviates from what traditional English has taught us which is in a series of three or more, the last item usually receives a conjunction before it. In The Art of Styling Sentences, it states that without the last conjunction, there is more parallelism involved. To me, after learning throughout middle school and high school that the conjunction before the last item was necessary, it seems like it does not flow at all without it. The rhythm also seems out of place without the conjunction. Example: The sentence types on the grammatical classification quiz are simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. I hope to incorporate these styles into my essay with the utmost of ease.
Personally, I like to use emphatic appositives after colons to spice up my writing. I like to use this type of sentence variation because it allow me to not only complete my full sentence, but also to add more information or descriptions to that sentence. For example, I could write that “Bill felt something stirring inside of him.” That sentence is complete, has subject and verb, and contains descriptors. Yet, the reader has no idea what is stirring inside of Bill. Is it love? Hope? Grief? Hunger? By adding an emphatic appositive after the colon, the reader will now know: “Bill felt something stirring inside of him: an alien embryo.” The previous quotation is much more interesting, and descriptive. Emphatic appositives after colons allow the writer to add suspense and mystery to the sentence, all while not tipping their hand. This added enigma also allows writers to be concise, hooking their readers in one sentence instead of two or more. My second favorite type of sentence variation is the introductory or concluding participle phrase. Like emphatic appositives after a colon, introductory or concluding participle phrases allow the writer to add more information to a sentence, all without splitting the sentence into multiple sentences. Introductory or concluding participle phrases also allow the writer to avoid using run on sentences. Bloated sentences are the bane of every reader’s existence, and introductory or concluding participle phrases keep the reader interested. Another example, this time of a concluding participle phrase, would be: “Bill stood motionless, paralyzed by the fear and pain in his stomach.” An example of an introductory participial phrase might be: “The monster birthing, the alien exploded out of Bill’s chest cavity.” These sentences are much more informative and entertaining than, “Bill stood motionless.” and “The alien exploded out of Bill’s chest cavity.” respectively.
All of the strategies that are listed in The Art of Styling Sentences are necessary when writing a formal, causal, persuasive, informative, or any other kind of essay for that matter. The majority of people who have taken a course that has required an essay to be written, has most likely used some, if not all, of the thirty five strategies. These listed strategies are found to be useful when separating a highly educated student, from an average educated student; a literate person from an illiterate person. I myself have used almost all of the strategies that were listed in The Art of Styling Sentences. After using the bulk of the listed strategies, I have found a few that I am comfortable using. The three strategies I enjoy to use most when writing are interrupting modifiers between subject and verb, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and paired construction.
Interrupting modifiers between the subject and verb of a sentence, is one of the listed strategies that I enjoy using while writing the most. The interrupting element can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs, or a phrase. The punctuation used -- such as commas, dashes, or parentheses -- determines how strongly a person interprets the given sentence. Example of these three differently punctuated sentences are: Ashley, once an avid dancer, is apart of the Brandon Valley dance team. Zeke -- his breed originating from Korea -- is an extremely friendly and energetic dog. Katie (having two other siblings) knows how to put up with annoyance.
The second listed strategy that I enjoy writing with is using a single modifier out of place used to create emphasis. A single modifier out of place for emphasis is when an adverb, adjective, and prepositional phrase have their typical, normal positions in a sentence, a place near the word they modify. Now, is the perfect time to give an example. Quickly, Dylan drank the Coca-Cola. Instead of “Dylan drank the Coca-Cola quickly.
The third and final strategy listed in The Art of Styling Sentences I enjoy using is paired construction. Paired constructions are some words that work in pairs. They can have independent clauses -- subject and verb -- or any other parts of speech, the goal of paired construction is to make the sentence parallel and powerful. Not only is paired construction useful, but also identifies literate people. The more information Ashley grasps, the more intelligent she becomes.
Reading The Art of Styling Sentences have helped me realize that my sentences have no variety. I struggle to switch up the order of my writing. In term Tuesday, we were told that we are only suppose to use leech words with a deliberate fragment once or twice in our paper. It makes our paragraphs sound choppy. I believe that I use this structure too frequently. This article by Waddell, Esch, and Walker with hopefully improve the flow of my paragraphs and make it sound more intelligent. One style I enjoy to use is placing infinitive phrases in the beginning connected to the main idea of the sentence with a comma. Making it an infinitive phrase makes it even better. To me, this makes the sentence sound more intelligent by having an introductory phrase. For example, if one was trying to say “The government has exceeded a 1.5 trillion deficit. Deficit means the amount of revenue is less than the amount spent.” To make this smoother, one could say “The government has exceeded a 1.5 trillion deficit. To clarify the definition, a deficit means the amount of revenue is less than the amount spent.” Another technique that I believe will be useful in future writing is a short question for dramatic effect. You can ask a short question, “Why is this so?”, causing the reader to stop and consider the possibilities. Some different writing types are argumentative, casual, or persuasive and the composer would want to get their point across by using facts. To help with this, they could ask a question and then answer using research they found. Making readers think will help them relate more to the composition. In addition, a paired construction for contrast only is a creative option to use to mix up writing styles. This way shows a contrast between two things, a “this not that” type of comparison. I enjoy this because the two items being compared are set right next to each other so the reader can clearly identify between them. It also makes the work more dramatic. I am working to embellish my writing by using larger, less generic words. Also, I tend to use “there is/there are” too often when I could be more clear. After reading this passage, I now have many more options to use when creating sentences.
After examining the Art of Styling sentences, I have chosen three types of sentence enhancers that I would like to practice and improve my writing with. I chose these three sentence enhancers: a series without the usual conjunction, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject), and a short question for dramatic effect. I chose these types of sentence modifiers based on my current level of skill with them and also because of their level of difficulty.
I will use a series without the usual conjunction in my writing to make the reader think. I have a sentence in my expansion essay that says, “More recently however, Google has been growing and expanding, and has absolutely become a threat to the safety Apple has created for itself.” To exercise my new found skill with series, I will likely decide to change the sentence. It will instead say, “More recently however, Google has been growing, expanding, absolutely becoming a threat to the safety Apple has created for itself.” This improves the sentence because it makes the sentence more dramatic. The change was simple, all I had to do was remove a couple of “and’s” and change the word become. This tells me that I am already writing skillfully, I simply need to take a little more time to think about the affects I want each sentence to have on the reader.
My next type of sentence is a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb(or before the verb and subject). I also found a sentence that needed to be changed in my expansion essay. It previously said “The internet, in 1998, was still a work in progress and people were frustrated by the slow, dial-up connections they were forced to suffer through.” I decided to change the sentence to, “In 1998 the internet was still a work in progress and people were frustrated by the slow, dial-up connections they were forced to suffer through.” I moved the proposition In 1998 to the beginning of the sentence. This helps the sentence flow much better and the preposition doesn’t become an unnecessary interruption.
The final type of sentence modifier I chose was a short question for dramatic effect. After perusing my expansion essay, I realized I had already used this type of sentence modifier. “This rapid success was essential in spreading the companies name. But how did they do it? Google’s creators, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, designed it to do one thing very well, search.” I was already using this type of sentence modifier, however, I would like to use it more often because it makes the reader become truely involved with the essay because they are presented with the exact question they might have been wondering. Then I answer it.
Mackenzie Nelson P.3 From the The Art of Styling Sentences I have learned much than I have known. The Art of Styling Sentences has helped me with making different types of sentences. The information and examples given have helped me to understand them more. I even used the document to help understand some of my term Tuesday terms. Among the list from The Art of Styling Sentences I have picked out three favorites first N 30. The Alliterative Sentence, second 19a. a short question for dramatic effect, last 14. Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject) N 30. The alliterative sentence strategy intrigues me. In works of writing that I have read that use alliterative sentences I feel as though it gives the work something to get the readers attention. It leaves an impression on the reader that they will remember that sentence. Repeating the first letters of the words makes reading the sentence fun. Examples of the alliterative sentences are … Hailey hates to have hamburger, another example is Taia takes time texting and talking. I look forward to using these in my future essays to try to help them be memorable. 19a. a short question for dramatic effect, had been something I have used in some previous essays. When you add a short question into your writing it makes the reader think about what you are asking. It makes them think what they would do for the question asked with what pertains to the writing. Examples of a short question for dramatic effect are … What would you do? Another example is, What should they have done? Asking the question in the writing gives it dramatic effect and inclines the reader to think. I have used a couple questions in my essay where they fit in. I hope when I use them the reader of my essay thinks about the question and answers in their head. 14.Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb gives you a way of varying the way your sentences are written. It gives you the opportunity to change up the format in which you are writing your sentences. Instead of the prepositional phrase at the end or in the middle it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Examples include, In the library, no student talks. Another is, In the classroom, no student texts. I hope to change up the way I write my sentences by using the prepositional phrase before my subject and verb. The Art of Styling Sentences has truly helped my become a better writer.
When it comes to writing sentence structure is very important. There are many different types of sentence structure and using many different types can elevate you from other writers. The Art of Styling Sentences is a helpful tool that can help anyone compose a better paper. I wish to enhance my writing by using a varied style of sentence to keep the reader hooked and help my essay look more professional.
First off, one sentence strategy I like is the series without the usual conjunction. In this strategy, similar items are paired together with the use of a conjunction. Some conjunctions often used are but, and, for, or and so. I feel as if using these words makes your writing seem immature. Therefor using this strategy makes your writing flow a lot better. An example of this is “ She was feeling scared, horrified, confused.”
The second strategy is the repetition of a key term. In this strategy a word is repeated several times in one sentence. The purpose of this is to draw attention to a certain word. This type of sentence interests me because it adds emphasis that could be lacking if a normal sentence was written. An example of this strategy is “ She felt as if no one cared for her, no one even thought about her, no one even knew she existed.
The third and final strategy is the complete inversion of a normal sentence pattern. All of the parts of the sentence are switched around. I like this strategy because it gives your writing more variation in sentence form which in turn makes your writing more professional. Instead of the verb and noun at the beginning of the sentence they are placed at the end of the sentence. An example of this sentence would be “ Begging for food is the dog.”
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very useful book that can greatly enhance one’s writing. I plan to use many of the sentence structures found in the book in my own writing. My three favorite strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences are: 10. Emphatic appositive at the end and after a colon, 13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis, and 16. Paired constructions.
The first strategy that I chose was an emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon. This type of sentence structure not only creates suspense for the reader, but it also allows the reader to be drawn into one’s writing. I enjoy reading works that contain an emphatic appositive in them because the first part of the sentence (usually a description) captures my attention and leaves me wanting to know what the second half of the sentence after the colon is going to contain (usually the subject(s) that the first phrase is describing).
Examples:
When hiking, one should always be on the lookout for two dangers: bears and falling rocks. Procrastinating her blog task, the girl checked multiple social media sites: Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Next, I chose the strategy of a single modifier out of place for emphasis. In this type of sentence, the modifier is put in an atypical spot in the sentence in order to emphasize the modifier. I like this strategy as it allows for sentence variety and keeps the reader engaged with the placement change of the modifier.
Examples:
On Monday, the girl watched her favorite TV show, Castle. Energized, the band marched and played their show.
The last strategy that I chose was paired constructions. This type of sentence only works for words that can be paired together. When used correctly, paired constructions can add power to any sentence. I not only enjoy reading these types of sentences, but I also enjoy writing them as they make it easy to compare and contrast two related subjects.
Examples:
Not only did the girl play the piano, but also the clarinet. The more she ice skated, the less amount of times she fell.
From now on, I plan to use these sentence strategies along with others found in The Art of Styling Sentences in my essays. Using these strategies now will better prepare me for writing essays in college and beyond. I have found that since the beginning of the school year, each time I write an essay, I am always trying to enhance each sentence to the best of my ability using different sentence structures. This has allowed my writing to grow exponentially in just a few months. I am looking forward to seeing it grow even more in the coming year.
Ezra Voigt Styling your sentences differently is essential to keeping the reader entertained and immersed in your piece of writing. I plan on incorporating many of these different styling techniques in my future essay. Before reading “The Art of Styling Sentences” I did not know that many of these styling techniques even existed or that some were even grammatically correct. I hope to master some if not all of these techniques and I hope to used them frequently in my upcoming essays and pieces of writing. My favorite techniques were the series without the usual conjunction, an introductory series of appositives, and the emphatic appositive at the end, after colon.
The serious without the usual conjunction interested me. I did not know that you did not have to include a conjunction in a sentence when you are listing things. The serious without the usual conjunctions adds rhythm and flow to sentence making it very unique. Here are some examples I have created. Again the man found himself tired, hungry, weak. The man worked hard on the building, adding roofing, adding doors, adding windows.
I found the introductory series of appositives very interesting. It is a unique way to style a sentence. It draws the reader into the sentence with the list of appositives at the beginning. Here is an example I have created. Rich, poor, and average — which class are you in modern society.
The emphatic appositive at the end was also an interesting style of a sentence. Once I master appositives I will definitely use this one. Basically you put an appositive at the end of sentence after a colon. Here is an example I have created. The man was running for his life while being chased by a pack of beasts: lions. The office lacked one important aspect: silence.
The Art of Styling Sentences will come extremely in handy in essays to come. It will help me create a more diverse essays sentence wise. Also, it will be helpful in our extension essay to help me make it more diverse and possible expand it in more than one way. Honestly I did not know about most of these strategies and will look forward to use them in my essays to come. In an attempt to make them seem less bland. My three favorite strategies are: a single modifier out of place for emphasis, object or complement before subject and verb, along with repetition of a key term. The first one I chose was single modifier out of place for emphasis. The definition in the Art of Styling Sentences was: “adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases have their typical, normal positions in a sentence, a place near the word they modify. Moving them around creates a nice style.” It gives it more precedence in the essay I believe making it seem more important. An Example would be: Excitedly, the young child leaped towards the present. Second was object or complement before subject and verb. This is when you place a direct object or predicate noun first and subject and verb second. This styling helps your sentences seem less bland and reminds me of how Yoda talks to be honest. Example: To the hand you talk. Because listening I am not. The final one is the repetition of key terms. This is when you repeat a word exactly or repeat a form of the word to create more powerful sentences. You would use a dash or comma to show you are about to repeat the word. It creates a more powerful sentence helping you get your point across is why I like it. Example: The United States is an extremely powerful country, powerful form its military, powerful from its wealth.
Usually, when writing an essay, I begin to find my sentence structure becomes dull and repetitive. For this reason, I have found “The Art of Styling Sentences” by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker to be a very helpful tool. With only twenty different sentence types, I am able to compose an infinite amount of interesting and capturing sentences. My essay improved, this tool has helped me to strengthen and enhance my writing.
Even with such varying sentence options, I have found three types which continue to catch my attention: sentences containing series without usual conjunctions, sentences with interrupting modifiers between subjects and verbs, and sentences with absolute construction.
In a single essay, one may find the word “and” well over one hundred times. With every list the popular conjunction sneaks its way into the sentence. Many do not realize the unlimited ways in which they are able to differ from common conjunctions. One way to do so is to have a series of items in a list be separated by only commas. Instead of saying “Susan was doomed, devastated, and depressed,” one could write “Susan was doomed, devastated, depressed.” Or even yet, “Susan was doomed and devastated and depressed.” These small changes offer new, exceptional variations that can enhance any essay and also add a rhythm to the writing, which easily catches the readers attention.
In accordance with this, interrupting modifiers also prove to be essay enhancers. Many well-known authors, such as Stephen King, will not hesitate to use interrupting modifiers on nearly every page of their books; yet some writers will continuously leave these important tools out of their work. Perhaps, this is what sets King apart from other writers. An interrupting modifier--which is certainly not difficult to compose--will always be contained in either commas, parentheses, or dashes. While simple to write, interrupting modifiers add complexity and confidence, which is one of several reasons why I enjoy them.
Perhaps not as simple to write, absolute construction should be used by every scholarly composer. While it is simply a noun and a participle, this brilliant writing trick possesses the power to modify an entire sentence, state the condition, or provide background information and important details. In fact, previously I used absolute construction earlier in this post when I wrote: “My essay improved, this tool has helped me to strengthen and enhance my writing.” Absolute construction is a subtle, yet powerful tool. With so many varying ways to construct a sentence, I work to improve my writing by using the majority, if not all, of the twenty varying sentence styles. Incorporating these useful tools, my essays could only possibly be improved.
Sentence variety not only adds interest to an essay, but it also adds quality. Sentence types go beyond just a simple or compound. Higher level writing requires intriguing sentences in order to make a boring essay a thrilling read. Marie L. Waddell through her book, The Art of Styling Sentences: 20 Patterns for Success, exemplifies the many ways an average writer can transform to a erudite author. Asyndeton--the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence--is a pattern that is not always commonly used, but is greatly appreciated. It can add emphasis by making all the modifiers have equal effect upon the word they are modifying. It also adds emphasis on the word they are modifying because without the conjunction the words flow together making it seem as one. Instead of saying, “The big, black, and ferocious bear was standing on just two legs.”, one should really say, “The big, black, ferocious bear was standing on just two legs.”. In this example, adding the conjunction broke the sentence up and that sentence did not flow as well as the second. Asyndeton is one of my favorites due to the way it changes the tone of a sentence. It is important for writers to add sentences that connect to the reader and asyndeton is a great way to do that. An internal series of appositives or modifiers is a very effective way to increase interest in an essay. For example, “The bear--big, black, and ferocious--was standing on just two legs.” It adds a sense of dimension to writing by putting the modifiers in a place you would not normally see them. It makes one’s interest level increase as it is an emphasizing way to modify the noun. It is one of my favorites because of all of these reasons. In my essays, I often look for new ways to form a sentence and this is a go-to. Epistrophe is the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences. This literary pattern is one of the most emphatic. “Where now? Who now? What now?” adds suspense and creates a build up to something exciting that will happen. Even though I may not use it as often as the others, this is still a favorite of mine because it is attention grabbing. I am working to enhance my sentences by going back and reading my essay. At any point in it that I feel it is boring or has repetitive style, I try to change it up. I notice as I write if I use the same types of sentences repeatedly and then I adapt my write as I go.
While I truly found everything in this book to be very helpful and erudite, there are a few sentence styles that I believe are slightly more important and/or interesting. Number one in this list is number 9 on theirs-- repetition of a key term. I believe this sentence to be of paramount importance due to the fact that it is repeating a key term multiple times. Its pounding that word into your brain screaming “I’m important pay attention to me!!” I also think it is more interesting and adds color and variation into your work. It takes descriptive writing and runs with it. The other sentence that I found more important was their number 12-- introductory or concluding participial phrases. I found these to be important because if you do not have these in your work, the reading will be very dry and dull. If every single sentence starts out or ends the same way, it will be extremely redundant and boring. Mixing your writing style is what brings your work to life, it adds color and little pops of spontaneity. To take an example from the book, “The man stood there, transfixed by its bright glow.” sounds a lot better than “Transfixed by its bright glow the man stood there.” The final sentence style that I found to be most interesting was their number 14-- Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject). My reasoning for this style is very similar to the past reasoning for number 12. It is simply a nice way to change up your writing style. These however, I find to be more interesting and well worded; as opposed to introductory or concluding participial phrases. “In the box is where the horrid creature was entrapped” sounds better than “The horrid creature was entrapped in the box.” I am working to change up my writing style by being aware of these different types of sentences and trying to include at least some in my essays.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a wonderful tool for students, teachers, and writers everywhere that can be taken advantage of to increase writing variety and create overall better and more progressive literature works. The Art of Styling Sentences offers twenty sentence structure patterns that can be used collectively or separately. While each is indeed an art, out of this list, my favorites are example numbers nine, twenty-six, and thirty-six. Example number nine is my most favorite type of sentence structure and I use it often throughout my various essays. Sentence example number nine is “repetition of a key term.” This means when writing, one will repeat a word exactly or a phrase in some form to create a “powerful sentence.” I have used this in most of my essays. For example, in my Classification essay I was describing students who are stuck in their high school ways and unable to see the future. I stated: “This is common. This is comfortable.” This can be used by students to add variation and make emphasis on a certain point. This is often times shown by using a comma or a dash to show when you will repeat. Example number twenty-six is also one I use often. Sentence structure example number twenty-six is “The Figurative Sentence (Metaphor).” As stated in the sentence structure document “This is basically a simile without like or as. By being subtler and simply implying the comparison, an implied metaphor is possible.” Examples of this sentence structure would be: “A person’s life is a rough sea.”, or even better, “The rough seas of our moral life often threaten our happiness.” This can be used by pupils who want to make a more picturesque reading experience for the audience. Example number thirty-six is a sentence structure I do not use often, but I find it interesting and hope it incorporate into my writing in the future. This structure is “Hypophora”. The sentence structure document says about this writing technique: “Unlike a rhetorical question, a hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he or she actually answers. Raising a question the reader might be considering and answering it in several sentences is a solid writing technique.” The example given in the document is: “Why are sentences so wonderful? They add a maturity to a writer’s style that otherwise might not exist. To avoid the style of a fifth-grader, one must add some style.” The example given also perfectly explains why students should use this writing technique, and should do so often. My main goal and way I am improving my writing is by attempting to study different sentence types and use them to my advantage. Throughout my writing I try to find structures I have not used, whether I had not used them in the current essay I am working on, or ever. I hope only to continue advance and grow in my writing and sentence styling capabilities.
One of my favorite styling types that they mention is number 5: A series of balanced pairs. I really like this style because it changes things up. Instead of just writing a uniform list or a simple simile you can draw more attention to what you are saying. I remember times where I would read this in a book or an essay and it caught my attention because it was so different and added emphasis to the comparison and contrast. I wish I had thought to use this style when we were writing our compare and contrast essays and I hope to incorporate it into future writings. An example of this cool writing form would be: "The forest has so much life like the deer and trees, the fish and ponds, the birds and the leaves, the insects and the mushrooms that all live together in harmony."
Another favorite of mine is number N15: The antitheses. I love these because they seem like a scholarly way to add sarcasm or humor to an essay if used properly. I am glad I found this because I am a more casual writer and so to find a way that allows for me to add humor or sarcasm can make writing easier to me. I will definitely be using this in my expansion essay. An example of this is: "As others argue and push their point of the argument I pull them to my side." One of my favorite examples they use is "The smartest students make the worst teachers."
My last favorite style is similar to N15 but it is N16: The Animetabole. This form is slightly harder to just throw into an essay (atleast in my opinion) and must be thought about as you type. Despite this I really like this style because if used correctly it could be thought provoking or funny. A good example of this "I believe in common sense, but sense just doesn't seem that common anymore."
I hope to use these styles to help me feel more relaxed and definitive in my essays. I've already learned so much through this class but I know I need to keep working on my sentence styling. Looking back on even my womanhood essay I see where I could improve a lot and I hope to learn more as I continue to write and grow
Truth be told, one of my favorite sentence writing strategies (parallelism) isn’t exactly listed in The Art of Styling Sentences; however, I have found a few that I am just as fond of.
A series without the usual conjunction.
Omitting or overusing conjunctions to create rhythm in my writing is something that comes naturally to me, something that I love to do. Every sound, every beat, every word in a series that is constructed in this way is like a melodious tone. Strung together, they fall into place like musical notes on a scale. Personally, I find that the typical construction of a series with a conjunction is slightly corrupted, in the sense that said conjunction disrupts the flow of reading.
Cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, ginger -- basic spices for any Moroccan chef.
Off to the venue for a reception brimming with song, dance, joy, food, drinks.
I find that using this writing method is wonderful for constructing lists without making it seem as if I am intentionally making a list. Cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, ginger is a series without conjunctions, as is song, dance, joy, food, drinks.
I’m in cloudy darkness, the tides churning several meters in front of me, cold and dark and weighing down the deep bed of sludge that squelches and drags me downwards.
In this sentence, conjunctions are used, but they are many and are unpaired with punctuation. Cold and dark and weighing down reads differently than cold, dark, weighing down does. A sense of urgency, almost, radiates from the former; the latter, a sense of leisure comes forth.
A variation (of repetition of a key term): same word repeated in parallel structure.
The emphasis created with repetition speaks to me. Attention is drawn to the idea without being outright demanded. I absolutely love the parallelism of this strategy, as well. Something about a parallel structure strikes a chord in my heart, resonates with me. They are positively beautiful to read -- almost like poetry they are. Below are some examples from my classification essay (although the second sentence doesn’t really have an important key term, but “them” are the eggs that are crucial to the entire essay, so).
The heart must be free, free to feel and free to believe.
Move them, stir them, wash them over with yolk and whites.
The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect.
I have a lot of fun using short sentences to form a sense of drama. It’s also a nice break from composing the lengthier, more flowery sentences I usually use. Just because a sentence is long, doesn't mean it’s better. As we learn in journalism, shorter is better. If you can be more concise with your words, then every word counts, and each of those little words is so much more powerful than an endless string of words. Below are some of my own usages of simple sentences for dramatic effects from a couple of my essays. (The first one is self-explanatory, I presume. As for the second, the final line is my example, really -- it just makes more sense with the preceding context.)
Three words about Starbucks: It. Is. Everywhere.
A clean break, a clean drop, a clean cook. Suddenly, that barely-golden-brown bottom lifts, flips, careful, and . . . plop! One, two, three--quick, reverse it, gently! A fat, white, messy ring encircles its heart, but a faint film glosses over that bold goldenrod. The Over-Easy.
As of the moment, I am working to improve my sentence-beginning variety. Incredibly easy it is to begin sentences with banal, mundane words; thus, I wish to reword some of my sentences, to spice them up a bit.
The Art of Styling Sentence is filled with brilliance that could enhance any essay that it is applied to. It, simply put, contains numerous enhancements that could (and should) be applied to my writings, as well as many of my peers' writings. After reading through the patterns I have come to appreciate three above the rest. The first pattern that I was drawn to was number four. Pattern four focuses on a sentence that contains a series, but neglects to add any conjunctions. This is done in an essay for effect and flow. It might also keep up with the rhythm that has already been established in your essay. By eliminating the conjunctions, there is no interruption and the sentence may move without a change in rhythm. An example of this type of sentence is: The ride made me feel sick, scared, worried.
A second pattern that grabbed my attention was number nine: Repetition of a key term. In order to drill an idea into our minds, or the minds of our audience we must sometimes repeat it many times. This technique requires that the audience see this word many times over, thus it creates a larger chance that they will remember this idea. An example is: Remember the keys, do not forget the keys--the keys are right over there.
A final pattern that I noticed was pattern 14. In pattern 14 the prepositional phrase begins the sentence. This creates a varying style that in return makes for a more interesting essay. The more interesting an essay is the better grade you will receive, and thus everyone should include this style somewhere in their written works. Sometimes just doing something different changes up the mood and helps to keep the readers attention. An example of this is: During the ride, everyone screamed.
The three strategies that I enjoy most from The Art of Styling Sentences are number one: compound sentences, number four: a series without the usual conjunction, and number seven: an internal series of appositives or modifiers.
I find that I often use semicolons when I write so number one: compound sentence, no conjunction is a good fit for me. It is nice because it allows me to show that the two sentences are related while also giving me the option to mix up my writing by giving me something other than periods to connect my sentences. an example of this form from my writing is “Canada and the United States are on the basis of close siblings; the share a common parent, closely related cultures, a language, and a continent.”
I enjoy number four: a series without the usual conjunction because the examples show how the strategy can make the words of a sentence flow in a smooth, poetic manner. I would like to add this strategy to my writing style because it will make my essays smoother and will also make them more enjoyable to read as the words will flow better orally with this type of sentence structure. an example of this is “The main reasons for the conflicting views on homosexuality in the two, seemingly similar countries can be attributed to: the history of Canada and the United States, population size difference, the educations of citizens of the United States and Canada, and the United State’s religiously fueled ignorance and hatred which is unmatched in other first-world nations.”
Number seven: an internal series of appositives or modifiers is attractive to me because it allows me to add description to my sentences while at the same time, showing that this description is important with dashes or parentheses. This is good because it allows me to not only add information to the sentence, it allows me to attract the reader’s attentions with things such as the dashes or parentheses that let them know that the information within them is important. The variation of 7, 7a: a variation: a single appositive or pair, is also nice because it still adds in needed information to the sentence, but only a single phrase so that it is not overwhelmed and has just the right amount of extra needed material to describe what the sentence is talking about. an example would be “Canada, another former colony of the British that endured the same treatment (as well as Caribbean colonies, which suffered much greater losses from the British acts due to their heavy dependence on trade), decided that they still had one of the highest qualities of life in the world and chose not to participate in the American Revolution.”
I can work to improve my sentence styling by practicing to incorporate these sentence strategies into my writing. There are many other good strategies within the book that I could try to use as well. Along with that, I would like to increase my writing vocabulary and use fun synonyms for boring old words which the reader may have grown bored of.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like to use in my own writing are: interrupting modifiers between the subject and the verb, single modifiers out of place for emphasis, and short questions for dramatic effect.
The first strategy that I like to use is interrupting modifiers between the subject and the verb. I like to use these modifiers because it gives the reader of your writing a little more insight on what the subject is and what it consists of. I also like to use these to give more structure to what the subject is. For example if you have a sentence that says: Bob is good at coaching. This just tells the reader that Bob is good at coaching but if you say: Bob, former college basketball star, is good at coaching. You inform the reader of Bob’s past experience giving more structure and support as to why Bob is a good coach.
The second strategy that I like to use is single modifiers out of place for emphasis. I like to use this strategy because I think that it adds spice to your writing. By placing the modifier out of it’s normal place, it catches the readers attention and draws them to the sentence and into the rest of your writing. A good example of this is: Excited, the dog could not resist jumping on its owner. Rather than: The excited dog could not resist jumping on its owner. By moving the modifier, the sentence now has zest and originality.
The last strategy that I like to use is short questions for dramatic effect. I enjoy using the short questions because I believe that when you add drama to your writing you keep your reader interested and entertained. Drama gives the writing a little bit of an attitude and keeps things interesting. I also think that when you add short questions into your writing, when the reader comes across it they pause a moment to think about it so I think that these can also give emphasis to point you are proving. I can improve my own writing by using these three strategies (and more) from the book The Art of Styling Sentences more often. I can also spice up my writing by using more upper-level vocabulary.
I have found The Art of Styling Sentences to be incredibly helpful in multiple tacets of my life, thus far. I have used the strategies to help study for my Term Tuesday presentation, add final exam study list items to my essays, and add variety to my writing in all classes. My three go-to strategies thus far are hypophora, a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and an appositive after a dash. Hypophora is a fabulous tool to provoke a reader to think, and also introduce a topic. An example pulled from my causal essay is “From anorexia nervosa to binge-eating, why do millions of people choose such detrimental lifestyles, if they know how addicting it can become?” This use of hypophora allows reader to ponder--they may even form their own initial opinion on the matter--the subject at hand. This strategy cleverly forms a base to elaborate on. In my causal essay, this proved an excellent tool to use in my introduction, as it presented exactly what I wanted to go on to describe, in a thought-provoking manner. I prefer to use a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, as opposed to simply writing an entirely separate sentence to explain. Using an interrupting modifier allows the writer to give additional, helpful information as the reader processes the sentence, rather than causing the reader to wait until the next sentence to comprehend what they previously read. An example, also extracted from my causal essay: “Depression--the leading, major cause of eating disorders-- can lead to perfectionism, low self esteem, and impulsive behavior (Perfect Illusions).” The subject is stated, then the interrupting modifier gives the subject further context within the essay. It also puts more emphasis on the importance of the subject. I may simply be fond of dashes, but the third strategy I appreciate is the appositive after a dash. Dashes show importance, and add variety as opposed to commas or parentheses. I find the dashes to be a solid strategy to describe an important concept. An example: “Anorexia nervosa--forced malnourishment leading to an obscene atrophy of one’s body.” In this case, I used a collection of sentences paralleling this format to introduce eating disorders in my essay. The dashes are attention-grabbing within the introduction, and the deliberate fragments show urgency, as eating disorders can be deadly. The Art of Styling Sentences has allowed me to enhance my writing not only in English class. Just today, I wrote an assigned one page essay for an Economics test. Rather than barely meet the requirements (as I typically would), I found myself writing to inform an audience of my opinion, not just to gain points. I took the opportunity to practice my writing skills, especially varying my sentence variety. The Art of Styling Sentences has most definitely assisted me in achieving a higher level of composition.
The three strategies that I personally enjoy the most are (1) a short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, (2) Dependent clauses in a pair or series, and (3) repetition of a key term. I enjoy these three the most because, coming from a theater and music oriented background, I love anything that adds drama. These three strategies all add quite a bit of drama to an essay, and can easily catch a reader off guard. Catching the reader off guard can cause them to become more interested in the work that they are reading, much like short choppy lines in a dramatic scene or staccato notes in beautiful symphony can catch an audience off guard and engage them in the performance. I personally am trying to enhance my writing through practice like this, though in a more diary-like format. I have also been trying to improve my sentence variety through writing letters to my friends/boyfriend. I have actually been consciously attempting to include certain sentence structure types in these letters, as well as going back and rereading these letters and finding that I did include some types that I did not even know existed until a recent term Tuesday within these letters. Another way I have been trying to improve my writing is by adding more sentence structures within the final exam study list without them being requirements, though they are usually just practicing requirements which have already been taught/used in a previous essay. However, practicing never hurts anybody. there are many other ways I will be trying to improve my writing in the future, trying many new ways of writing included. Hopefully, many of the skills that I will learn throughout the rest of my senior year will carry on into college and make me the best writer that I could possibly be.
One aspect of writing that I generally have a problem with is redundancy. Strategy number two is a good way to avoid this dilemma. This sentence structure uses an elliptical pattern eliminating the need for a redundant verb in the second half of the sentence. Replacing the verb with a comma in this pattern adds more style and creativity to the sentence, making it more original and intelligent. I plan on utilizing this technique to add more sentence variety and to avoid reusing verbs in a single sentence. An example of this would be: Love in public is rejoiced; lust, reviled.
The strategy of number four is also one that appeals to me. In some sentences conjunctions such as “and” and “or” can be used in lists and then to join clauses as well. This sentence pattern eliminates this reuse and adds more style to the sentence as well. A lack of conjunctions is a problem that used to perplex me, but not anymore. I plan to use this in writing to avoid having an abundance of repetitive conjunctions. It is nice to have variety in the words used within sentences. An example of this is: Love is patient,kind,terrible, terrific.
A final strategy that I find interesting is strategy number thirteen. The intentional placement of a word outside of its usual placement adds a large degree of emphasis to the word that is being moved. This breaks up the predictability of the essay making it seems more scholarly. This is a very creative way to rearrange the sentence. Moving words to the front is only to be attempted by the well prepared and innovative minded, for it is an advanced writing technique. If implemented correctly, this greatly adds to the intelligence of ones essay. An example of this is: Frozen, the children braved the storm.
The Art of Styling Sentences has over 20 strategies for styling sentences; there are three I like the most. While I did just exemplify strategy #1 -- using a semicolon instead of a conjunction in a compound sentence -- in the previous sentence, this is not one of them. The first of my favorite strategies is strategy #3: this is using a colon and an explanatory statement in a compound sentence. Funnily enough, the sentence I just wrote that explains the strategy uses the strategy. I have also used this is my writing in this course at least once. Here is an example from the introduction of my manhood essay: “Well, to me there are three main defining characteristics: a man should be mature, wise, and independent from his parents.” The colon separates the two different parts of the sentence, and the second part explains the first part. The second of my favorite strategies is strategy #19a. Why? Well, it allows me to use short questions for dramatic effect like I just did. I used this in this course when I wrote the introduction to my causal essay. I used “Why is that?” as a question for dramatic effect after explaining that soccer seems to be relegated to second tier in the American professional sports scene. The third and final strategy I like the most is strategy #20. The deliberate fragment. Again, this was just done in the previous sentence as an example. I have used this in my comparison-contrast essay, too. My deliberate fragment in that essay was just one word: “Wrong.” This was used to emphasize that the Sioux Falls Canaries are not a minor league team, but an independent league team. I like these three strategies because it is fun and relatively easy to utilize them in my writing. In the future, I will try to use a couple of more of them in my essays.
Hillestad 6 I like number four, a series without the usual conjunction. Without the conjunction in the list, the sentence seems to flow smoother because the conjunction is not interrupting it. It makes the sentence sound much more intense. I like the idea of using conjunctions rather than commas too because there is a distinct rhythm to it. I like number eight, dependent clauses in a pair or series. I like how it uses a list of dependent clauses to make more of a point and make more emphasis. It would be an easy way to summarize the points you have made throughout the paragraph. However, I do not think I would want to use it often. It seems as though after a while the sentence gets too lengthy and you can forget what the sentence is talking about. I like number sixteen, paired construction. I like it because it is something that comes naturally while writing… or at least more natural than some of the other sentence styling techniques. I like it because there is a variety of ways to use it, and as long as you change the pairs, you can use it in many different types of essays. I am working to enhance my sentence styling by first becoming familiar with different sentence styles. I am trying to use a variety of different sentence styles in my essays and in everyday writing. I am trying to make my sentences flow better and become more interesting. One of the hardest parts of writing is trying to interest the reader and the only way to do that is to not be redundant. I hope using different sentence styles helps some of the redundancy in my essays. I hope that learning these styling techniques and this class strengthens my writing skills because I know I will have to write many more essays throughout my life.
One of the sentence styles that I enjoy using the most is the emphatic appositive after a colon. I like using this in my sentences for a few reasons: it gives emphasis on the latter part of a sentence and is interesting to read. Using a simple comma becomes boring and repetitive. By using a colon, one provides a variety that gives more excitement to a work. For example, in an essay that I recently composed for American Government with Mr. Grode, a sentence that I used was “If the government wishes to eliminate the deficit, the government must do two things: cut spending and raise taxes.” This sentence gives in my mind, an excellent use of an emphatic appositive after a colon.
Another sentence styling technique that I enjoy is the deliberate fragment. The deliberate fragment uses a very special technique. The sentence is grammatically incorrect, but it is this way for emphasis. An example of this would simply be the sentence, “No matter.” By using just these two words, one can make this sentence stand out. This could be used to provide emphasis to what is surrounding it as well.
I also enjoy putting the object or complement before the subject and verb. This provides a needed break from the repetitive subject plus verb style of sentences. An example of this type of styling would be “A lover of Mr. Christensen’s composition class is Riley Duncanson.” By placing the object or complement in front of the subject and verb, more emphasis is placed on the object or complement of the sentence. This also provides variation to a person’s sentences. If a person does not have variation, they will easily bore the reader.
I have been working hard to incorporate these types of sentences into my essays. I have also been using these styles in other classes such as government. I believe that this will help my writing improve vastly in the future.
The Art of Styling Sentences has exposed me to a plethora of examples I have not explored before. I hope to eventually use each style and with use, perhaps the varying types will begin to come naturally to me. The first sentence style that intrigued me was a deliberate fragment. Throughout my years of English instruction, the use of fragments has not been allowed. This is understandable as we must be taught as young children to write in complete thoughts that contain both a subject and a verb. However, deliberate phrases can add emphasis and also make the sound of the writing more appealing to the reader. People often speak in fragments, and often times in speeches fragments make for a strong effect. An example from my own writing appears in the intro of my Womanhood Essay: “Manhood. Womanhood. Adulthood. Three notions that are seemingly similar yet have three completely separate meanings.” I deliberately separated the words to create a strong first sentence of my essay. I really liked the structure of the dependent clauses in a pair or series and challenge myself to use in my next essay, the expansion assignment. This takes two or more subordinate clauses with parallel structure and puts them at the beginning or the end of a sentence. I am choosing to use this in my next essay because I feel that it could overemphasize the abundance of reasons listed. A sentence possibility for my newest essay could include: “Because women do not receive equal pay, because gender roles are still expected, because femininity is portrayed as a weak quality, women remain of a lower social status than men. The final sentence structure I admire from this long list is an emphatic appositive at the end after a colon. I often use colons in my writing structure because not only am I accustomed to using them, but I also feel that the effectively grab the reader’s attention. An example from my most recent essay is as follows: “As American citizens, it is incumbent of us that we understand and take actions to eliminate the contributing factors of sexual assault that include: no sexual autonomy, education, misogyny, and punishment.”
Guthmiller 6 Three strategies I like from The Art of Styling Sentences written by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker is Internal series of appositives or modifiers, prepositional phrase before the subject and the verb, and absolute construction.
I like the internal series of appositives or modifiers strategy because it cleverly adds specific information (necessary or not) into a sentence. This is a style that I am moderately comfortable using. Example: The Brandon Valley dance team won in all three of their dances--jazz, kick, and pom--in their most recent competition.
I like the Prepositional phrase strategy because it sets the scene even before you know who is performing an action. This is one strategy that I know how to use and am comfortable doing so. Example: Under the fallen tree branch, the bugs scurred on in search of food.
I like the absolute construction strategy because it is scholarly, and it adds a whole new dimension to the sentence that could have easily been styled in an overused way. This specific strategy I am not quite comfortable using yet but I wish to become an expert. Example: His hands shaking, the diabetic took his insulin.
While going over the plethora of strategies I noticed that I do not always go outside of my writing comfort zone and use some of the strategies that would enhance my writing. I think to enhance my sentence styling I need to be more aware of what types I may overuse and how I can change them to a style that I may not be used to using. Doing this may train my brain to be more creative with my sentence structures. Using different strategies would also challenge me and add layers to my writing. I hope that I can become an expert in all of the sentence styles by making an effort to use them correctly throughout this class.
Eichelberg pd. 2 One of my favorite types of sentences is the series without the usual conjunction. I think it stray from the normalcy that my writing can encounter. I think when used it really stops the reader in their tracks because it is not commonplace and therefore has a tendency to stand out. This can be a definite bonus when an essay is becoming too monotone, to jerk a reader out of their habitual reading boredom. I also believe that this type of sentence gives a deep impact with the reader. It implies no pause can be made in form of conjunction or it would ruin the impact in the sentence. I also like the repetition of a key term. In a focused essay this would make clear to the reader what exactly the author is trying to emphasize. Repetition is another tactic to entice the reader. It is as if a writer could use this sentence type in an intro to bait and hook the reader into continuing. The topic will draw interest with this sentence and definitely get the point across that the word used is the word meant to be the focus. Another tactic that I enjoy using is a short question for dramatic effect. I believe this is another example of how to draw a reader in during the intro. It entices them and makes them think. They can no longer just read, process, and spit out information like a machine. Instead they are forced to ponder what they think in context to the essay. When used correctly these questions can make for a not only intriguing writing, but a deep one. Because the reader has invested thought into it, it will be more interesting for them and a bigger sense of accomplishment for the writer. In my writing I have merely glanced at the Art of Styling Sentences, but now I have noticed many tactics I want to infuse into my own writing to make it great. I really will use this document more in an attempt to better my writing. As of now I am trying to just keep a wide variety of sentence so this will be highly useful.
When thinking about which three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I like the most, I came to some dead ends. I realized that I forget about varying sentences when I write because I am so focused on writing what I am thinking before I go back and change things. When it really comes to it, I found that my three favorite strategies are interrupting modifier between subject and verb, dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, and a series without the usual conjunction.
Starting with an interrupting modifier between subject and verb. Interrupting modifiers are rather easy to use because the modifier can be a single word, a phrase, or adjective or adverb. All you need is some type of punctuation, the suggested ones to use are commas, dashes,or parentheses. This writing style can be used to give more information or just a comment. I find these helpful because sometimes a comment or a small amount of information can turn into an unneeded fragment sentence. Example: Watercolor, a type of paint, is very versatile.
Going next to dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, these can be tricky and I struggle with these, but they challenge you to go outside of your comfort zone and become a better writer. Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series has multiple dependent or subordinate clauses with parallel structure that either begin or end the sentence. When first you start writing with this style it can be difficult because these sentences can seem extremely wordy. Example: Because I was lazy and because I dislike math, I did not get my homework done.
Last, but not least, is a series without the usual conjunctions. I have noticed that a lot of authors use this sentence style to create a certain emphasis on things. This style creates a rhythm that the conjunction usually interrupts but if you when you put objects or items in a parallel series, it adds to the rhythm. Example: Marina was frustrated, confused, excited.
When a person first starts composing writing pieces, sentence variation is a hard concept to grasp. It might cross their minds to only tell the story their essay is trying to portray without any thought to making it interesting by using different forms of sentences. I even thought it to be impossible for a time; until I realized it came naturally. When I started looking for different sentences in my own work, I found a lot more than I realized I even used. It was incredible to see how mature my writing was and how much less work it was going to need to improve. When scouring the book, The Art of Styling Sentences by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, Roberta Walker, the three sentences that I liked were: a series without the usual conjunction, an introductory series of appositives, the figurative sentence.
A series without the usual conjunction is just like a sentence with a conjunction, but the conjunction is not there to disturb the flow of the sentence. For example: Concentration, mood, brain function, grades, eyesight--to name a few--can all be improved with a few smarter decisions a day, is a sentence that I used in my causal essay. I liked this form of a sentence because it gave excitement and difference to it.
An introductory series of appositives are used in our causal essays. They introduce a series of appositives in order to explain what the noun in the sentence is doing. To create this sentence type, you have to insert a dash after a series of nouns Here is an example from my own causal essay: Laughing, smiling, and hugging--these are all symptoms of a healthy relationship. I am trying to add more of these types of sentences to my writing now because I understand how to use them; the book, The Art of Styling Sentence has helped me.
A figurative sentence is exactly like a simile just without the use of “like” or “as”. For example: Eating healthy is a primary ingredient in the recipe of a better body, is an example of comparing eating healthy to ingredients in a recipe that will give you the ideal body health. I enjoy reading writing that uses figurative sentences because it gives the reader something they can relate to without being personal, and it makes the topic more understandable.
The three strategies that I like the most from The Art of Styling Sentences are: a short question for dramatic effect, a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and an antimetabole.
My favorite strategy is a short question for dramatic effect. A short question gives the reader a wake up call. This strategy is my favorite because it makes the reader pay attention. These questions can be highly dramatic; they can even be on the extreme side. By asking a short question, you can keep the reader thinking. In my causal essay I used short question for dramatic effect many times to keep the reader interested and intrigued. An example from my causal essay is: Are you born a criminal? Another example is: How does one become a criminal?
My second favorite strategy is a full sentence as an interrupting modifier. This type of interrupting modifier uses dashes to show that the information is important, and it is usually placed between a subject and a verb. It provides additional information to the sentence, giving it more detail. I like this strategy because it helps the reader understand the sentence better. In my causal essay I used a full sentence as an interrupting modifier to describe what broken homes are. Here is the example: Broken homes--these are homes where only one parent is present to strive and strain for the cause--can also affect a child’s likelihood of being involved in criminal behavior.
The last strategy I enjoy is an antimetabole. An antimetabole is when two elements of a sentence are presented and then reversed. I like this styling sentence strategy because antimetaboles make the reader really think. An example of a antimetabole is: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Antimetaboles enhance your writing, by adding drama and making your writing more interesting.
These strategies are just a few of the many writing techniques that I can use to improve my writing. I am going to continue to use The Art of Styling Sentences to improve my writing and my writing style. Using these techniques will help me to enhance my writing, and make my writing more enjoyable for readers.
Any given written work fails or succeeds on the merits of its sentences. An article about a very dry subject can be made interesting through clever sentence usage while one about the most exciting topic possible can be rendered unbearable with poor sentence structure. Because of this, it is imperative that a writer is constantly working to improve their sentence variety.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very useful tool for doing this. Three of the sentence strategies found within stand out to me the most. Absolute construction, same word repeated in parallel structure, and interrupting modifier between subject and verb. While I believe that all of the strategies described in the Art of Styling Sentences are useful, I think these are especially so.
Absolute construction involves using a noun and participle in a sentence that modifies the entire sentence. These are especially useful for offering an explanation for an event or situation. A couple examples of this would be: "His efforts at reform failing, Gorbachev found himself on thin ice," or "All other options exhausted, a coup was the only choice."
Using the same word in a parallel structure is another very good strategy. If used well, it can be an attractive way of describing something in your writing. An example: "The USSR at this time was divided--divided by ethnicity and divided by ideology."
An interrupting modifier between the subject and verb is the third and final strategy I chose. Properly utilized, it can offer more description to your sentence and make it more aesthetically pleasing. An example of this would be: "Mikhail Gorbachev, ever the optimist, believed the Soviet Union could be saved until the moment it fell."
I think these are the best strategies to be found with the Art of Styling Sentences and I am working to incorporate them into my writing to make me a more complete writer.
When going through “The Art of Styling Sentences” I found three types of sentence structures that I really liked and would help make my sentence structures in my own essay more diverse. The three that I chose were repetition of a key term, hypophora, and procatalepsis.
The first one I chose was repetition of a key term. This is where you repeat a word or some variation of the word to make is seem more emphasized and stand out from the rest. It is used to help make a sentence seem powerful to the reader. I liked this one, because I thought of how I could use it to help enhance my causal essay to my readers. I could use it when talking about eating disorders and how young adults or teenagers are struggling with their shapes and dying. There is also a slight variation to this type of sentence. It is when you are repeating the same word in a parallel structure. This means that you are not just repeating the same word over and over but you are using it in verb form instead of it being a noun, like the regular repetition of a key term.
Examples of this are: Teenagers are dying everyday from eating disorders. Dying from the battle of trying to fit into the society we have created. This would be an example of the variation form. The regular form example would be: We all have our own battles. Battles on the field and battles off of the field.
The second style of sentence writing I chose was hypophora. I chose this one because I realized that I have been using them wrong in one of my essays. I have been thinking I’m using this type of sentence structure, when asking rhetorical questions, but I’m not. Rhetorical questions and a hypophora are nothing alike. They are both questions in an essay, but a hypophora is a question that the author is answering, not trying to be sarcastic or obvious, but to make an emphasis and help answer the questions that the reader might actually have in their head at the time.
An example of this is: Why would a teenage girl have an eating disorder? Teenagers could have problems with their appearance and see their body as being too big or too small causing them to start having the disorders.
Lastly I chose procatalepsis. I chose to write about this because it is a type of writing where the author anticipates what the other group or person is going to say and the author takes what they are going to say and shoots it down before the other group has a chance to say it as their argument.
An example of this is: It usually said by many people that if people don’t maintain their weight they will become obese and the obesity rate in America will rise, but by sending this message to kids it leads to kids thinking that the are too fat and dieting, when they don’t need too.
I am going to try and use these three styles of sentences in my writing to help enhance my style. I think if I use these to help diversify my sentence my readers will not become bored and it will make my writing seem more scholarly.
19a. A short question for dramatic effect I like using the short questions for dramatic effect because it engages the audience. It is an educational time to stop and reflect. The opinion and thought of the reader can be brought out when certain questions arise. I personally enjoy being engaged in a book or paper. Having talks about what has happened gets started with these questions; my mom and I take time to stop and talk about it. Getting some perspective from others helps open everyone’s perspective. The question can be a foreshadow of what is coming. Readers will want to know the answer to that question and do not want to be left hanging: they read on. I use these sometimes and hope to use them more to keep the reader interested and thinking for themselves. Ex: How could she possibly do that? Ex: What action will he take next:
7. An internal series of appositives or modifiers An internal series of appositives or modifiers help paint the picture. These are words or phrases that explain the subject. I enjoy using this because I am a very visual person. Painting the picture for me makes the story or paper more striking. The appositives or modifiers could be taken out but that creates a boring sentence. I would like to use these more to make my paper more colorful. I will read through my paper and when something is simple, I will enhance it to be better. Ex: My own standards for life-respect,trust, and caring-are needed everyday for a rewarding life. Ex: The dress she wore-dark blue, long, and sparkling-turned heads and silenced the room.
4. A series without the usual conjunctions A series without the usual conjunctions shows that a person knows different ways to show lists. It can be good to have a list with commas or add extra emphasis with "and" or "or". I can look at when I list ideas and mix up the ways I do. This way adds different varieties of sentences. Ex: On our trip we baked and sung and skied and scuba dived. Ex: My children could chose to play or paint or watch a movie.
After viewing all the different types of sentence styles; my favorites are: compound sentence with an explanatory statement, a series of balanced pairs, and a short dramatic question. I enjoy using a compound sentence with an explanatory statement because it leaves me some room to finish a thought, instead of me becoming redundant in my writing. The sentence style gives a break in my use of compounds, compound-complex, and complex structures. Another reason that I enjoy using the structure is, it seems to make the paper seem more friendly. It is like adding in an afterthought that needed to be said: or else the other reasons would not make sense. It is like a brief reprieve of thought before jumping back into the meet of the paper. A series of balanced pairs creates a rhythm that draws me into the topic in which is being written about. When I see it in the books I read I like the contrast they illustrate with the pairings of different words. I have also observed that many songs I listen to use series of balanced pairs in choruses in which have maken the song that much more catchy. In writing the style emphasizes an importance of the statements being made. I hope to use this writing style to advance my writing more often. I enjoy posing questions to the reader that is reading my essays and writings. I am all about thinking outside of the circle. If my ideas and reasoning is able to pause someone else into thinking more deeply about a topic I am passionate about, I feel successful. In fiction books that I read, they come up constantly. It is more of trying to guess what will happen next; it is changing perspective of a narrow minded person. Questions test the boundaries of thinking. The question “why” is absolutely amazing. It has lead to many discoveries and “Aha” moments. If my “dramatic” question lead to someones “aha” that is my goal.
The three most enhancing strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences are anadiplosis, procatalepsis, and absolute construction (noun plus participle). These three stood out to me the most because they are effective and supplement the essay an enormous amount. They all are efficient in different ways and are probably more useful in different types of essays. I chose anadiplosis because with its rhythmic structure the reader is more likely to remember the sentence. An anadiplosis is when you start a series with the same word you ended in. You will achieve the structure of AB, BC, CD. An example is “The pondering man explored the mountains, the mountains peered into the sea, and the sea contained the pondering animals of the mysterious world above.” Anadiplosis is useful in essays because of how its flowiness and connectivity from one subject to the other. Secondly, procatalepsis is very important in essays, especially debate-type essays, because it responds to any opposing arguments before they are asked. This is important because it shows the reader that you did not only research one side of your topic, but that you are completely informed of the topic. There are thousand of possible examples; one is “The Americans should not have dropped an atomic bomb on Japan because of all the innocent bystanders killed, but it also saved millions of soldiers from fighting and possibly dying in battle with more years to come. The bomb ended the war.” Finally, absolute construction (noun plus participle) is important because it provides sentence variety into your essay. It is different because it modifies the whole sentence not just one word or phrase. It generally explains a cause or condition. An example is "Bethany, her worries rising, asked her parents what she should do." I am trying to add sentence variety into my essays because I lack difference. If I add more sentence variety it will make my essays more enjoyable and easier to read.
My favorite Art of Styling sentences are the dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and appositive phrase begins the sentence. I believe these styling devices are great ways to create a essay that will stand out. Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series is a great way to diversify your sentence structure. I think it is easy for me to create sentences in this format. Single modifier out place for emphasis I also like this styling because it changes the way the sentence is read and will keep the reader entertained. The appositive phrase begins the sentence i also use frequently because it gives an more smooth way of reading appositives. I think it creates a better sentence structure that can be read more fluently. One way I am working to create better sentence styling is by not starting each sentence with the same word. By varying my sentence structure, it creates sentences that are more sophisticated. Another way I am creating better sentences is by using the different ways i can differentiate my sentences from the new material i am learning. This, though difficult at times, makes an essay much more enjoyable to read and also write.
Some examples of dependent clauses in a pair or in a series: Because she was grounded the night before, Karly did not go to the bonfire. Since everyone else left the dance, Steve decided it was time to go.
Some examples of a single modifier out of place for emphasis: Scared, the girl left the haunted house. Happy, the woman bought the last turkey.
Some examples of appositive phrase begins the sentence: The King of Rock n’ Roll, Elvis left a legacy. The King of the Jungle, the lion prowls for food.
Having the correct sentence structure and sentence style can make or break an essay. After reading The Art of Styling Sentences, the three strategies I like the most are absolute construction, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the figurative sentence(similie).
Absolute construction is hard to write for most people. Personally, it’s been challenging, but I love a challenge. What makes writing with absolute construction so hard is that it can easily become confused with other grammar styles. I like absolute construction because it provides details to enhance the writing. It also explains a cause or condition that has happened or is going to happen. In my expansion essay I wrote an example of this. Ex. All instruments considered, the trumpet is the teenage stage of life.
A single modifier out of place for emphasis is one of my favorite strategies because it is used to spice up writings. Many sentences lack flare. Mixing up sentences and their structures by having a single modifier out of place changes the style and makes the writing more interesting. Ex. Frozen, the little boy waddled to the warmth of the fireplace.
The job of writers is to put a picture in the readers mind. One way this can happen is by using figurative sentences or similes. I like this strategy because, to me, similes are easy to identify in a piece of writing. Similes are used to compare an idea with an object or person. It also allows the writing to become imaginable in the reader’s mind. Ex. The diamond was like the bright, sparkly sun.
I have added many of these strategies in my essays, but a couple of my essays are lacking in these three categories. My goals are to enhance my writings with many of these strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences.
The three most interesting strategies that attracted my attention the most, were an introductory series of appositives, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. These three grabbed my attention more than the others because they are unique and are not used as often in high school student’s essays. I am going to incorporate these styles of writing into my essays from now on. I think a single modifier out of place for emphasis is the most engaging of the three. It can create more style to someone’s essay. I think the out of place modifier really adds to the sentence and makes it more interesting. The modifier can be an adjective, adverb, or even a prepositional phrase. You could have the single modifier at the end of the sentence without a comma and just have a plain simple sentence, but then the sentence would have no style. Here is an example of a single modifier out of place for emphasis I used in my Causal Essay: Scared, Maggie moved back to where her childrens’ father lived. The introductory series of appositives is writing a sentence the opposite of most writers. I think this is extremely good because it defines the writer from a “good” writer to a “great” writer. This helps give the reader a different way at looking at the sentence. I just added an introductory series of appositives to my Expansion Essay; I said, “Family, friends, celebrities, faith, mistakes, and decisions- all push me to become a better woman everyday.” I could have said, “The things that push me everyday to become a better woman are my friends, family, celebrities, faith, mistakes, and my decisions.” Saying it this way is not as interesting and does not have any style. The last strategy of writing that caught my eye was a simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. This one can be tricky because you want to make sure you use it correctly. Also, you do not want to use it too often in your essay. It really does add a dramatic effect to an essay because this style of writing is not used a ton. I plan on putting a simple sentence for dramatic effect in my Expansion Essay. An example I could use is, “Lessons learned.”. I could put this into my Expansion Essay somewhere since I am expanding my Womanhood Essay. I will definitely refer back to this book to help with sentence variety in my essays. I will be using an introductory series of appositives, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect in my Expansion Essay.
I like interrupting modifiers between a subject and a verb, introductory or concluding participial phrases, and the deliberate fragment. I like the interrupting modifiers because they seem to have a subtle impact on the sentence if done right. One of the examples from the book is thus, “A small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, can make millions think.” It seems to be full of deep meaning, but it is only a modifier. I also enjoy how they can add detail to the subject without distracting from the purpose of the sentence. For example, if I were to say “Girls who are blonde and brunette can be friends,” it looks cluttered and too busy. However, if I say “Girls, blonde and brunette, can be friends,” it looks both visually and phonetically appealing. I enjoy the introductory or concluding participial phrases because, quite simply, I like the way a sentence sounds with these in them. Creating higher quality sentences, the book was the student’s favorite. It sounds more intelligent, honestly it does. Even at the end it creates a certain effect. I ate an extra cheese slice of pizza, mesmerized by the long strings of cheesy glory that hung down like vines. That last example might be a bit excessive, but in my defense, I just got off of work at Pizza Ranch. Working with pizza all night can have a long-lasting detrimental effect. Either way, participial phrases are much more fun to read. Finally, I take joy in deliberate fragments. I have always liked them, even if some people do not. If you use them sparsely and in the right moment, they can create a deeply meaningful sentence. By repeating something, you can add emphasis to what you just said so that it creates a deeper impact on the reader. Here’s an example; “It was the pizza man all along. The pizza man.” By repeating “the pizza man” I draw attention to the fact that I was surprised that it was the pizza man who did some dastardly deed. I am showing the reader that I am astounded and affected by this revelation. I am working to improve my sentence styling by including more variations. I am not very good at doing this, so it is a long-term goal of mine to make some changes. Variation is key!
The Art of Styling Sentences is an extremely helpful tool to further enhance writing in future essays. In particular, three sentence types that I found overly appealing and that would help enhance my writing are compound sentence with elliptical construction, an introductory series of appositives, and repetition of a key term. A compound sentence with elliptical construction can be used to not use the same verb twice in a sentence. I fall guilty to becoming repetitive with my verb usage far too often in my essays. Using elliptical construction helps that problem. In order to use this method, you need one common verb, two subjects, and two direct objects along with a semi-colon. One example of this would be- Football is the game; winning, the goal; losing, not an option. Another would be- Dr. Talcott is the principal; Mr. “C”, a teacher. The next useful tool to help enhance my writing is using an introductory set of appositives. In this tool, you use a series of nouns to rename other nouns later in the sentence. These nouns will be followed by a dash and a complete sentence following these dashes. This can be useful to me because at times, I struggle to put emphasis on certain areas that need emphasis. And if I do add emphasis, I do it I do it in a boring or repetitive way. An example of an introductory set of appositives is-- Hard Work, sportsmanship, skill--all attributes obtained by a football players. Another is-- Procrastinator, short, strong--all words that may make Riley Frantzen come to mind. The last helpful tool to enhance my writing is repetition of a key term. This once agains adds the emphasis that I at times lack or become too redundant with in my essays. Doing this, you repeat the word exactly or repeat some form of that word. You also use commas or dashes to show that this is coming. One example of this is-- We played in a great football game against Roosevelt, a football game that had delays, interceptions, and memorable moments. Another example would be-- Reid is a very nice person--a nice person who would go out of his way to make others better.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very good way to add more flair and spice to your essay. The best part about it is the changes that it recommends are fairly easy to interpret and its examples are easy to follow and understand. It would be very easy to add the new sentences to an old essay and make it almost two times better than it was without it. One of my favorite ones that I believe that I will be able to adapt to my essays is 19a. a short question for dramatic effect. I think it is a good way to get the reader to think about the topic you are discussing and gain an opinion for themselves. Also I think it a good way to keep them interested in your topic and to also to get them to pay closer attention as well. I like to use questions as the beginning of some of my essays since they are a good way to get the audience's attention. Yet, I also think that I should included short sentences in the middle of my essays since they are a good way to keep interest. I also think that infinitive phrase beginning is an interesting style of sentence that I am interested in using. I do not usually use infinitives, which is something that I should work on. Along with using infinitives I should also try to use them as the subject of my sentence and also as an infinitive phrase in the beginning of the sentence. It adds a lot of spice to the essay and even lets it flow better as well. I also would like to add short sentences for dramatic effect to some of my essays. I think it would be a good way to point attention at a certain point of my essay and it will also hopefully grab the readers attention to the sentences after it. Although, they can also be overused and make your essay sound choppy just like intentional fragments. I am hoping to increase my sentence structures by adding styles from The Art of Styling Sentences. I am also still working on mixing up the use of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex in order to not have boring sentences with the same length. Also styles such as short questions, infinitive phrases, and short sentences will be easy styles for me to add to my expansion essay in order to interest and grab my audience's attention more. I think that I will be looking back at the different ways to style sentences throughout the year, because there are many different ways to form a sentence to increase interest.
I have a use of a hypophora in my causal essay. I started by saying “So what do these health programs cover, you may ask?” and then the following sentences after I explained what the programs are and what they cover.
Though the scintillating titles of some methods (chiasmus, procatalepsis, anadiplosis) are enticing, the sentence enhancement stratagems that capture my interest and devotion are 12, Introductory or concluding participial phrase, 19, the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and N26, the metaphor. Participial phrases are arguably the most phenomenal of phrases. The phrase works as an adjective or adverb, long enough to have substance, but not distracting from the general effect of the sentence. My perusal perceives these serendipitous flavor bursts as sly asides--slipping description into a sentence without allowing the audience to be distracted. Placed at the start of a sentence, participial phrases pique interest by delaying the subject-verb pairing for which we search. When initially encountering a sentence, the reader latches onto the subject and verb as the important meaning to be derived from a sentence. Participial phrases (and any other subject delay) placed at the start of the phrase encourage the reader to continue, seeking gratification for the desire to mentally classify a sentence’s meaning. In a contrary but complementary way, ending sentences with participial phrases delays the period. This tactic tenaciously grasps attention until the bitter end, invigorating the sentence and securing the reader to the sentence. The thought seems completed, but the participial phrase leaves a fake-out comma in the dust of the construction, drawing the attention back before the closure of the period. Short, simple sentences can react mutualistically with longer counterparts, raising the intensity of the passage. Longer sentences can be flowery, beautiful, breathtaking, but the shortness of a brief sentence encapsulates the attention of the reactants and emphasizes the expression. Brevity is an undervalued writing trait. Pretty words and impeccable figurative language are incredible tools--but all attention is drawn to a short sentence when it punctures the normal interweaving pattern of intense words, metaphors, and basically, fluff. Glorious fluff, but fluff. Short sentences draw focus due to the visual and mental imbalance created. One part of the grandiloquent writings that short sentences perforate is the metaphor. Similes and metaphors are used to enliven ideas. Though an idea may contain merit and intrigue, introducing thoughts with figurative sentences links neurons in the reader’s brain, causing them to make connections between a nebulous idea and concrete substance. When used effectively, metaphors make the hair on your neck stand at attention, a tingling sensation washes down your spine, and your eyes widen into saucers. The beautiful potential of each and every sentence can be achieved through metaphor. Caution, though: metaphors in formal writing are as annoying overused as they are underused. Poetry uses unlimited metaphors, alliteration, and wordplay, but some formal compositions can be sullied by the attempts at figurative language. Metaphors ought to be used sparingly to increase impact.
I am working to enhance my sentence styling daily, integrating the ideas i learn from such texts, and more than not, recognizing where they occur naturally in my writing. Taking Composition 1 has, more than anything else, heightened my awareness to writing styles and voice in every piece of writing I read. In my essays, I have become more daring in my writing style, including phrases or snippets that I may have left out because they seemed to sound a little out of the ordinary, or might have been used incorrectly. Semicolons are more prevalent in my writing; I can recognize when the ideas of two sentences are linkable to the point of becoming one. Another piece of punctuation that I avoided was parentheses. (I felt unsure of their use, and somehow connected them with immature writing.) Fragments are really impactful if used stylistically, but I shied away from these as well, shuddering to think that a reader might not understand my style, and believe they encountered a neophytic mistake. Untrue. Even if they do not recognize the brilliant writing technique, readers tend to read over fragments without realizing they have done so. Overall, I am working to incorporate the writing styles I know how to use in my everyday writing without hesitation.
House 2 After reading The Art of Styling Sentences, I have concluded my three favorite types of sentence structures: paired constructions (option 16), introductory or concluding participial phrase (option 12), and emphatic appositive at end, after comma (option 10). With the intents of further adding these into my writing along with other styles, I hope to improve my writing.
The paired construction is interesting, and I find that I use it often without realizing it. I find myself speaking this a lot more than writing it. Paired constructions help add parallelism to the writing without getting repetitive. Some examples would be as follows: 1. Not only do teachers teach, but also they inspire their students. 2. The more the marching band practices, the less their chances of getting beaten this weekend are. 3.Just as I am worried for the Composition 1 final, so too are my friends. 4.Not only does James participate in marching band, but also football.
The introductory or concluding participial phrase is something I have found myself to begin to use quite a bit in this class and the essays I have produced. An example of concluding participial phrase can be found in my classification essay: Every member must work well together, listening and blending to the sounds surrounding them. Another example, this time an introductory participial phrase, from my classification essay may be: Trying to perfect their own music and drill, the Perfectionists can often be found in the practice room during free periods and out on the field at night marching through the show. An example from my causal essay is “Seeing their students everyday, teachers have the ability to formulate how their students view the world and the people around them.”
I find using the emphatic appositive at the end of a sentence after a comma to be rather challenging but also effective. An example from my causal essay would be: teachers have the opportunity to do something in their job that others cannot: laugh everyday.
I am working to enhance my writing style by using a variety of sentence structures. Often times when I am writing, I find that one paragraph can be filled of all the same type of sentence, usually longer. I find that by inserting shorter sentences at times can help completely change the tone of my essay. I also need to begin starting my sentences with phrases other than “there is/are” and other phrases like that because they are weak and boring to read. By using some of the examples above, I add variety to my essay and make it more interesting to read.
The first strategy that caught my eye was compound sentence with explanatory statement. The structure of this type of sentence creates a compound statement then has a semicolon. The semicolon is followed by a short simple sentence. The short sentence is right straight to the point. Creating the explanation at the end of the sentence make me feel like the sentence has great variation. I enjoy the little explanation at the end, which is the only reason I like this type of strategy. The second strategy I chose was a series without the usual conjunction. I feel as if this strategy is used to give many reasons or adjectives to the subject and sentence. Knowing that you can use commons or conjunctions is nice for the different variations of this strategy. Sometimes it is easier to write when you can use different variations of the same type of sentence structure. Yet the sentences are the same form of strategy. Finally my third strategy that I was influenced by was the hypophora. I have noticed I used many questions in all of my essays because I want the reader to become attached to the essay right away. The hypophora is a question that is asked to the reader and then answered right in the essay. In my diabetes causal/expansion essays I used a question asking “is the food that is gathered on the plate portioned correctly?” I then answered it by stating what a portion should be and the specific ratios of each food group. Also I stated that portions can be determined by gender, weight, height, and exercise level. My favorite strategy is the compound sentence with explanatory statement. This sentence structure used two different grammatical structures; compound and simple. I think I am going to fit this in my essays more often because they fit very nicely. This strategy was also the most appealing out of the three I chose. I am working to put different variations in my essays. The essays that have more variation do not seem monotone when reading them. They also keep the reader’s attention longer.
The first strategy that caught my eye was compound sentence with explanatory statement. The structure of this type of sentence creates a compound statement then has a semicolon. The semicolon is followed by a short simple sentence. The short sentence is right straight to the point. Creating the explanation at the end of the sentence make me feel like the sentence has great variation. I enjoy the little explanation at the end, which is the only reason I like this type of strategy. The second strategy I chose was a series without the usual conjunction. I feel as if this strategy is used to give many reasons or adjectives to the subject and sentence. Knowing that you can use commons or conjunctions is nice for the different variations of this strategy. Sometimes it is easier to write when you can use different variations of the same type of sentence structure. Yet the sentences are the same form of strategy. Finally my third strategy that I was influenced by was the hypophora. I have noticed I used many questions in all of my essays because I want the reader to become attached to the essay right away. The hypophora is a question that is asked to the reader and then answered right in the essay. In my diabetes causal/expansion essays I used a question asking “is the food that is gathered on the plate portioned correctly?” I then answered it by stating what a portion should be and the specific ratios of each food group. Also I stated that portions can be determined by gender, weight, height, and exercise level. My favorite strategy is the compound sentence with explanatory statement. This sentence structure used two different grammatical structures; compound and simple. I think I am going to fit this in my essays more often because they fit very nicely. This strategy was also the most appealing out of the three I chose. I am working to put different variations in my essays. The essays that have more variation do not seem monotone when reading them. They also keep the reader’s attention longer.
The Art of Styling Sentences is very important to todays world. With the amount of essays that are written today you must have different styles within you sentences. Otherwise essays would be comparable to a monotone voice talking for hours on end. Style is needed to add some spice to the essay and grab the reader and make them wish to read more and more. My favorites to use are number twenty, twenty six, and nineteen A. The reason I like the deliberate fragment is because of the way it is supposed to grab the readers attention. The reader sees the emphasis used with the deliberate fragment. You must be careful as to how often you use this type of style because you could kill the impact it is supposed to have and that will make the reader less interested if you continually use it. I also like to use figurative sentences. When you use figurative sentences in your writing it creates an image in the readers mind. This also helps the reader connect with what you are talking about throughout your essay. It is also helpful when the reader isn’t quite sure what something means and then once you compare it to something that they do know it will help them understand. The short question for emphasis is also a great way to incorporate people within your writings. It makes the reader stop and think about what they have read or what they know and see if they can answer your question. If they can’t it intrigues them to continue to read on into the essay to see if they can find the answer within your writing. I am working within my Causal essay to input deliberate fragments to attract readers farther into my essay. I’m also working to change up my sentence styles to make the reading less of a drag and more exciting to the reader.
I like the strategies of an introductory set of appositives, interrupting modifier between subject and verb, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis from The Art of Styling Sentences. An introductory set of appositives appeals to me because it gives examples of the overall topic and helps the reader better understand what, specifically, the author is referring to or writing about. Including an introductory set of appositives in one’s writing enhances the overall composition and clarifies any confusing points. An interrupting modifier between subject and verb is helpful to writing by helping one understand the actual meaning of the subject. Use of an interrupting modifier between subject and verb also helps clarify the writing and create a more enjoyable composition to read. A single modifier out of place is yet another way to bring clarity to one’s writing. When I think of the memorable compositions I have read, I reminisce the works that were comprehensible and smooth to read. These three strategies are necessary to that of praiseworthy works. In my essay, I used each of these strategies to help my readers further understand what I was trying to say. I believe each strategy was used correctly, made my composition easier to read, and succeeded in clarifying any vague topics. Using these strategies is a great way to enhance anyone’s writing. In my essay, I used the introductory set of appositives in my sentence that states: Low self esteem, self harm, and suicides--devastating ways some cope with difficult issues-- are oftentimes related, directly or indirectly, to modeling, the industry, and the audience of the industry. In this case, “low self esteem, self harm, and suicides” are the introductory set of appositives, explaining the devastating ways to cope with oftentimes difficult issues in the modeling industry. In the sentence Modeling--once thought to be praiseworthy--is now a subject of great controversy (TRUE Model Blog & CBSNews), “--once thought to be praiseworthy--” is the interrupting modifier between subject and verb. In this case, this modifier reestablishes what “modeling” means. An example of a single modifier out of place for emphasis can be represented by “a bird” in the sentence: A cardinal, a bird, is a beautiful red color which makes it easy to spot when bird watching. I believe all the strategies for styling sentences are important but these three are my favorite.
Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series Within my own writing and other composers’ works, I feel as though dependent clauses in a pair or in a series help strengthen one’s writing. When looking at the first example, it is evident that it allows for a stronger conclusion. Each dependent clause provides new reasoning for the thesis which can create a much stronger ending of an essay. With this example I have knowledge that I could potentially use in my essay. It would bode well into the conclusion of my causal essay. Therefore, summarizing all of my main points into one cohesive sentence.
The deliberate fragment I also feel as this could be useful towards the end of many of my own paragraphs. It’s short and sweet! In my causal essay I very easily could integrate this when speaking of the NFL legend Brett Favre. A legendary quarterback. A powerful passer. This could give strength to my essay as it shows the reader in a simple way characteristics of Brett Favre. In a simpler sentence, the meaning can carry more!
Emphatic appositive at end, after a colon In the example shown I can clearly see how this literary technique can jump out at a reader. It renames the subject in an interesting, and powerful way. It also can be used to rename a direct object like the second example. By listing the examples of cactus needles and rattlesnakes it creates much better sentence flow.
I plan to use these 3 tactics in upcoming essays. This will allow for a much more pleasing essay to read. These are truly key components to The Art of Styling Sentences. I am working to enhance my sentence styling by using some of the examples in the document. Reading through my work to make sure my sentences flow together nicely helps strengthen my essay.
I like Strategy 7, “An internal series of appositives or modifiers”, this is great because even within this one method, there are three different ways to go about it. It can be done by using commas, dashes, or parenthesis. Each different technique implies a different way of reading it, and this fact alone amazes me. Here is an example of Strategy 7: Warriors of the force (the Jedi, and the Sith) have fought for centuries. I also enjoy Strategy 10, “Emphatic appositive at end, after a colon”, because it is very unique. While reading I do not encounter these types of sentences very often; but when they occur they snag your attention. The suspense of saving the appositive until the end, and then placing it after a colon makes reading exciting. Provided is an example of Strategy 10: Force users around the galaxy have the same weapon: a lightsaber. A final strategy that specifically drew my attention, is Strategy 13, “A single modifier out of place for emphasis”. A fairly simple strategy, easily implemented into many sentences but manages to work wonders. These type of sentences are easy to visualize, making the reading much more sensational. Placing the modifier in the beginning sets the mood for the entire sentence; all done with one word. An example of this being: Powerful, the force is. In conclusion, The Art of Styling Sentences is full of different ways to enhance an individual’s writing; with just a few picked out, delving into this can make anyone a better writer.
I personally am working to enhance my sentence styling by trying to find topics that interest me. Also I try to experiment with words, and do my best to refrain from writing in bland, common sentence structure. Reading all of these different styles of sentences is also something I believe will enhance my writing, and while reading them I will try to form my own examples of each, making more comfortable with each style.
Burkman 2 The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I like most would be 1. Compound Sentence : semicolon, no conjunction; 7a. A variation: a single appositive or a pair; and 12. Introductory or concluding participial phrases. I like the idea of using a semicolon to bring two similar ideas together. I feel the use of conjunctions can bore the reader if the author uses too many of them. I also think a semicolon brings more attention to the second part of the sentence. The reader does not have to see another “and, or, but”; seeing the semicolon makes their brain think a little more as they the semicolon is not as common as conjunctions. Examples: The student is ready to graduate; preparing to move on in the world. The dog is running extremely fast; the rabbit trying to escape for its life. The strategy of using a single appositive or a pair of appositives is a unique way to explain or describe an idea. The use of an appositive also saves room. The author does not have to take an extra sentence to explain who “his doctor” is. Examples: The boy went to see his doctor, Dr. Smith. His boss, Bob Rutger, gave him a promotion. Using an introductory or concluding participial phrase seems to be something I like to use in my writings. They add variety to the writings. The phrases keep an essay from getting boring and repetitive. Examples: Hitting the ball, Terry began to run towards first base. The children were ecstatic, impressed by the hit. I am working to replace sentences that could be of improvement with these strategies. I am also trying to naturally insert these strategies as I write.
98 comments:
11.Styling sentences, dependent or independent, may be a difficult topic to grasp and may seem forced. Once I started to read The Art of Styling Sentences, written by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker, I began to understand the varieties of sentence structures that are used to spice up writings. I used to receive comments on my written work all the time about sentence variety. I never knew what the teacher was talking about. I simply thought that they meant I was starting my sentence with the same word too often. Therefore, I would vary the first word of each sentence throughout my essay. Now, I understand. 19a.What caused this change? By reading this, I have found clarity. Not only do I understand, but I can now incorporate these sentence structures in my own works to enhance my writing quality.
Some of my favorite sentence structures featured in The Art of Styling Sentences included using a short question for dramatic effect. I actually used this structure a few times throughout my causal essay.
Examples from my causal essay:
Does heredity really affect our weight?
They are exciting right?
I also really like the sentence structure known as the antimetabole. I enjoy this kind of sentence because it really gives the reader some time to think. I did not use this type of sentence in my essay, but I plan to make use of it sometime--whether it be in an essay, worksheet, or presentation.
Examples of antimetaboles:
When the tough gets going, the going gets tough.
We eat to live, not live to eat.
The third sentence structure I really appreciate is the negative-positive sequence. I like this because a lot of people are very negative towards writing, therefore seem to write negatively. This structure will allow those who write negatively to write with a hint of a positive note. I also did not incorporate this structure into my writing, but I plan on it eventually.
Examples of negative-positive sequence”
An adult does not have to agree with the government, but she must believe in them.
A human does not have to love their food, but he must eat to survive.
In my opening pargraph, I labeled a few sentences because I used some other sentence structures that I did not define. The numbers correspond with the numbers on the document titled, The Art of Styling Sentences--Grade Enhancer! I plan on following this grade enhancing document to improve not only my writing, but my grade throughout the year.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are, hypophora, introductory series of appositives, and full sentence as an interrupting modifier.
First, a hypophora is a figure of speech in which the writer asks a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question. One might relate a rhetorical question to a hypophora but that is not correct. A rhetorical question the answer is not provided since it does not require an answer. However, in a hypophora, the writer first poses a question and then answers that question immediately. This type of writing technique helps capture the attention of the audience. Raising a question the reader might have and then answering it helps the reader understand what the writer is trying to get across. I like using this writing technique because I like raising questions in my writing. Sometimes I leave the question just as a rhetorical question therefore I am going to try to work on answering the question to make it a hypophora. This is a great technique to use because it does not leave the reader wondering or confused. The writer is telling the reader about the subject of his/her essay. With that being said, this method helps the reader never to be in question of something.
Example: Why do people go on vacations? To get away from reality and enjoy time with their family.
Secondly, an introductory series of appositives is when the sentence starts of with a cluster of appositives. Make sure the appositives relate to each other. After the appositive comes a dash, followed by a summarizing word. This writing technique becomes effective in your writing when you want to squeeze a lot of information into the same sentence. I was able to use this writing style in my casual essay (example below). I like this writing technique because it helps change how you start of your sentences as well—gives variety. I am working on using this technique more to enhance my sentence style. The reader will be more interested in my writing if I have sentence variety and it adds maturity to my writing style.
Examples:
It is a religion thing, a Black thing, a culture thing, a South thing, a poverty thing—possible Adrian Peterson’s defenses.
The trees on the shore, the water on the lake, the blue sky above – all told their story.
Lastly, full sentences can be embedded between dashes as effective modifiers which is called a full sentence as an interrupting modifier. Use dashes to indicate the interruption is important and parentheses to say it is not important. The interrupting modifier is usually placed between the subject and verb of the sentence. It provides additional information to a sentence, therefore gives it more detail. I used this technique in the casual essay to describe Adrian Peterson (example below). I like this writing technique because it describes the subject more in depth. In my sentence example my interrupting modifier is a full sentence placed between the subject and verb providing more information and giving detail. This enhances the style of the sentence, which is what I am working on to do in my essays.
Example: Adrian—he is a man used to violence and rugged behavior—subconsciously yearned/needed to be in control and he thought physical violence was his only option.
All of these strategies are just a few writing techniques I can use to improve my writing. I am going to continue to look at the art of styling sentences document to modify my writing style. This will be able to help my writing and my grade in the class.
Breitzman 6
The Art of Styling Sentences is a
very helpful and informative book. After reading through the book, I found the three strategies that I like the most. I will try to incorporate these, along with all of the other strategies, into my writing to help further enhance my writing skills.
My favorite strategy was The Negative-Positive Sequence. This tool helps give added emphasis to the second half of the sentence while still acknowledging the argument. This is a way of adding clarity to the "problem" presented during the negative positive sequence. I had an example of a negative-positive sequence in my causal essay.
Fast food may be greasy and fattening, but the food is piquant and convenient to most individuals.
The second strategy I really enjoy from the Art of Styling Sentences is the Antimetabole. For one, the word is really fun to say. From a writers perspective, these are statements that really make the reader, and even the writer think about the words and take them to heart. Antimetaboles, depending on where they are used and the topic at hand, can also add dramatic effect to an essay. I did not use an antimetabole in my essay. However, it is a fantastic writing technique that I will surely try to incorporate into a future essay. Here are some examples of antimetaboles:
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.-John F. Kennedy.
My third favorite writing technique is the short, simple sentence used for relief or dramatic effect. These surely adds suspense and drama to an essay, and it would be a great way to end an essay, as it reminds me of a cliffhanger. This sentence can also be used to force the reader to think and digest the words written. Here is an example of a short sentence for dramatic effect used in my essay:
Fast food restaurants are hectic places.
In my essays, I am working on adding lots of variety to my sentences. I am trying to use less commas in my sentences, and I am still trying to mix up my sentences between simple, compound, etc. After reading the Art of Styling Sentences, I will be trying to incorporate all of these techniques into my future essays. Using these techniques will help better my enhancement of my writing as the author, and it will add fluidity and suspense to my writing for readers.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are: Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb, The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and lastly the figurative sentence(metaphor).
First of them all is the introductory prep phrase before the subject and verb. This sentence starts with a prepositional phrase and ends with an inverted subject. I enjoy this type of sentence because it provides your writing with a variety. It more or less keeps your essays and paragraphs from sounding too redundant. Prepositional phrases also come very easily to me; we learned sang a sound about them in seventh grade and it has just stuck from then. An example of this from my term tuesday is: Up the snowy mountain climbed the powerful Elsa. In most cases people would just say “ the powerful Elsa climbed up the snowy mountain”; this sounds fine but is easily overdone a lot in essays.
Secondly is the short, simple sentences. This is a sentence that consists of only one independent clause which consists of a subject and verb; they can be filled with phrases. They are very easy to write and can cause a dramatic effect in your essay. Opposite from the dramatic effect they can also add relief. Despite simple sentences being easy to write, you must be careful that you do not use too many and make your paragraph sound choppy. They are one of my favorites due to their simple but complex side. They are easy to write but cannot be taken lightly! An example of this would be: I love puppies.
Lastly is the figurative sentences(metaphor). This sentence is basically a simile though it is lacking “like or as”. A metaphor implies a comparison between two things: one being a real thing or object, the other is imaginary. These types of sentences help add a visual image for the reader and keeps things interesting; this is why they are one of my favorites. Figurative sentences not only help keep readers involved or on the same page, but also can add some humor to your writing. An example of this type of sentence is: He is an emotional roller-coaster.
I am personally trying to better advance my writing by mixing up the sentences in my essays. I have learned that sticking to the simple, compound, complex sentences can get boring and redundant; by adding a intro prep phrase with an inverted subject is completely different and adds variety. I have learned a lot of new writing techniques this year and have started applying them to my essays. Having to add certain things to my essays from the 101 final exam study list has also guided me this way. After reading The Art of Styling Sentences has also given me some more ideas to add to my writing style.
The three strategies that I find most interesting are, emphatic appositive at the end after a colon, absolute construction, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis.
First, emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon. If the writer is trying to get the attention of the reader this is a technique they will more than likely use. This strategy makes the sentences more interesting and not plain; making it more fun for the reader to read. You can use this tool to put nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses at the end of a sentence instead of stating those at the beginning. When you put the appositive at the beginning of the sentence it is still interesting, but when you put it after a colon it makes you seem like a more intelligent person and writer; also it makes the reader more interested. This is one of my favorite strategies because it is easy and fun to put into an essay.
Example: Substances have the ability to lead to rape and can be a way for justification: drugs and alcohol
Secondly, a sentence with absolute construction. This sentence structure needs a noun plus a participle. It has to have no grammatical connection to the sentence, the only connection it can have is that it modifies the sentence, not just a word. Also it can be used to explain a cause or condition or provide detail. This technique is also a fun one to use because it adds more ‘spunk’ to the sentence. Why write a boring sentence with the same words when you switch up the words a little and add a comma; just like that you catch the readers attention and they will be more interested in your essay. I also like this one a lot because you can make a boring sentence a fun one with much ease.
Example: Alluding to rape, music impacts society greatly.
Lastly, a single modifier out of place for emphasis. This technique is used with adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases. They have their own positions in a sentence and that is to be near the word they modify. I find that boring, but if you move them around a little but it makes it more fun to read and adds a nice style to the writing. Its really easy to just say ‘‘my mom was very upset and yelled at me,’’ but that is just boring. It is more interesting to say ex.“upset, my mom yelled at me.” Thinking outside the normal writing style is somewhat difficult, but when the writer uses techniques like this it is difficult but it ends up being success because the reader enjoys reading the essay. This technique is also a good one because it can take a plain sentence and make it an interesting one that is not boring.
Using these techniques will bring my essays to the college level. It is very hard for me to incorporate these into my essay because i have been so use to just having the ordinary sentences. It pushes me a lot but it makes me a better writer and I really enjoy writing! I will continue to incorporate more sentence structures like these into my essay to make the better and more fun to read.
These tips on enhancing my writing will help me immensely in the essays to come. It is difficult to choose only three enhancers, but my favorite techniques used in styling sentences are: a variation: a single appositive or a pair, paired construction, and hypophora. I chose these because I know I use them in my essays and I know how powerful they make your sentences sound. Not only do I use these, but also I want to use the other tips to strengthen my sentences. I strive to be non-redundant in my essays and knowing these tips and how to apply them to my essay will just make my writing that much stronger.
First I chose variation: a single appositive or a pair. I use appositives all the time in my essays, not to be redundant but to emphasize. Appositives obviously rename a noun in a sentence, but these appositives are focusing on the punctuation, rather than the renaming/rewording of the noun. The punctuation in these appositives is vital to the integrity of the sentence. If there is a “dashed off” appositive, the rewording is stressed greatly. One would not use the dashed off appositive unless they really wanted to explain what they want to get across. It is almost a break in the sentence to emphasize. The next type is the “parentheses” appositive. This type is like a “whisper” to your reader about your noun. It is rewording it almost like an aside in a play. The final type is the most common, which is the comma appositive. This rewording is not as noticeable as the other appositives and can be taken out without losing too much information.
Example from my causal essay: As long as they are in a safe environment--not driving--drinking is ok.
The next sentence enhancer I like is the paired construction. Sometimes I use paired construction in my writing to add a little more flare. Knowing the right time to use it is half the battle. One has to have parallel structure, which is the same tense of the verbs. One can use: not only,... but also, the more… the less, and just as… so too. The words after these paired constructions are easily remembered because of their placement. I try to have my words appear powerful in my essays.
Example from my Comparison-Contrast essay: Not only is there a need for quality coaches, but also there has to be effectual, and avid leaders on the field and court; these are the captains.
The final sentence enhancer I appreciate is the hypophora. A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he/she answers in the successive sentences. The question raised is a question that the reader might be thinking about. The writer has to answer it as to not confuse the reader or to just make himself more clear. I love these because it is a simple and easy way to explain yourself or your thoughts. Make sure not to confuse this with a hypothetical question (a question which the writer does not answer). The writer answers the question. An example of this is in my causal essay: What is the purpose of drinking underage? Some say it numbs the pain or makes them forget everything, or for some to socialize; however, the three main reasons, scholars say, are heredity/family, advertising/availability, and peer pressure.
Eden Burch
Pd. 3
My most favorite method from The Art of Styling Sentences is using a semi-colon to form a compound sentence. I enjoy using that formula because it creates a smooth flow to the wording of an essay without causing a full-stop, like the use of a period would, or adding extra unneeded verbiage, the way adding a conjunction would. Semi-colons are fairly easy to use and enhance the quality of anyone’s writing. For example, instead of writing, “In the Burch family, nearly everyone savors chicken and wild rice soup, a family recipe passed down by Grandma Mary. However, Luke is the one exception, disliking the texture,” you could pen, “In the Burch family, nearly everyone savors chicken and wild rice soup, a family recipe passed down by Grandma Mary; Luke is the one exception, disliking the texture.” Though not a hugely noticeable difference, a stronger sense of connection does exist.
Another formula for styling sentences that I am fond of is adding an internal series of appositives or modifiers. They keep sentences spicy because they are usually unexpected. Creating little blurbbles (I know that isn’t an official word, but I like to use it. It means the same thing as snippets...) of description in the middle of a sentence adds interest. For example, instead of writing, “A car raced down the road,” one could pen, “A car--cobalt blue, engine revving--raced down the road.” It is so much more interesting!
The third method from The Art of Styling Sentences that I favor is putting a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb. We are masters of churning out prepositional phrases in essays; it only takes a miniscule amount of more effort to switch up the order in your sentences. I like moving the prep phrase to the beginning of the sentence occasionally because it is very simple to do and it creates something a little unexpected. For example, instead of writing, “My dog Max slept in the sun on the porch,” you could pen, “In the sun on the porch, my dog Max slept.”
I am working on being more aware when writing; I think the words and flow will become more interesting with some focus. It is very easy to just write and not put much thought into what you are doing, but really composing a piece of work requires more conscious effort.
The three strategies—using a compound sentence with elliptical construction, using a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and using absolute construction—are my favorite from The Art of Styling Sentences. Considering that these are all more complex sentence structures, they have an appeal to me; I think that these strategies show a higher level of compositional skill, and they certainly provide enhancement to any writing. In order to better my sentence styling, I try to use a wide variety of the examples given in The Art of Styling Sentences. Each sentence in my essay is now more than just a quick thought written down in haste, it is a well-thought-out piece of art, carefully constructed with the purpose of providing my reader with a diverse reading experience. Additionally, I re-read my essay thoroughly to ascertain that I have not overused any one type of sentence formation. “Depression--a problem that many teenagers are dealing with--can leave teens feeling plaintive, alone, and worthless,” is an example from my causal essay where I carefully constructed a sentence using an interrupting modifier. I used this to replace “Depression is a problem that many teenagers are dealing with, and it can leave them feeling plaintive, alone, and worthless.” The following is a sentence also from my causal essay that I used a combination of two strategies (compound sentence with elliptical construction and absolute construction) to construct: “All contributors considered, depression sometimes has no trigger at all; a teen may just feel exceptionally down and unhappy.” Utilizing differing strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences (and a combination of the strategies within a singular sentence) along with deliberate sentence construction is enhancing my sentence styling. Hopefully, as I continue to grow as a writer, I will be able to put these strategies to use within my essays skillfully and with ease.
Darrington 3
Sentence structure is an essential part in the composition of all types of writing. From formal to casual, effective sentence variety is key to develop a credible and thorough analysis of a specific topic. In order to develop this valued credibility, one must branch out from the simple sentences of days past, and veer into unknown territory full of odd phrases and techniques. No more entire works of “I have a dog” type sentences, let us get creative and possibly even, oh yes, funky. The Art of Styling Sentences is a great resource that can help anyone learn improve their writing style. With a little practice and perseverance (and luck), you too could be the next Shakespeare! I am working to enhance my writing style to successfully express my own opinions and thoughts. I want to efficiently convey ideas and understand the English language completely. This could help me socialize and succeed in other aspects of day to day life.
The first sentence strategy that I like is a series without the usual conjunction. This type of sentence pairs similar items together, simply without the use of a conjunction, such as: and, but, for, yet, etc. I like this type because it feels more personal and less restricted. The writing appears to flow better and is less restricted by unnecessary words. An example of this sentence strategy is as follows, “The man was ecstatic, overjoyed, excited.”
The next sentence strategy that I find appealing is the repetition of a key term. This strategy includes repeating a word multiple times throughout the sentence. By repeating this certain word, emphasis is drawn to a single point and the reader is able to focus on one point. I like this technique because it adds dramatic effect and also creates credibility in the author. He/She seems to know what they are doing if a sentence of this variety is utilized. For example, “The man encountered a range of feelings, feelings of empowerment and drive, feelings of doubt and uncertainty.”
The final sentence strategy that I enjoy is the complete inversion of the normal sentence pattern. This strategy moves about all the components of a sentence, basically flipping the sentence around. The direct object or predicate noun materialize first, with the verb and noun following shortly thereafter. I like this type of sentence because it takes the reader off guard and forces him to focus. This type of sentence draws attention and renders the reader intertwined in the words. This type of sentence in use could appear like this, “No stranger to emotions is the man.”
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I find the most intriguing are: The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, a short question for dramatic effect, and the figurative sentence (simile).
The short simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect is one of my favorites because it provides transition and drama to the short little sentence. It also is very easy to write. The sentence is made up of one independent clause which includes a verb and a subject. Be careful of using too many of these though, because you can sound choppy, and people will more than likely not understand what you are trying to get across to them with your writing. Just keep these to a minimum. Only use them when you are really trying to add a dramatic effect into your writing.
An example would be: She was angry.
The next one is a short question for dramatic effect. I like this one because it can get your reader thinking about what you are talking about. These questions are dramatic, so they can be somewhat on the extreme side. They can be offensive questions, and they can be questions that could bring tears to people's eyes. You can add a tone of voice to these questions too. By asking a short question, you can get the readers minds going, and you can get them to be more interested in what you are trying to say. I had a few of these in my causal essay. Those questions were used to try to get people to think about the reasons why an event happens.
An example would be: Why would you say that?
The last one I found interesting was the figurative sentence (simile). These types of sentences can produce a powerful image in the readers minds and can keep them interested. Comparing an idea with something that can be picturable can produce creative, and imaginable images. It is like a metaphor, but instead you must use either like or as in your sentence to make it into a simile.
An example would be: A storm without thunder or lightning is as boring as a monotone teacher.
I am working hard to try to show variety in my sentences by using different types of styles and still trying to make the writing flow at the same time. The Art of Styling Sentences helped me so much. It gave me so many new ideas with all of the techniques it showed and I will be incorporating a few of these into my future essays and writings. By using these techniques, it will show great variety in my writings, it will improve my writing skills, and it will make it so much more exciting to read.
From The Art of Styling Sentences, the strategies that I used the most are number eight--using dependent clauses in a pair or series, number eleven--using an interrupting modifier between a subject and a verb, and number sixteen/sixteen a--using paired constructions to compare and contrast things or concepts.
I like to use dependent clauses in a pair or series, because it allows to the writer to transmit preliminary, necessary, and descriptive information in an engaging and different way. Instead of wasting time and energy constantly and concretely defining what the subject is or does, you can address the broader point by highlighting what effect the subject’s context has on the larger concept. Because dependent clauses are incomplete thoughts, provide order variation, and cause the reader to yearn for understanding of the significance of clause, the sentences become more interesting to read. Since everyone hankers for comprehension of ideas, concepts, thoughts, and actions, dependent clauses are a great way to maintain a captively intrigued audience while adding emphasis to your words. An example of this strategy being strategized is present in my causal essay when I say:
Because members of the LGBT community tend to challenge or blatantly defy the traditional definitions of male and female, some heterosexual citizens feel confused and quickly take a threatened stance. (“Motives of Homophobia: Religious and Societal” Brendan Gayken)
I believe that this passage gives necessary and engaging background information that is important to understand before you can begin to comprehend the larger, and frankly malicious, concept at work.
I also enjoy using interrupting modifiers between subject and verb pairs, because I think that they can add fascinating and even essential subject matter to a sentence that was otherwise dull and bland. Interrupting modifiers can also add much needed emphasis to a passage that is intended to communicate your main point. An example of this strategy being utilized is apparent once again in my causal essay when I am concentrating on Biblical interpretation of the Sodom and Gomorrah story by asserting that, “These acts, much like any incidence of sexual abuse, were deliberately performed in order to instill a sense of dominance, control, and fear over their victims.” This interrupting modifier was manipulated so that it added importance to the intents of sexual violence.
Using paired constructions to compare and contrast is always a great way to convey a point. Paired constructions can also provide a point of reference for comparison of two ideas, concepts, thoughts, and/or actions. An example of paired construction usage is existent again in my causal essay when I address the enforcement of Old Testament laws by saying, “Because the Old Testament is a place where rules, regulations, and laws reign not only intrinsic, but also supremely necessary, some modern-day religious adherents attempt to implement these laws accordingly.” This usage of paired constructions does an efficient job of conveying emphasis to the importance of Old Testament rules laws and regulations.
I will work harder in the upcoming expansion essay to apply these, along with many other Art of Styling Sentences strategies, to strengthen and evolve my writing style.
I am partial to many different sentence tactics, but my current favorite types are: compound sentences with explanatory statements; sentences with emphatic appositives at the end, after a colon; and antimetaboles.
Compound sentences with explanatory statements use a independent clause after a colon to clarify the previous independent clause. My example: Robert really liked running: it made him feel alive. In this case, “it made him feel alive” tells why Robert liked running. These sentences are useful, as they are an easy way to explain something without using cumbersome words like because.
Sentences with an emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon, are used when renaming something. The use of the colon helps show how important the appositive is. My example: People who are currently on fire need to remember three things: stop, drop, and roll. Here, “stop, drop, and roll” are renaming the three things. The use of the colon helps show how much more important “stop, drop, and roll” are compared to the word things. These sentences are well suited to make simple appositives powerful, and are useful when trying to make a point.
Antimetaboles, which are, disappointingly, not like the Rose Bowl at all, are when a sentence composed of two parts is repeated, with the two parts flipped, for emphasis. My example: We must end poverty, or poverty will end us. To explain this better, lets assign the phrase “we must end” the letter A, and assign the word “poverty” the letter B. The sentence has a form of AB conjunction BA. These sentences are useful for putting emphasis on a subject, which, in this example, is poverty.
I am working to enhance my sentences actively, as I know that the only way to write proficiently is through the use of different sentence types, of varying lengths and complexity. With these sentence types, I can achieve excellence.
Sentence variety is highly important when attempting to write at a high level. Verdant writers, such as students in elementary school, use the same sentence structure to relay their thoughts to the reader. Skilled and well-trained, more experienced writers can entice their audience with a variety of practices. Marie. L Waddell describes a few of these strategies to elevate any composition to the next level. I enjoyed three of these ideas more than others: deliberate fragments, short sentence for dramatic effect, a single modifier out of place intentionally. If I can hone these sentence structures, my writing will be superior.
First, deliberate fragments can be very useful. We are taught to use complete sentences the day we learn to write. While deliberate fragments are not really grammatically correct, they are acceptable to use in one’s writing to create a desired effect. For example-- I dropped my phone off the cruise ship. So much for that.-- “So much for that” is not a complete sentence, but it relays to the reader that the owner of the phone is angry, or does not care. I want to use fragments more often, to put more entertainment or emotion into my writing.
Second, short sentences used for dramatic effect can be overwhelmingly effect to give more flavor to an essay. After a long sentence that may be giving the reader a lot of information or a lot to think about, a nice short sentence is a great way to summarize this. For example-- Playing by the stream, shooting hoops at the park, and reading before bedtime were my favorite pastimes as a child. But those days are gone.-- The second sentence relates to the longer sentence before, but definitely segues into the next thought the writer would like to put forth. I am trying hard not to use so many commas and long sentences, mixing in shorter sentences to create an effect.
Third, a single modifier out of place intentionally can be a good tactic to make the reader think about your writing deeply. Instead of presenting a noun or subject then describing it, placing a modifier before the word it describes can make any composition more exciting and less boring. Let us check out an example. Sentence one: The grape was withering. Sentence two: Withering, the grape was on the verge of lifelessness. Yes I added a few words to sentence two, but beginning a sentence with a modifier opens many doors to add other enhancing words. I really enjoy giving vivid descriptions, so if I can do that all the while switching my sentence structures, right on!
Chmela 3
The three strategies I like the best are, absolute constructions, appositives, and short questions. I like these three because they all make my writing sound more intelligent and more advanced.
Absolute constructions are great because they sound very educated and can give great detail in a way we are not used to. Absolute constructions are fairly easy to use and enjoyable because they break up my writing. Another reason I like them is because they can leave the reader deep in thought because they do not have to have any grammatical connection to the rest of the sentence. If written properly the writer can leave the reader deep in thought and make their writing more memorable and mind boggling.
Appositives are a great way to define something further without hurting your sentence. It can also explain the subject in a sentence using the correct punctuation. Commas are very ordinary but to spice it up it is fun to use dashes and parentheses in the right context.
Short questions can be used for dramatic effect. They can help explain your side of an argument and explain how you feel about a particular topic. A question can be used as a point in order to persuade the reader. By leaving the reader to answer the question you furthermore interested the reader in your topic and they are more apt to finish the writing. Short questions however, can be overused and must be used in context. But, when used right they are very important and can make writing so much better.
To advance my writing style I am starting to use different types of sentences and look at the “The Art of Styling Sentences” document more. I think that it is working and my writing is becoming more interesting because of the way I am writing. I hope to become fluent in many of these writing forms so that I can carry on my skills in college and further advance myself as an intellectually advanced writer.
Absolute Construction- Their mouths stuffed, fans are ready for their favorite team’s game. This absolute construction uses the their mouths stuffed as a reference to food, my paragraphs theme, and starts the sentence about the fans.
Appositive- Possibly the worlds greatest sport, football is a modern sport that has asserted itself as America’s best for the thirtieth year in a row. This example is an introductory appositive explaining football.
Short Question- Did someone just get murdered? Are they hurt? What if they are firing at me? These questions are in my classification essay about hunters explaining what people that are not used to guns may think if they hear gunshots. It gives a connection to the readers who think this.
1. Probably my favorite sentence structure from The Art of Styling Sentences is the use of the semicolon to conjoin two separate independent clauses. It eliminates unneeded words, a full-stop, or transitions between two closely related ideas. For instance, you could write this:
“I think my cat is plotting to kill me in my sleep. When I awake at night, I see him lying on the hardwood floors staring in my direction with a loathsome face.”
With the aid of a semicolon, the sentence can flow easier. Let’s take a look at the new version:
“I think my cat is plotting to kill me in my sleep; I seem him lying on the hardwood floors staring in my direction with a loathsome face.”
This connects the two ideas together thus helping to show the reader the connection between the two ideas.
2. My next favorite is the repetition of a key term (particularly the same word repeated in parallel structure). I like this method because it links distinct ideas together. When trying to prove a point, repetition is the way to go. It inculcates the key term into the reader’s mind.
“My cat tried to claw my face, claw my arm, and claw my neck all before I had my morning coffee; it’s going to be a bad day.”
The usage of “claw my [body part]” is a parallel structure that is repeated three times in
the list. It stands out as you read it because it emphasises that “clawing” is involved,
not the body parts.
3. My third favorite sentence structure from The Art of Styling Sentences is a single modifier out of place for emphasis. It adds interesting phrasing to your writing. You may write:
“Greg was anxious. Greg knew his cat would kill him.”
However, with the aid of a single modifier out of place for emphasis, it could read:
“Anxious, Greg knew his cat would kill him”
This flows much nicer and adds more detail that would otherwise require extra and
unneeded verbiage.
I enjoy three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences: absolute construction, introductory
participial phrase, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis. I like absolute construction because it is the one type of sentence I have trouble understanding and adding to my work. Though, when I have been able to make a sentence sound fluent, I feel as if it is the best flowing sentence in my writing. When people use this type of sentence, it improves their work and I am impressed. I am trying to add to add this type of sentence to my work, though I plan to add more than just the required 3 in my next essay because it is so fluent. I also enjoy using introductory participial phrases to start my sentences like using gerunds. They allow for fluent transitions between topics within a paragraph or between two paragraphs. Though I do use these fairly often in my writing and possibly too often so I will avoid using them more than I already do. The final strategy from The Art of Styling Sentences that I appreciate is a single modifier out of place for emphasis. I use this as often as possible because this allows added description or a break in the writing to describe or explain a piece of information that may or may not be as important as the rest of the sentence. I also like how I can use this type of sentence while still varying it through using parenthesis one sentence and dashes the next for more important information. I already try and add these to my sentences, but I will try and add them more instead of directly explaining a phenomenon in my papers to come.
In the Art of Styling Sentences, the three strategies I like the most are the hypophora, the antimetabole, and the use of prepositional phrases to start sentences. These all help mix up your writing, in turn, making it overall better.
First, the hypophora, a questioned raised by the writer and later answered, is a unique technique used in writing to make the reader stop and think. When I, personally, use these I try and place them at a spot where I believe my reader will have time to think about it. That means they are located in the introductory paragraph and somewhat hook the reader and encourage them to further read my essay. Hopefully the question hits home with the reader over something they enjoy personally and urges them to finish the essay to see what the answer to the question may be. Then, they can place their own opinion against what I have written and compare them. For example, “Why boys love football?” Well, it is a contact sport where hitting someone as hard as possible is acceptable. This generates adrenaline and boys love adrenaline. Etc. I use these in my essays to enhance variety of sentences.
Secondly, the use of antimetaboles. These are when you present two elements and then reverse them. For example, When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. In this, the going (whatever may be in front of the person or athlete) and the tough (hard times) are stated and then restated in reverse switching up their meanings. In the reverse form the tough become the people and the going becomes a verb saying they begin to take action. The use of antimetaboles enhance writing in the sense that they give dramatic meaning to the sentence. The reader anticipates the writing to become very interesting and meaningful if placed in the right spot. I used the example above in my writing but switched a few words to fit my writing scheme better. I would like to use more though.
Lastly, prepositional phrase help enhance writing styles when used at the beginning of the sentence. Not only are they easy to use (thanks to our 7th grade song), but they are a great way to mix up sentence style. You can even go farther with this and place the subject at the end of the sentence. There are so many prepositions that they become used in almost every writing. Placing them in the correct spot is key. An example is Up the wall climbed the monkey. I use prepositions all the time in my writing, but I need to be more conscious of where I place them.
I hope to better my writing after reading The Art of Styling. I need to work on different sentence styles like simple, compound, complex and compound-complex and also on incorporating these techniques above into my writing. I do not want to be redundant in my writing and only use one sentence type. I will continue to pursue more efficient writing by using more techniques written in the book.
Sentence structure is an important part of writing. The three strategies that I find interesting from The Art of Styling Sentences are the interrupting modifier between subject and verb, prepositional phrases before the subject and verb, and the hypophora. Using these different types of strategies will make my writing more professional.
A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he or she actually answers later on in the paper. I find the hypophora interesting because it makes the reader more interested. These questions can hint at what is to come in the essay and will encourage the reader to know more about it. Why is money so important to our society? This is a question I asked my reader to think about in my last essay. Later in my essay I answered this question with great detail and made the reader interested. Utilizing this tool may encourage the reader to be more interested in your topic.
The next thing that interested me was the prepositional phrase before a subject or verb. I believe that in my previous essays I did not do this. I feel like this is essential because it gives the paper a variety of sentence structure. Nobody wants to read sentences that do not change form or structure. I think that adding a prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence makes the reader more interested. Doing this strategy can make the paper flow better as well.
The last strategy that interests me is the interrupting modifier. An interrupting modifier can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs,or a phrase. The main goal of this is to give the reader better insight on a particular thing. Interrupting modifiers give the sentence more detail that the reader might want to know. Interrupting modifiers are not required, but the reader would benefit from knowing more information about the subject.
I like using internal modifiers and appositives. I enjoy them because they break up the sentence, keeping the writing style from becoming too boring. It’s a great way to add additional information without trying to transition to it in another sentence. It also adds sentence variety to the work as a whole, which is always a good thing. I don’t believe I have ever purposefully used one of these in a piece of writing before, and vow to begin. Some of my essays--womanhood, classification, and causal--include great sentence variety, while others do not.
Using a dependent clause in a pair or a series is something I have not seen used very often. When done correctly, I find these interesting. Again, more information can be added cohesively, and it is a great way to add variety. I have not seen many, if any, examples of this in formal writing, which is disappointing. While this may be too difficult for some writers, I encourage my fellow students to attempt them. Although they seem very complicated, although one might worry if they possess the necessary skill, all should try this technique. If you are worried, if you are nervous, if you get the slightest anxiety thinking about trying this, read through The Art of Styling Sentences once more.
Absolute construction is my final favorite sentence style. Absolute construction consists of a noun or pronoun and a participial phrase. I prefer to use these at the beginning of the sentence. Fingers skittering across the keyboard, I write an absolute construction as an example. Mind racing, I think of other ways to use these. Eyes flicking to the clock and back, I rush to finish this blog task in time. If I don’t finish, if the blog task is not complete in time, my grade will surely plummet. My heart thumping with anxiety, I struggle to reach three hundred words. Now, since I have used all the examples--internal modifiers, pairs of dependent clauses, absolute constructions--and have reached three hundred words, I can relax.
The three strategies I like the most out of The Art of Styling Sentences are the interrupting modifier, the short simple sentence, and absolute construction. I enjoy these three structures the most because all three of them add their own flair to the paragraph or sentence. The interrupting modifier is my favorite of the three because it separates the subject and the verb in a way that allows the reader to learn more or glean more information from the sentence. The interrupting modifier breaks up the sentence in an enjoyable manner. I think it is very important to not use an excess amount of interrupting modifiers. They are interesting, however, they could get old after being used too often. The short simple sentences are also fairly interesting because they can be difficult to use in a way that does not break up the flow of the essay or paragraph. Many people try to create sentences that are tedious and get across as much information as possible. Short simple sentences could be used to create a sense of change. However, once again, if the short, simple sentences are used in excess it could weaken the essay a fair amount. If people use the short, simple sentences effectively I think the essay could gain relief or dramatic effect that highlights something that previously happened, or will happen. It could also emphasize an action that is currently happening. They could definitely give the essay a choppy feeling that could annoy the reader as well. The absolute construction is also a very neat concept that seems fairly difficult to pull off. All of the examples read, I came to the conclusion that they are enjoyable to read. I hope to be able to write absolute constructions and I believe they would strengthen my essays.
An introductory set of appositives
Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series
Repetition of a key term
What three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences do you like the most? I chose an introductory set of appositives, dependent clauses in a pair or series, and repetition of a key term. I chose three that I would like the enhance more because I personally believe all three of those strategies enhance ones writing immensely and it would be smart to better myself in the knowledge and understanding of these strategies.
I believe the strategy of using an introductory set of appositives is useful because to blatantly inform readers how what they are about to read is a way to draw them in. Personally I will use this to enhance my writing in the following ways: to grab the readers attention, to inform, and to differentiate between different strategies used throughout my writing. While I am reading, weather its an article, a book, an essay, or even a blog, I like to know what I am about to indulge myself in.
Next, dependent clauses in a pair or in a series is difficult to apply to your own work properly. While writing you are suppose to use it towards the end to summarize the points you have made. In order to properly use this you have to understand parallel structure. Parallel structure is repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. I will use this strategy to improve my writing skills and make my writing more intriguing.
Lastly, I chose the repetition of a key term. Redundancy is not always a bad thing. The word redundant has a negative connotation. In some cases, that negative connotation is correct but, in the strategy of repetition of a key term it is used to enhance, not dilute. When using this strategy you are suppose to use a dash or a comma to show that you are about to repeat. While using this, it is easy to show what is important and what to really focus on within the writing.
The Art of Styling sentences guidebook can be very helpful to those who may need to work on sentence variety in their essays--including me. As i was reading through this book, i was able to find three styles of sentences that are some of my favorites: a compound sentence with a semicolon, but no conjunction, repetition of a key term, and an interrupting modifier between the subject and a verb.
The first type of strategy i chose was a compound sentence with a semicolon, but no conjunction. This styling strategy can help you join two two, short simple sentences having two closely related ideas. I chose this style because I can combine two similar sentences into one, creating a more powerful sentence; making my writing more interesting at the same time.
example: It made no sense to anyone; it was just a style.
The second type of strategy i chose was the repetition of a key term. In this pattern, you repeat a key term in a modifying phrase attached to the main clause. You may repeat the exact word, or you could use a different form of the word. I chose this style as one of my favorites because i feel when a sentence has repetition, it helps get the point across easier an author’s point across without causing the reader to wonder.
example: She is an outstanding mother, a mother who loves her children like no one else could.
The final strategy i chose was an interrupting modifier between the subject and a verb. This is used when a modifier comes between the subject and the verb. The modifier can be separated from the rest of the sentence with dashes or commas. I chose this style because it adds variety. It also helps give great detail to the subject of the sentence.
example: Jamie, an amazing cheerleader, is excited for her last metro competition on Monday.
I hope that after looking through this guidebook, i will be able to incorporate more variety in my sentences. This class has already helped me grow as a writer. The study guide list has been very helpful for me to look at so I can become a better writer. I hope to show a change in my writing as the year goes on and be able to help others improve on theirs also.
There were a large number of strategies that I really enjoy using, so choosing which three to write about was difficult. In the list provided from The Art of Styling Sentences, I chose numbers one, four, and nine as my favorite strategies. The first one deals with compound sentences using a semi-colon as opposed to a conjunction. Using semi-colons can bring two relatable ideas together while still keeping unity in the sentence; this also keeps the sentence from splitting up into two shorter, choppier sentences. I like using semi-colons because they bring two similar ideas together into one compounded sentence. The fourth one listed is when using a series of words without a conjunction. The example given was ‘He has again been trapped, caught, humiliated.’ I like this because when using the series of words without using a conjunction, it adds an atmosphere of intensity or something similar to suspense to the sentence. The ninth sentence styler is the repetition of a key term. This can easily be used as an attempt to try a pull the reader’s attention to one specific word or area. Another example used in the Art of Styling Sentences is ‘Looking into the cottage, we saw great splotches of blood smeared on the walls, walls that only that morning had rung with shouts of joy and merriment.’ Clearly, the term ‘walls’ was repeated to give depth to the sentence and to guide the eyes of the reader to the spot where words are repeated. I enjoy this style of sentence because it brings focus to one specific area and I feel it is very effective in getting the point across. I am working toward enhancing my own sentence styling by learning other techniques--whether it be in class or on my own-- and applying them to my writing.
13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis
14. Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb
16. Paired constructions
What three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences do you like the most? I really like using a single modifier out of place for emphasis in my writing. I like that one word throughout the whole sentence, can describe how one feels, looks, etc. For example: Desperate, she held on to the railing, in hope, she would not fall. I think this sentence really grasps the desperate feeling. Although, sometimes it adds a pause, and can sometimes be misunderstood, they add a good variety throughout your work. Another strategy I picked out is a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb. A prepositional phrase and the beginning of the sentence rather than the end adds variety to the essay. Having the subject at the end of the sentence, allows the reader to keep reading. A prepositional phrase and the beginning helps the essay come together as less redundant. For example: Up the wall walked the spider, trying to reach it’s web. At the end of the sentence there is the subject, the spider, and there is even a participial phrase added. Not only are paired constructions easy to use, but they add variety to your essay, rather than the simple conjunctions of and or but. These paired constructions work together to reach a common goal. They are used to talk about the subject, they show parallelism, make it less confusing, and are easy to use. For example: Not only do I get to play my favorite sport during the winter, but also get to stay in shape. There are actually two paired constructions in this sentence: not only, and but also. Both help to get the point across on how not only during the cold winter months do I get to play my favorite, sport, but I get to feel good about myself doing it.
As I was reading The Art of Styling Sentences by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker I came to a realization that there is way more than a simple sentence out there waiting to be written.
I thoroughly enjoyed the compound sentence with elliptical construction strategy. This strategy is used to avoid using the same verb again in the second clause.
Example: His girlfriend told him to rent a car; his sister, to pack the
suitcases.
I found this to be extremely helpful to me considering the fact that I tend to use the same words over and over again in my writings. I hope to be able to accomplish this writing style and if I cannot, then I hope to improve my vocabulary in order to compensate for my loss of accomplishment.
I also found the internal series of appositives or modifiers to interest me.
Example: Active sports--basketball, soccer, or volleyball--are good exercises.
During my writings I tend to struggle with getting down to the point or even continuing to follow my point ( if I ever make one). Therefore I believe using appositives to make a list for myself in the beginning of my essays would improve my ability to to gain an outline for my future essays.
The last strategy to which I found catching my attention was the Interrupting modifier between subject and verb.
Example: Wolves—once feared and killed—are being reintroduced into the environment
I have found, recently this year, in my writing my ability to add dashes to spice up my sentences. However, my dashes would always be at the end of a sentence with just a few words to follow; instead of placing them somewhere in the middle to give the thought a little bit more meaning.
I hope in the future of my so called writing career that I lean to become more aware of the way I am writing and the way my sentences fit together. I do not want to simply know what a compound-complex sentence is. I want to be able to use it without a second thought as to if the sentence is grammatically correct or not.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer.
6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable.
9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader.
In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer.
6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable.
9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader.
In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer.
6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable.
9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader.
In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer.
6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable.
9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader.
In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
3. My first favorite type of sentence was that of the compound sentence with an explanatory statement. I think this type of sentence is important because it gives great detail to what the author is trying to explain. It does not leave any loose ends for the reader to try to figure out. It is very “black and white” in description. For example, “We won the game: 72 to 14.” If a person was asking what the score was for the winning game and you just told them “We won the game,” it would leave them very confused. However, by adding the score to you explanation it clears up all confusion and leaves your reader completely satisfied with a justified answer.
6. The next favorite type of sentence on my list was an introductory set of appositives. These are necessary because the break up the normal sentence structure of subject, verb, noun description. By placing the noun description at the beginning of the sentence, it adds zest to your writing. It engages the reader more and makes it easier for them to focus on you information. An example is “Boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling- all are forms of taking down an opponent in an aggressive way.” This sounds more interesting then saying “Three aggressive ways to take down an opponent are boxing, cage fighting, and wrestling.” By changing the order of your sentence around, you can further engage your reader and make your writing more enjoyable.
9. My third favorite form of sentence types is repetition of a key term. I enjoy reading these because they add suspense to your writing and can help emphasize a major point. They add suspense by making you pause and reiterate a point to your reader. For example, “We won the trophy- the trophy of champions.” It adds suspense by making your reader wait to see what trophy you won in your competition. The reader has to wait an extra second to see what exactly you won. Repeating a word can also emphasize how important the word is. In this example we see that the trophy won is not just a trophy, but rather a trophy of champions. If you just stated that you won a trophy the reader would not think as much of it. They would just think you won a trophy to sit on the shelf and collect dust. However, when you reiterate that it is the trophy of champions, it suddenly means more to the reader.
In my essay I am trying to use more sentence variety. I like to use a lot of “There are” and “It is” in my writing. By enhancing my sentence variety, it is making me aware of my word choice and placement of nouns and verbs in a sentence. By being aware of these simple parts of a sentence, it helps me be more creative when I write an essay. When I am more creative more people will want to read my writing and it will make me feel better about my writing. When I feel better about my writing I will want to write more and keep improving how I write.
The Art of Styling Sentences gave me several ideas on how to make my writing better. My top three favorite styles that they offered included number 1: Compound Sentences with a semicolon, number 2: Introductory set of appositives and, number 3: Interrupting modifier between the subject and the verb.
In my writing, I found that I use simple sentences too often. Writing tends to become boring when one uses several simple sentences. Using Compound sentences with a semicolon can assist one in making their writing more interesting by combining two sentences that could stand alone. I have often used this style type in my thesis statements:
Based on their behavior in dark theaters, the five types of people you might encounter at the movies are the Parrot, the Hyena, the Pig, the Lovebird, and the Raccoon; knowing the antics of these types of people will empower you to prepare for and enjoy the solace of cinema more.
Trumpets and clarinets are seen as two different instruments in the band, but they have several similarities that tie them together; knowing and understanding the juxtaposition between the two allows one to better appreciate music.
An Introductory set of appositives are used to grab the attention of the reader before they even know what the sentence is about. (They will wonder what the appositives have to do with the rest of the sentence.) I would like to use more of them in my reading simply for that purpose. This style is beneficial to use when you would like to go more in depth on each appositive, but would like to introduce them first. This is an example from my causal essay:
Swerving, skidding, stopping--These are the options that you can choose between depending on the speed of your car.
Whenever you read a book or watch a movie, the first five minutes or five pages are reserved for a background story about what you are about to watch or read. The background stories are essential in order to give that extra bit of information to the audience. Interrupting modifiers between subjects and verbs do just that. I enjoy using this style in my writing because it enables me to add the extra data that I think the reader should know. One can write in an interrupting modifier using dashes, commas, or parentheses. I have used this style in my causal essay:
Research--something that people rarely ever do--can help one to obtain the facts they need to ensure their safety.
I have chosen these three sentence styling types in order to make my writing more intriguing to the audience. In our expansion essays, we are required to have three pages tacked onto what we already have written. While adding onto my essay, I have found myself revising sentences in order to make them more attractive. From reading The Art of Styling Sentences I have gained knowledge on writing with variation and hope to utilize it in my future compositions.
After examining the choices of writing styles from The Art of Styling Sentences I have come to the conclusion that my favorite three strategies include: a series without the usual conjunction (option 4), dependent clauses in a pair or in a series (option 8), and paired constructions (option 16). The first strategy I chose (a series without the usual conjunction) was due to the rhythm and therefore easy read that comes from a sentence of this structure. I find that when parallelism is used in a piece of writing that it allows the reader for a facilitated understanding regarding the story or point that the author is trying to express. Also, a variation of this method would include adding “and” in between the items rather than a comma. I use this strategy myself at times and feel that it is beneficial when trying to stray from the normal comma-filled sentence. The second strategy I chose (dependent clauses in a pair or in a series) was due to the use of parallelism, once again. I also noticed that I commonly use dependent clauses to begin sentences in my own pieces of writing so I feel as if that drew me to like this strategy as well. The last reason I chose this method of writing was because I think by following it’s structure techniques, it could be helpful when writing interesting thesis statements. Finally, the last strategy of writing I chose (paired constructions) was due to the contrast and emphasis it provides. By using short phrases such as “not only” and “but also” together I think it allows the author to organize their points and phrase them in an easy manner to read. Also, alike the other strategies I chose parallelism is evident in this sentence structure as well.
I am working on my sentence structure in many ways. By relearning the basics in which make up different types of sentences (simple, complex, compound, compound-complex) I have been able to mix a variety of these into my essays in hopes of creating more creative writing. Along with this, by adding more punctuation I have been able to create structured sentences more accurately than before. I plan to use The Art of Styling sentences to continue to add an array of different sentence structures into my writing and therefore enhancing it.
After examining the choices of writing styles from The Art of Styling Sentences I have come to the conclusion that my favorite three strategies include: a series without the usual conjunction (option 4), dependent clauses in a pair or in a series (option 8), and paired constructions (option 16). The first strategy I chose (a series without the usual conjunction) was due to the rhythm and therefore easy read that comes from a sentence of this structure. I find that when parallelism is used in a piece of writing that it allows the reader for a facilitated understanding regarding the story or point that the author is trying to express. Also, a variation of this method would include adding “and” in between the items rather than a comma. I use this strategy myself at times and feel that it is beneficial when trying to stray from the normal comma-filled sentence. The second strategy I chose (dependent clauses in a pair or in a series) was due to the use of parallelism, once again. I also noticed that I commonly use dependent clauses to begin sentences in my own pieces of writing so I feel as if that drew me to like this strategy as well. The last reason I chose this method of writing was because I think by following it’s structure techniques, it could be helpful when writing interesting thesis statements. Finally, the last strategy of writing I chose (paired constructions) was due to the contrast and emphasis it provides. By using short phrases such as “not only” and “but also” together I think it allows the author to organize their points and phrase them in an easy manner to read. Also, alike the other strategies I chose parallelism is evident in this sentence structure as well.
I am working on my sentence structure in many ways. By relearning the basics in which make up different types of sentences (simple, complex, compound, compound-complex) I have been able to mix a variety of these into my essays in hopes of creating more creative writing. Along with this, by adding more punctuation I have been able to create structured sentences more accurately than before. I plan to use The Art of Styling sentences to continue to add an array of different sentence structures into my writing and therefore enhancing it.
First of all, "The Art of Styling Sentences" taught me that I rarely use any of the strategies in writing, if I do it is unintentional and spontaneous. The reading taught me how to make words flow easier and with little effort(besides reading the document). With the forms of writing I learned I can open up my writing skills and write more fluently. There are three main points that helped me the most; Compound sentence: semicolon, no conjuction, repetition of a key term, and a full sentence as interrupting modifier.
I used all of the terms in my writing unintentionally, but they were effective mistakes. The first example I used was a compound sentence:semicolon, no conjuction. An example of this would be: Talent is an important part of sports; hard work is the other. This sentence structure is effective because if brings flow to a sentence by combining what could fit into two sentences into one.
When writing it is important to remember word flow and how to keep your reader interested. With this you want to always remind the reader of the key term in your writing. The repetition of a key turn is important to writing effectively. An example of this type of writing in a sentence is: We all inhabit a large world-a huge world, the world of the mind. This sentence type is also effective in writing because it will always keep the topic relevant in the readers mind.
Interruptions are annoying in reality but in writing they can serve to be worthwhile. A full sentence as interrupting modifier sounds a little outrageous for being a full sentence and a interrupting modifier, but when used correctly it can be truly extraordinary. An example would be: Although the tennis players were viewed as whimps-when in reality they where not-they continued to practice hard. The interrupting modifier does not completely stop the sentence and stays relevant to the sentence. This type of sentence is effective because it describes another clause with a short interruption and the sentence continues.
While reading The Art of Styling Sentences, many strategies stuck out to me as being helpful tools for writing. The three that I like the most are a deliberate fragment, an interrupting modifier, and a hypophora.
When reading a paper, I feel as if deliberate fragments stand out and add emphasis extremely well. While reading, I do not expect to see fragments because in normal writing, they are not grammatically correct, but if it is intentional to add style, it can be extremely effective, and a fun break-up of the normal flow of reading. These fragments should not be overused. So awesome.
Interrupting modifiers--usually used in upper level writing--are also very effective to use in a literary work. An interrupting modifier is an explanation that comes between the subject and the verb. This explanation tells the reader some extra information and uses this technique to give more attention to the phrase. These interrupting modifiers can be can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs, or a phrase. Punctuation like commas, dashes, or parentheses, determine how strong of an emphasis you want on this interruption.
Finally, I chose the hypophora as a sentence enhancer. A hypophora is a question raised by the writer that they answers in the next sentences. The question raised is a question that the reader might be thinking about. The writer answers it to clear up a previous statement. I enjoy this writing tactic because it is a relatively easy way to explain yourself or your thoughts. This may be confused with a hypothetical question, a question asked out of interest, as the answer will have no effect on the situation. The writer answers the question on their own. So why should the writer use them? They emphasize the point twice.
The three strategies that I took from The Art of Styling Sentences were fragments, interrupting modifiers, and hypophoras.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like the most are alliterative sentences, variations: single appositives or pairs, and interrupting modifiers. All three of these strategies can turn any tragic piece of writing into a masterpiece. It may seem as though something so simple could not transform a piece of writing into something greater, but these strategies have the ability to do just that.
Alliterative sentence: a sentence containing two or more words that have the same beginning letter or similar consonant or vowel sound. The sounds or letters do not have to be exact but ideally, the need to be in close proximity. Alliterative sentences are often used in children’s books. They can also be found within poems of different types. Fun is a word that is not often associated with reading for most people but when alliteration is used within a sentence it gives a piece of writing rhythm. Rhythm makes reading fun and easy to flow. Sentences of this type also have the capability to create humor within a piece of writing. Examples of alliterative sentences include:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Haley hates when her hair hits the hair dryer.
Ashley always associates with all of her allies.
They can even be made into a title for an essay. An example would be, Self Esteem: Societies Standards on Something Subjective
Variations often consist of appositives. An appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or a noun clause that sits next to another noun to rename it or describe it in another way. These can be extraordinarily helpful to give a reader insight in a simple way on a topic he/she may not be familiar with. They also add variety to sentences. Examples of appositives include:
My two dogs, Buddy and Tanner, like to sleep.
My favorite kind of ice cream, mint chocolate chip, is best served with a brownie.
Lauren Chamberlain, an Oklahoma University softball player, is an outstanding athlete.
Appositives are used often and have a very good use. They have so much to offer for sentences and the masterminds behind the sentences.
Interrupting modifiers, a phrase that expands on the subject, comes before the verb in a sentence and after the noun. Their function is even stated within. It interrupts a sentence while modifying the noun. Similarly to appositives, they restate what the noun is but differentiating from an appositive, it goes into greater detail. These too also add variety to writing. Flow is also given to the writing because of these interrupting modifiers. It changes the way that each sentence is written and gives them variety. An example of an interrupting modifier would be like the introductory sentence to this very paragraph. Another sentence would be: Typewriters, once common in schools and offices, are rarely seen or used now.
In my writing, I hope to continue to add more of these three strategies in order to give it more flow and an easier reading style for those who read it. Currently when I write, I try to include these strategies right away. But, sometimes thoughts rush through my brain and I type them as they are. I then go back through and try to further improve all of my sentences. Eventually I hope to include them from the start in order to make writing an easier and more intelligent process.
Williams 3
“The Art of Styling Sentences” is a profoundly useful book in which writers can be enlightened in learning more about different types of sentences. Writers should review and utilize resources such as “The Art of Styling Sentences” to make their writing more interesting and assure that their writing does not become stale or commonplace. Upon analyzing “The Art of Styling Sentences” myself I found all the suggestions it gives to be useful but three stuck out to me in particular: A single modifier out of place for emphasis, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject), and the deliberate fragment. I plan on using these sentence structures along with many others from the document to bring my writing to life and to create an enjoyable experience for my reader.
I find sentences that have a single modifier out of place for emphasis to be very compulsory. Most sentences provide information to the reader through long sentences, so moving around the adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases within the sentence can still provide the same information, but can be much more interesting to read.
Examples of this type of sentence:
Driven, the student achieved his goal.
Humiliated, the teacher retreated to his office.
Another sentence type that I found interesting were the ones that included prepositional phrases before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject). This type of sentence still moves the writing along with providing the needed information but does it in a way that is stylistically different than a traditional sentence.
Examples of this type of sentence:
Behind the dorm room door hides the timid college student.
Within the cupcakes, were FunFetti sprinkles.
Lastly, I enjoy deliberately fragmented sentences when they are used correctly. A writer would use a deliberate fragment to create emphasis or increase the drama in the writing. When a deliberate fragment is used the writer must indicate in some way that it was intentional.
Examples of this type of sentence:
The winter night was biting at the orphan. No matter (this is the deliberate fragment). The child pressed on in search for warmth.
Frightened, the girl turned slowly towards the noise to see what was behind her. The man from her nightmare (this is the deliberate fragment).
The Art of Styling Sentences is true to its word. It can truly bring a writer success through the changing of their sentence types. As I surveyed over the multitude of sentence variations, I noticed many variations I can employ in my own writing. I found three I especially liked. 9a. A variation: same word repeated in a parallel structure, 19. The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and 13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis are my favorite of the group.
9a. A variation: same word repeated in parallel structure
I especially enjoyed this type of sentence variation because it creates emphasis on the words which are coupled with the repeating word. It makes the sentence dramatic. Similarities can be noticed by the reader. The repeated words are grouped with words in succession. The dog is happily jumping, happily sniffing, and happily playing. The repeated 'happy' shows the dog is especially happy in everything he does.
19. The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect
I try to disperse these sentences throughout my compositions. I feel when a writer graduates into a higher level of writing, they will most likely lengthen their sentences. These sentences can become overwhelming and may become a blur of words. The simple sentence breaks up the long sentences and provides a break for the reader. Simple sentences are raw and to the point. These sentences are abrupt, but a favorable abrupt. Its dramatic and can be ominous. Uncle Buck died. This sentence would only be muddled by more words. It is clear and shocking.
13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis
I need to add more sentences with this type of variation. The modifier, when placed at the beginning of a sentence, sets the tone for the sentence. It prepares the reader for what will come. The word being modified is singled out and highlighted. Frustrated, the mother tried to balance her checkbook. The reader is made aware of the situation's overall frustration. If the sentence were changed to ,'The frustrated mother tried to balance her checkbook,' the reader would have noticed the mother was frustrated rather than the whole situation being frustrating.
For my enhancement essay, I am going to use more of the three variations I liked the most. I will also try delaying by subjects, and I will change the order of the sentences in general. Noticing I use too many compound sentences, I will try to decrease their amount. I also become too wordy when I write. To render this problem, I will use a combination of short and long sentences.
My favorite strategies from the Art of Styling Sentences are: an introductory set of appositives, an internal set of appositives, and paired constructions. However, I need to use more sentence variation to make sure the reader finds interest in my writing. I am working on my enhancement by using techniques that Mr. C is showing us in class and by paying attention to the term tuesday presentations and applying those examples to my own sentences.
I particularly like the use of introductory appositives because they are easy to use and they a great way to enhance your essay. I don’t use them as often as I should though. However if I use them more often there is no doubt that my essays will be more interesting to read and I will sound smarter as well. An example of an introductory set of appositives that I have used in my previous essay is: The earliest stages of education, in elementary school people begin to learn what is right from what is wrong, they then advance into information more relevant to everyday life. The earliest stage of education is unneeded information but it is used to give the sentence more information.
I also like to use internal set of appositives in my essays too. I like them because not only are they easy to use they also make me essays more enjoyable to read. I should also use them more often than I do to enhance my essay. An example of a use of internal set of appositives is: Reid’s favorite football team, the Broncos, is good. The Broncos is unneeded information but it placed to give the sentence more detail.
Lastly I like the use of paired constructions to enhance my essay. I like how they tie different parts of the sentence together to make them more interesting. Also it helps the reader know what is being compared or what is happening. For example: Not only was Reid late for school, but also he didn’t do his homework. In this example it helps the reader know the severity of what Reid did.
Thinking of the my three favorite sentence styling forms, I can only think of three that I enjoy to use; compound sentence: semicolon, no conjunction, an internal series of appositives or modifiers, or interrupting modifier between subject and verb.
A compound sentence using a semicolon instead of a conjunction, is by far one of my new favorite styles to use in my writing. A semicolon is used similar to a conjunction. The function of the semicolon is to combine two clauses. I have began trying to incorporate this style at least two times in every essay. An example of my own work using this style, “Adventure and RPG games are constantly converging in graphics and the way gamers interact with the characters, but their stories and core elements of the two types of games will probably stay far apart; noticing the difference can help you understand what type of game you are getting or should look into.” For me I love having the ability to add spunk to my sentences and giving my readers a different feel to a sentence. I also believe using semicolons make you the writer look, intelligent, literate, and experienced. I plan to use them strategically but not too often because they then become redundant and useless.
For me, using internal series of appositives has not been a concept I have used but will try to incorporate them into future and present essays. To introduce this form of an appositive either parentheses or dashes. The Video games -- Fallout 3, NBA 2K, and Assassin’s Creed -- allure many people towards playing video game. The former sentence used and internal series of appositives and as you can tell using this helps greatly increased sentence variety, and draws the eyes to that sentence. Sentences such as this should be used in small quantities but when used properly draw in the readers attention. I will begin to incorporate sentences using an internal series of appositives into my own writing.
Interrupting modifiers add a great deal of detail towards the subject of sentences and should be used much more often than they are. To introduce this modifier you can use a comma or parenthesis. Athletes, strong or fast, should have a place on any athletic team. In this sentence the interrupting modifier added detail towards the type of athletes, was introduced with a comma, and strengthened my sentence. As much as I used them in my own personal literary work, I should be using them or and have began to do so.
The Art of Styling Sentences has plopped new ideas into my mind and how to modify my sentences to flow well. I will be using these styles much more often to lengthen and strengthen my essays. I also will continue to use them through any type of writing I will have to do in the future regarding any class or topic.
The Art of Styling Sentences refreshed my view in a few areas of how I could be more creative. Three of them include an out of place, single modifier, infinitive phrases, and simple sentences.
Happily, I like the thought of using a single modifier out of place, because it not only adds emphasis, but also description. The concept of using a description right smack in the front of a sentence grabs the reader’s attention, and keeps them interested. So, in sentences like such as, “Rushed, she threw on her pajamas and leapt into bed” and “Tired, he swung open the fridge for a snack he didn’t even know he wanted” adds emphasis and color to what the subject did, as well as how they did it. In my opinion, I also tend to read things at different tempos when I know how the character is feeling.
To use an infinitive phrase at the beginning of a sentence allows for a contrast in the monotonous “subject, verb, extra stuff” type of sentences. Putting an infinitive phrase at the start of an idea like “To smile handsomely, he had to brush his teeth” or “To sing beautifully, she first needed to poise herself and walk onto the stage” connects a few thoughts together without adding too much verbiage.
Simple sentences are eye-catching. Short, simple sentences allow for a break in a long sentence pattern, which can be very boring to read. Short sentences break the flow. They also add emphasis with a big impact if worded and placed correctly. “She slumped, defeated.” This example paints a picture instead of saying every detail that could still explain her frustration. “The door creaked open.” Eerily, this overused statement in every horror story adds to the tension and fearfulness that every scary tale should have. A small statement can have a large impact.
I am trying to add spice to my writing. This flavor may be added through better vocabulary, varying sentence structures, and limited wording. I want my readers to be enthralled with my works. To achieve this, I will do my best to change up my sentence structures, and learn how to do it properly.
While all the sentence structuring styles are intriguing and great tools to add into your works, my favorite ones were: an introductory set of appositives, interrupting modifier between subject and verb, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. The first one that I personally enjoy is the introductory set of appositives. This style not only pulls the reader in by starting the sentences off with a topic, but it also leads the reader into what will be talked about in the sentence. It really just jumps out at you and makes you want to keep reading. An example of this type of sentence would be something like-- Computers, Ipods, and cameras-- ingredients to an electronic section of a store. Or a sentence such as “Car accidents, heart attacks, or murder-- which is the leading cause of death in the United States?” could be another example of this technique.
The second of this wonderful trio is the always great, interrupting modifier between the subject and verb. I really like this structure because it adds detail to the sentence. And the detail it adds really drags the reader into the writing-- making them feel like they have to keep reading to find out more. A lot of times readers can lack in the little details that, if they were present, would be just enough to complete their thought. But if a writer uses this tactic more often they will find that their writing is much more intricate. A couple examples of this style would be, “The snow, falling from the night sky, began to cover the ground”, or “My shoes (that I bought from Scheels) are brand new.”
Last, but certainly not least, is the short, simple sentence used for dramatic effect or relief. This is one of my favorites for one simple reason-- when used correctly, it adds emphasis and a little bit of drama to your writing. If I were to use this sentence I would definitely be trying to add a lot of emphasis to the sentence to prove a point. Sentences like-- “It was over”, and “They all knew it” are a few that in the right situation would add an immaculate amount of intensity to any work!
Within my own writing, the thing I’m trying to work on is having more of a variety of sentences in my essays. A lot of the time I get comfortable with just a handful of styles, but I’d really like to broaden my area of material. I can achieve this simply by looking at this document we are using for this blog task. The Art of Styling Sentences is a great reference for me to use in the future to just see what I can add to my essays to really jazz them up!
Kuehn 2
I have noticed that I do not use all of the different types of sentences, although I am using more than I did at the beginning of the year. I now make more of an effort to use different sentence styles while composing my essays for class as well as short essays for scholarship applications. Three of my favorite strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences include introductory or concluding participle phrases, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or the verb and subject), and figurative sentences (simile).
I feel that introductory and concluding participle phrases are able to give a sentence more detail and description without becoming overly wordy. I think they are also easy to add into writing, although not everyone uses them, therefore they still differentiate writers who use them from those who do not.
Examples:
She turned on the computer, thinking about her blog post.
Tired from school, he was glad it was Friday.
Prepositional phrases before the subject and verb (or the verb and subject) are simple to use to describe or explain part of the sentence. Learned at a young age, prepositional phrases are not difficult to use how to use, however I believe they are often overlooked in importance. Using prepositional phrases can help writing become more descriptive and interesting than it would be without.
Examples:
Around the tree, the dog ran.
She pitched the ball toward the batter.
Figurative sentences--including similes--can be very beneficial in explaining a topic to an audience unfamiliar with it. I do not believe I use this sentence style as often as I could, and I would like to make an effort to use it more. When the audience is unfamiliar with the topic, using a simile to explain it can be a simple solution and is more interesting than a long, drawn out, confusing explanation.
Example:
A golfer with no putter is like a volleyball player with no net.
15. Object or complement before subject and verb.
13. Single modifier out of place for emphasis.
4. Series without the usual conjunction.
These strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences seemed the most interesting to me. When I learn to use them correctly and appropriately, my sentence structure will greatly improve. The object or complement before the subject and verb was very interesting as my first reaction was it sounded like Yoda from Star Wars. I always thought his dialect was very interesting but I did not know how to ever write it. This style seems like it can really add structure to an essay. When someone reads this type of sentence, it can really confuse them as they do not seem very normal. The sentence seems to not flow smoothly but sometimes that can be good. Example: Exciting sport is soccer. Single modifier out of place for emphasis is next strategy. The single modifier at the beginning seemed to set the tone of the sentence. If it is not at the beginning sentence, it can still add a key descriptive word. An example would be: composedly, the student took the grammatical classification quiz. The next sentence style is series without the usual conjunction. This style really deviates from what traditional English has taught us which is in a series of three or more, the last item usually receives a conjunction before it. In The Art of Styling Sentences, it states that without the last conjunction, there is more parallelism involved. To me, after learning throughout middle school and high school that the conjunction before the last item was necessary, it seems like it does not flow at all without it. The rhythm also seems out of place without the conjunction. Example: The sentence types on the grammatical classification quiz are simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. I hope to incorporate these styles into my essay with the utmost of ease.
Personally, I like to use emphatic appositives after colons to spice up my writing. I like to use this type of sentence variation because it allow me to not only complete my full sentence, but also to add more information or descriptions to that sentence. For example, I could write that “Bill felt something stirring inside of him.” That sentence is complete, has subject and verb, and contains descriptors. Yet, the reader has no idea what is stirring inside of Bill. Is it love? Hope? Grief? Hunger? By adding an emphatic appositive after the colon, the reader will now know: “Bill felt something stirring inside of him: an alien embryo.” The previous quotation is much more interesting, and descriptive. Emphatic appositives after colons allow the writer to add suspense and mystery to the sentence, all while not tipping their hand. This added enigma also allows writers to be concise, hooking their readers in one sentence instead of two or more.
My second favorite type of sentence variation is the introductory or concluding participle phrase. Like emphatic appositives after a colon, introductory or concluding participle phrases allow the writer to add more information to a sentence, all without splitting the sentence into multiple sentences. Introductory or concluding participle phrases also allow the writer to avoid using run on sentences. Bloated sentences are the bane of every reader’s existence, and introductory or concluding participle phrases keep the reader interested. Another example, this time of a concluding participle phrase, would be: “Bill stood motionless, paralyzed by the fear and pain in his stomach.” An example of an introductory participial phrase might be: “The monster birthing, the alien exploded out of Bill’s chest cavity.” These sentences are much more informative and entertaining than, “Bill stood motionless.” and “The alien exploded out of Bill’s chest cavity.” respectively.
Haley Andrews pd. 2
All of the strategies that are listed in The Art of Styling Sentences are necessary when writing a formal, causal, persuasive, informative, or any other kind of essay for that matter. The majority of people who have taken a course that has required an essay to be written, has most likely used some, if not all, of the thirty five strategies. These listed strategies are found to be useful when separating a highly educated student, from an average educated student; a literate person from an illiterate person. I myself have used almost all of the strategies that were listed in The Art of Styling Sentences. After using the bulk of the listed strategies, I have found a few that I am comfortable using. The three strategies I enjoy to use most when writing are interrupting modifiers between subject and verb, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and paired construction.
Interrupting modifiers between the subject and verb of a sentence, is one of the listed strategies that I enjoy using while writing the most. The interrupting element can be a single word, a pair of adjectives or adverbs, or a phrase. The punctuation used -- such as commas, dashes, or parentheses -- determines how strongly a person interprets the given sentence. Example of these three differently punctuated sentences are:
Ashley, once an avid dancer, is apart of the Brandon Valley dance team.
Zeke -- his breed originating from Korea -- is an extremely friendly and energetic dog.
Katie (having two other siblings) knows how to put up with annoyance.
The second listed strategy that I enjoy writing with is using a single modifier out of place used to create emphasis. A single modifier out of place for emphasis is when an adverb, adjective, and prepositional phrase have their typical, normal positions in a sentence, a place near the word they modify. Now, is the perfect time to give an example.
Quickly, Dylan drank the Coca-Cola. Instead of “Dylan drank the Coca-Cola quickly.
The third and final strategy listed in The Art of Styling Sentences I enjoy using is paired construction. Paired constructions are some words that work in pairs. They can have independent clauses -- subject and verb -- or any other parts of speech, the goal of paired construction is to make the sentence parallel and powerful. Not only is paired construction useful, but also identifies literate people.
The more information Ashley grasps, the more intelligent she becomes.
Reading The Art of Styling Sentences have helped me realize that my sentences have no variety. I struggle to switch up the order of my writing. In term Tuesday, we were told that we are only suppose to use leech words with a deliberate fragment once or twice in our paper. It makes our paragraphs sound choppy. I believe that I use this structure too frequently. This article by Waddell, Esch, and Walker with hopefully improve the flow of my paragraphs and make it sound more intelligent.
One style I enjoy to use is placing infinitive phrases in the beginning connected to the main idea of the sentence with a comma. Making it an infinitive phrase makes it even better. To me, this makes the sentence sound more intelligent by having an introductory phrase. For example, if one was trying to say “The government has exceeded a 1.5 trillion deficit. Deficit means the amount of revenue is less than the amount spent.” To make this smoother, one could say “The government has exceeded a 1.5 trillion deficit. To clarify the definition, a deficit means the amount of revenue is less than the amount spent.”
Another technique that I believe will be useful in future writing is a short question for dramatic effect. You can ask a short question, “Why is this so?”, causing the reader to stop and consider the possibilities. Some different writing types are argumentative, casual, or persuasive and the composer would want to get their point across by using facts. To help with this, they could ask a question and then answer using research they found. Making readers think will help them relate more to the composition.
In addition, a paired construction for contrast only is a creative option to use to mix up writing styles. This way shows a contrast between two things, a “this not that” type of comparison. I enjoy this because the two items being compared are set right next to each other so the reader can clearly identify between them. It also makes the work more dramatic.
I am working to embellish my writing by using larger, less generic words. Also, I tend to use “there is/there are” too often when I could be more clear. After reading this passage, I now have many more options to use when creating sentences.
After examining the Art of Styling sentences, I have chosen three types of sentence enhancers that I would like to practice and improve my writing with. I chose these three sentence enhancers: a series without the usual conjunction, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject), and a short question for dramatic effect. I chose these types of sentence modifiers based on my current level of skill with them and also because of their level of difficulty.
I will use a series without the usual conjunction in my writing to make the reader think. I have a sentence in my expansion essay that says, “More recently however, Google has been growing and expanding, and has absolutely become a threat to the safety Apple has created for itself.” To exercise my new found skill with series, I will likely decide to change the sentence. It will instead say, “More recently however, Google has been growing, expanding, absolutely becoming a threat to the safety Apple has created for itself.” This improves the sentence because it makes the sentence more dramatic. The change was simple, all I had to do was remove a couple of “and’s” and change the word become. This tells me that I am already writing skillfully, I simply need to take a little more time to think about the affects I want each sentence to have on the reader.
My next type of sentence is a prepositional phrase before the subject and verb(or before the verb and subject). I also found a sentence that needed to be changed in my expansion essay. It previously said “The internet, in 1998, was still a work in progress and people were frustrated by the slow, dial-up connections they were forced to suffer through.” I decided to change the sentence to, “In 1998 the internet was still a work in progress and people were frustrated by the slow, dial-up connections they were forced to suffer through.” I moved the proposition In 1998 to the beginning of the sentence. This helps the sentence flow much better and the preposition doesn’t become an unnecessary interruption.
The final type of sentence modifier I chose was a short question for dramatic effect. After perusing my expansion essay, I realized I had already used this type of sentence modifier. “This rapid success was essential in spreading the companies name. But how did they do it? Google’s creators, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, designed it to do one thing very well, search.” I was already using this type of sentence modifier, however, I would like to use it more often because it makes the reader become truely involved with the essay because they are presented with the exact question they might have been wondering. Then I answer it.
Mackenzie Nelson P.3
From the The Art of Styling Sentences I have learned much than I have known. The Art of Styling Sentences has helped me with making different types of sentences. The information and examples given have helped me to understand them more. I even used the document to help understand some of my term Tuesday terms. Among the list from The Art of Styling Sentences I have picked out three favorites first N 30. The Alliterative Sentence, second 19a. a short question for dramatic effect, last 14. Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject)
N 30. The alliterative sentence strategy intrigues me. In works of writing that I have read that use alliterative sentences I feel as though it gives the work something to get the readers attention. It leaves an impression on the reader that they will remember that sentence. Repeating the first letters of the words makes reading the sentence fun. Examples of the alliterative sentences are … Hailey hates to have hamburger, another example is Taia takes time texting and talking. I look forward to using these in my future essays to try to help them be memorable.
19a. a short question for dramatic effect, had been something I have used in some previous essays. When you add a short question into your writing it makes the reader think about what you are asking. It makes them think what they would do for the question asked with what pertains to the writing. Examples of a short question for dramatic effect are … What would you do? Another example is, What should they have done? Asking the question in the writing gives it dramatic effect and inclines the reader to think. I have used a couple questions in my essay where they fit in. I hope when I use them the reader of my essay thinks about the question and answers in their head.
14.Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb gives you a way of varying the way your sentences are written. It gives you the opportunity to change up the format in which you are writing your sentences. Instead of the prepositional phrase at the end or in the middle it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Examples include, In the library, no student talks. Another is, In the classroom, no student texts. I hope to change up the way I write my sentences by using the prepositional phrase before my subject and verb.
The Art of Styling Sentences has truly helped my become a better writer.
When it comes to writing sentence structure is very important. There are many different types of sentence structure and using many different types can elevate you from other writers. The Art of Styling Sentences is a helpful tool that can help anyone compose a better paper. I wish to enhance my writing by using a varied style of sentence to keep the reader hooked and help my essay look more professional.
First off, one sentence strategy I like is the series without the usual conjunction. In this strategy, similar items are paired together with the use of a conjunction. Some conjunctions often used are but, and, for, or and so. I feel as if using these words makes your writing seem immature. Therefor using this strategy makes your writing flow a lot better. An example of this is “ She was feeling scared, horrified, confused.”
The second strategy is the repetition of a key term. In this strategy a word is repeated several times in one sentence. The purpose of this is to draw attention to a certain word. This type of sentence interests me because it adds emphasis that could be lacking if a normal sentence was written. An example of this strategy is “ She felt as if no one cared for her, no one even thought about her, no one even knew she existed.
The third and final strategy is the complete inversion of a normal sentence pattern. All of the parts of the sentence are switched around. I like this strategy because it gives your writing more variation in sentence form which in turn makes your writing more professional. Instead of the verb and noun at the beginning of the sentence they are placed at the end of the sentence. An example of this sentence would be “ Begging for food is the dog.”
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very useful book that can greatly enhance one’s writing. I plan to use many of the sentence structures found in the book in my own writing. My three favorite strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences are: 10. Emphatic appositive at the end and after a colon, 13. A single modifier out of place for emphasis, and 16. Paired constructions.
The first strategy that I chose was an emphatic appositive at the end, after a colon. This type of sentence structure not only creates suspense for the reader, but it also allows the reader to be drawn into one’s writing. I enjoy reading works that contain an emphatic appositive in them because the first part of the sentence (usually a description) captures my attention and leaves me wanting to know what the second half of the sentence after the colon is going to contain (usually the subject(s) that the first phrase is describing).
Examples:
When hiking, one should always be on the lookout for two dangers: bears and falling rocks.
Procrastinating her blog task, the girl checked multiple social media sites: Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Next, I chose the strategy of a single modifier out of place for emphasis. In this type of sentence, the modifier is put in an atypical spot in the sentence in order to emphasize the modifier. I like this strategy as it allows for sentence variety and keeps the reader engaged with the placement change of the modifier.
Examples:
On Monday, the girl watched her favorite TV show, Castle.
Energized, the band marched and played their show.
The last strategy that I chose was paired constructions. This type of sentence only works for words that can be paired together. When used correctly, paired constructions can add power to any sentence. I not only enjoy reading these types of sentences, but I also enjoy writing them as they make it easy to compare and contrast two related subjects.
Examples:
Not only did the girl play the piano, but also the clarinet.
The more she ice skated, the less amount of times she fell.
From now on, I plan to use these sentence strategies along with others found in The Art of Styling Sentences in my essays. Using these strategies now will better prepare me for writing essays in college and beyond. I have found that since the beginning of the school year, each time I write an essay, I am always trying to enhance each sentence to the best of my ability using different sentence structures. This has allowed my writing to grow exponentially in just a few months. I am looking forward to seeing it grow even more in the coming year.
Ezra Voigt
Styling your sentences differently is essential to keeping the reader entertained and immersed in your piece of writing. I plan on incorporating many of these different styling techniques in my future essay. Before reading “The Art of Styling Sentences” I did not know that many of these styling techniques even existed or that some were even grammatically correct. I hope to master some if not all of these techniques and I hope to used them frequently in my upcoming essays and pieces of writing. My favorite techniques were the series without the usual conjunction, an introductory series of appositives, and the emphatic appositive at the end, after colon.
The serious without the usual conjunction interested me. I did not know that you did not have to include a conjunction in a sentence when you are listing things. The serious without the usual conjunctions adds rhythm and flow to sentence making it very unique. Here are some examples I have created. Again the man found himself tired, hungry, weak. The man worked hard on the building, adding roofing, adding doors, adding windows.
I found the introductory series of appositives very interesting. It is a unique way to style a sentence. It draws the reader into the sentence with the list of appositives at the beginning. Here is an example I have created. Rich, poor, and average — which class are you in modern society.
The emphatic appositive at the end was also an interesting style of a sentence. Once I master appositives I will definitely use this one. Basically you put an appositive at the end of sentence after a colon. Here is an example I have created. The man was running for his life while being chased by a pack of beasts: lions. The office lacked one important aspect: silence.
The Art of Styling Sentences will come extremely in handy in essays to come. It will help me create a more diverse essays sentence wise. Also, it will be helpful in our extension essay to help me make it more diverse and possible expand it in more than one way. Honestly I did not know about most of these strategies and will look forward to use them in my essays to come. In an attempt to make them seem less bland. My three favorite strategies are: a single modifier out of place for emphasis, object or complement before subject and verb, along with repetition of a key term.
The first one I chose was single modifier out of place for emphasis. The definition in the Art of Styling Sentences was: “adverbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases have their typical, normal positions in a sentence, a place near the word they modify. Moving them around creates a nice style.” It gives it more precedence in the essay I believe making it seem more important.
An Example would be: Excitedly, the young child leaped towards the present.
Second was object or complement before subject and verb. This is when you place a direct object or predicate noun first and subject and verb second. This styling helps your sentences seem less bland and reminds me of how Yoda talks to be honest.
Example: To the hand you talk. Because listening I am not.
The final one is the repetition of key terms. This is when you repeat a word exactly or repeat a form of the word to create more powerful sentences. You would use a dash or comma to show you are about to repeat the word. It creates a more powerful sentence helping you get your point across is why I like it.
Example: The United States is an extremely powerful country, powerful form its military, powerful from its wealth.
Mykayla Palmer Pd. 2
Usually, when writing an essay, I begin to find my sentence structure becomes dull and repetitive. For this reason, I have found “The Art of Styling Sentences” by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker to be a very helpful tool. With only twenty different sentence types, I am able to compose an infinite amount of interesting and capturing sentences. My essay improved, this tool has helped me to strengthen and enhance my writing.
Even with such varying sentence options, I have found three types which continue to catch my attention: sentences containing series without usual conjunctions, sentences with interrupting modifiers between subjects and verbs, and sentences with absolute construction.
In a single essay, one may find the word “and” well over one hundred times. With every list the popular conjunction sneaks its way into the sentence. Many do not realize the unlimited ways in which they are able to differ from common conjunctions. One way to do so is to have a series of items in a list be separated by only commas. Instead of saying “Susan was doomed, devastated, and depressed,” one could write “Susan was doomed, devastated, depressed.” Or even yet, “Susan was doomed and devastated and depressed.” These small changes offer new, exceptional variations that can enhance any essay and also add a rhythm to the writing, which easily catches the readers attention.
In accordance with this, interrupting modifiers also prove to be essay enhancers. Many well-known authors, such as Stephen King, will not hesitate to use interrupting modifiers on nearly every page of their books; yet some writers will continuously leave these important tools out of their work. Perhaps, this is what sets King apart from other writers. An interrupting modifier--which is certainly not difficult to compose--will always be contained in either commas, parentheses, or dashes. While simple to write, interrupting modifiers add complexity and confidence, which is one of several reasons why I enjoy them.
Perhaps not as simple to write, absolute construction should be used by every scholarly composer. While it is simply a noun and a participle, this brilliant writing trick possesses the power to modify an entire sentence, state the condition, or provide background information and important details. In fact, previously I used absolute construction earlier in this post when I wrote: “My essay improved, this tool has helped me to strengthen and enhance my writing.” Absolute construction is a subtle, yet powerful tool.
With so many varying ways to construct a sentence, I work to improve my writing by using the majority, if not all, of the twenty varying sentence styles. Incorporating these useful tools, my essays could only possibly be improved.
Sentence variety not only adds interest to an essay, but it also adds quality. Sentence types go beyond just a simple or compound. Higher level writing requires intriguing sentences in order to make a boring essay a thrilling read. Marie L. Waddell through her book, The Art of Styling Sentences: 20 Patterns for Success, exemplifies the many ways an average writer can transform to a erudite author.
Asyndeton--the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence--is a pattern that is not always commonly used, but is greatly appreciated. It can add emphasis by making all the modifiers have equal effect upon the word they are modifying. It also adds emphasis on the word they are modifying because without the conjunction the words flow together making it seem as one. Instead of saying, “The big, black, and ferocious bear was standing on just two legs.”, one should really say, “The big, black, ferocious bear was standing on just two legs.”. In this example, adding the conjunction broke the sentence up and that sentence did not flow as well as the second. Asyndeton is one of my favorites due to the way it changes the tone of a sentence. It is important for writers to add sentences that connect to the reader and asyndeton is a great way to do that.
An internal series of appositives or modifiers is a very effective way to increase interest in an essay. For example, “The bear--big, black, and ferocious--was standing on just two legs.” It adds a sense of dimension to writing by putting the modifiers in a place you would not normally see them. It makes one’s interest level increase as it is an emphasizing way to modify the noun. It is one of my favorites because of all of these reasons. In my essays, I often look for new ways to form a sentence and this is a go-to.
Epistrophe is the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences. This literary pattern is one of the most emphatic. “Where now? Who now? What now?” adds suspense and creates a build up to something exciting that will happen. Even though I may not use it as often as the others, this is still a favorite of mine because it is attention grabbing.
I am working to enhance my sentences by going back and reading my essay. At any point in it that I feel it is boring or has repetitive style, I try to change it up. I notice as I write if I use the same types of sentences repeatedly and then I adapt my write as I go.
While I truly found everything in this book to be very helpful and erudite, there are a few sentence styles that I believe are slightly more important and/or interesting. Number one in this list is number 9 on theirs-- repetition of a key term. I believe this sentence to be of paramount importance due to the fact that it is repeating a key term multiple times. Its pounding that word into your brain screaming “I’m important pay attention to me!!” I also think it is more interesting and adds color and variation into your work. It takes descriptive writing and runs with it.
The other sentence that I found more important was their number 12-- introductory or concluding participial phrases. I found these to be important because if you do not have these in your work, the reading will be very dry and dull. If every single sentence starts out or ends the same way, it will be extremely redundant and boring. Mixing your writing style is what brings your work to life, it adds color and little pops of spontaneity. To take an example from the book, “The man stood there, transfixed by its bright glow.” sounds a lot better than “Transfixed by its bright glow the man stood there.”
The final sentence style that I found to be most interesting was their number 14-- Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject). My reasoning for this style is very similar to the past reasoning for number 12. It is simply a nice way to change up your writing style. These however, I find to be more interesting and well worded; as opposed to introductory or concluding participial phrases. “In the box is where the horrid creature was entrapped” sounds better than “The horrid creature was entrapped in the box.”
I am working to change up my writing style by being aware of these different types of sentences and trying to include at least some in my essays.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a wonderful tool for students, teachers, and writers everywhere that can be taken advantage of to increase writing variety and create overall better and more progressive literature works. The Art of Styling Sentences offers twenty sentence structure patterns that can be used collectively or separately. While each is indeed an art, out of this list, my favorites are example numbers nine, twenty-six, and thirty-six.
Example number nine is my most favorite type of sentence structure and I use it often throughout my various essays. Sentence example number nine is “repetition of a key term.” This means when writing, one will repeat a word exactly or a phrase in some form to create a “powerful sentence.” I have used this in most of my essays. For example, in my Classification essay I was describing students who are stuck in their high school ways and unable to see the future. I stated: “This is common. This is comfortable.” This can be used by students to add variation and make emphasis on a certain point. This is often times shown by using a comma or a dash to show when you will repeat.
Example number twenty-six is also one I use often. Sentence structure example number twenty-six is “The Figurative Sentence (Metaphor).” As stated in the sentence structure document “This is basically a simile without like or as. By being subtler and simply implying the comparison, an implied metaphor is possible.” Examples of this sentence structure would be: “A person’s life is a rough sea.”, or even better, “The rough seas of our moral life often threaten our happiness.” This can be used by pupils who want to make a more picturesque reading experience for the audience.
Example number thirty-six is a sentence structure I do not use often, but I find it interesting and hope it incorporate into my writing in the future. This structure is “Hypophora”. The sentence structure document says about this writing technique: “Unlike a rhetorical question, a hypophora is a question raised by the writer that he or she actually answers. Raising a question the reader might be considering and answering it in several sentences is a solid writing technique.” The example given in the document is: “Why are sentences so wonderful? They add a maturity to a writer’s style that otherwise might not exist. To avoid the style of a fifth-grader, one must add some style.” The example given also perfectly explains why students should use this writing technique, and should do so often.
My main goal and way I am improving my writing is by attempting to study different sentence types and use them to my advantage. Throughout my writing I try to find structures I have not used, whether I had not used them in the current essay I am working on, or ever. I hope only to continue advance and grow in my writing and sentence styling capabilities.
One of my favorite styling types that they mention is number 5: A series of balanced pairs. I really like this style because it changes things up. Instead of just writing a uniform list or a simple simile you can draw more attention to what you are saying. I remember times where I would read this in a book or an essay and it caught my attention because it was so different and added emphasis to the comparison and contrast. I wish I had thought to use this style when we were writing our compare and contrast essays and I hope to incorporate it into future writings. An example of this cool writing form would be: "The forest has so much life like the deer and trees, the fish and ponds, the birds and the leaves, the insects and the mushrooms that all live together in harmony."
Another favorite of mine is number N15: The antitheses. I love these because they seem like a scholarly way to add sarcasm or humor to an essay if used properly. I am glad I found this because I am a more casual writer and so to find a way that allows for me to add humor or sarcasm can make writing easier to me. I will definitely be using this in my expansion essay. An example of this is: "As others argue and push their point of the argument I pull them to my side." One of my favorite examples they use is "The smartest students make the worst teachers."
My last favorite style is similar to N15 but it is N16: The Animetabole. This form is slightly harder to just throw into an essay (atleast in my opinion) and must be thought about as you type. Despite this I really like this style because if used correctly it could be thought provoking or funny. A good example of this "I believe in common sense, but sense just doesn't seem that common anymore."
I hope to use these styles to help me feel more relaxed and definitive in my essays. I've already learned so much through this class but I know I need to keep working on my sentence styling. Looking back on even my womanhood essay I see where I could improve a lot and I hope to learn more as I continue to write and grow
Truth be told, one of my favorite sentence writing strategies (parallelism) isn’t exactly listed in The Art of Styling Sentences; however, I have found a few that I am just as fond of.
A series without the usual conjunction.
Omitting or overusing conjunctions to create rhythm in my writing is something that comes naturally to me, something that I love to do. Every sound, every beat, every word in a series that is constructed in this way is like a melodious tone. Strung together, they fall into place like musical notes on a scale. Personally, I find that the typical construction of a series with a conjunction is slightly corrupted, in the sense that said conjunction disrupts the flow of reading.
Cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, ginger -- basic spices for any Moroccan chef.
Off to the venue for a reception brimming with song, dance, joy, food, drinks.
I find that using this writing method is wonderful for constructing lists without making it seem as if I am intentionally making a list. Cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, ginger is a series without conjunctions, as is song, dance, joy, food, drinks.
I’m in cloudy darkness, the tides churning several meters in front of me, cold and dark and weighing down the deep bed of sludge that squelches and drags me downwards.
In this sentence, conjunctions are used, but they are many and are unpaired with punctuation. Cold and dark and weighing down reads differently than cold, dark, weighing down does. A sense of urgency, almost, radiates from the former; the latter, a sense of leisure comes forth.
A variation (of repetition of a key term): same word repeated in parallel structure.
The emphasis created with repetition speaks to me. Attention is drawn to the idea without being outright demanded. I absolutely love the parallelism of this strategy, as well. Something about a parallel structure strikes a chord in my heart, resonates with me. They are positively beautiful to read -- almost like poetry they are. Below are some examples from my classification essay (although the second sentence doesn’t really have an important key term, but “them” are the eggs that are crucial to the entire essay, so).
The heart must be free, free to feel and free to believe.
Move them, stir them, wash them over with yolk and whites.
The short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect.
I have a lot of fun using short sentences to form a sense of drama. It’s also a nice break from composing the lengthier, more flowery sentences I usually use. Just because a sentence is long, doesn't mean it’s better. As we learn in journalism, shorter is better. If you can be more concise with your words, then every word counts, and each of those little words is so much more powerful than an endless string of words. Below are some of my own usages of simple sentences for dramatic effects from a couple of my essays.
(The first one is self-explanatory, I presume. As for the second, the final line is my example, really -- it just makes more sense with the preceding context.)
Three words about Starbucks:
It. Is. Everywhere.
A clean break, a clean drop, a clean cook. Suddenly, that barely-golden-brown bottom lifts, flips, careful, and . . . plop! One, two, three--quick, reverse it, gently! A fat, white, messy ring encircles its heart, but a faint film glosses over that bold goldenrod. The Over-Easy.
As of the moment, I am working to improve my sentence-beginning variety. Incredibly easy it is to begin sentences with banal, mundane words; thus, I wish to reword some of my sentences, to spice them up a bit.
Ripperda 7
The Art of Styling Sentence is filled with brilliance that could enhance any essay that it is applied to. It, simply put, contains numerous enhancements that could (and should) be applied to my writings, as well as many of my peers' writings. After reading through the patterns I have come to appreciate three above the rest.
The first pattern that I was drawn to was number four. Pattern four focuses on a sentence that contains a series, but neglects to add any conjunctions. This is done in an essay for effect and flow. It might also keep up with the rhythm that has already been established in your essay. By eliminating the conjunctions, there is no interruption and the sentence may move without a change in rhythm. An example of this type of sentence is: The ride made me feel sick, scared, worried.
A second pattern that grabbed my attention was number nine: Repetition of a key term. In order to drill an idea into our minds, or the minds of our audience we must sometimes repeat it many times. This technique requires that the audience see this word many times over, thus it creates a larger chance that they will remember this idea. An example is: Remember the keys, do not forget the keys--the keys are right over there.
A final pattern that I noticed was pattern 14. In pattern 14 the prepositional phrase begins the sentence. This creates a varying style that in return makes for a more interesting essay. The more interesting an essay is the better grade you will receive, and thus everyone should include this style somewhere in their written works. Sometimes just doing something different changes up the mood and helps to keep the readers attention. An example of this is: During the ride, everyone screamed.
The three strategies that I enjoy most from The Art of Styling Sentences are number one: compound sentences, number four: a series without the usual conjunction, and number seven: an internal series of appositives or modifiers.
I find that I often use semicolons when I write so number one: compound sentence, no conjunction is a good fit for me. It is nice because it allows me to show that the two sentences are related while also giving me the option to mix up my writing by giving me something other than periods to connect my sentences. an example of this form from my writing is “Canada and the United States are on the basis of close siblings; the share a common parent, closely related cultures, a language, and a continent.”
I enjoy number four: a series without the usual conjunction because the examples show how the strategy can make the words of a sentence flow in a smooth, poetic manner. I would like to add this strategy to my writing style because it will make my essays smoother and will also make them more enjoyable to read as the words will flow better orally with this type of sentence structure. an example of this is “The main reasons for the conflicting views on homosexuality in the two, seemingly similar countries can be attributed to: the history of Canada and the United States, population size difference, the educations of citizens of the United States and Canada, and the United State’s religiously fueled ignorance and hatred which is unmatched in other first-world nations.”
Number seven: an internal series of appositives or modifiers is attractive to me because it allows me to add description to my sentences while at the same time, showing that this description is important with dashes or parentheses. This is good because it allows me to not only add information to the sentence, it allows me to attract the reader’s attentions with things such as the dashes or parentheses that let them know that the information within them is important. The variation of 7, 7a: a variation: a single appositive or pair, is also nice because it still adds in needed information to the sentence, but only a single phrase so that it is not overwhelmed and has just the right amount of extra needed material to describe what the sentence is talking about. an example would be “Canada, another former colony of the British that endured the same treatment (as well as Caribbean colonies, which suffered much greater losses from the British acts due to their heavy dependence on trade), decided that they still had one of the highest qualities of life in the world and chose not to participate in the American Revolution.”
I can work to improve my sentence styling by practicing to incorporate these sentence strategies into my writing. There are many other good strategies within the book that I could try to use as well. Along with that, I would like to increase my writing vocabulary and use fun synonyms for boring old words which the reader may have grown bored of.
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences that I like to use in my own writing are: interrupting modifiers between the subject and the verb, single modifiers out of place for emphasis, and short questions for dramatic effect.
The first strategy that I like to use is interrupting modifiers between the subject and the verb. I like to use these modifiers because it gives the reader of your writing a little more insight on what the subject is and what it consists of. I also like to use these to give more structure to what the subject is. For example if you have a sentence that says: Bob is good at coaching. This just tells the reader that Bob is good at coaching but if you say: Bob, former college basketball star, is good at coaching. You inform the reader of Bob’s past experience giving more structure and support as to why Bob is a good coach.
The second strategy that I like to use is single modifiers out of place for emphasis. I like to use this strategy because I think that it adds spice to your writing. By placing the modifier out of it’s normal place, it catches the readers attention and draws them to the sentence and into the rest of your writing. A good example of this is: Excited, the dog could not resist jumping on its owner. Rather than: The excited dog could not resist jumping on its owner. By moving the modifier, the sentence now has zest and originality.
The last strategy that I like to use is short questions for dramatic effect. I enjoy using the short questions because I believe that when you add drama to your writing you keep your reader interested and entertained. Drama gives the writing a little bit of an attitude and keeps things interesting. I also think that when you add short questions into your writing, when the reader comes across it they pause a moment to think about it so I think that these can also give emphasis to point you are proving.
I can improve my own writing by using these three strategies (and more) from the book The Art of Styling Sentences more often. I can also spice up my writing by using more upper-level vocabulary.
I have found The Art of Styling Sentences to be incredibly helpful in multiple tacets of my life, thus far. I have used the strategies to help study for my Term Tuesday presentation, add final exam study list items to my essays, and add variety to my writing in all classes. My three go-to strategies thus far are hypophora, a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and an appositive after a dash. Hypophora is a fabulous tool to provoke a reader to think, and also introduce a topic. An example pulled from my causal essay is “From anorexia nervosa to binge-eating, why do millions of people choose such detrimental lifestyles, if they know how addicting it can become?” This use of hypophora allows reader to ponder--they may even form their own initial opinion on the matter--the subject at hand. This strategy cleverly forms a base to elaborate on. In my causal essay, this proved an excellent tool to use in my introduction, as it presented exactly what I wanted to go on to describe, in a thought-provoking manner.
I prefer to use a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, as opposed to simply writing an entirely separate sentence to explain. Using an interrupting modifier allows the writer to give additional, helpful information as the reader processes the sentence, rather than causing the reader to wait until the next sentence to comprehend what they previously read. An example, also extracted from my causal essay: “Depression--the leading, major cause of eating disorders-- can lead to perfectionism, low self esteem, and impulsive behavior (Perfect Illusions).” The subject is stated, then the interrupting modifier gives the subject further context within the essay. It also puts more emphasis on the importance of the subject.
I may simply be fond of dashes, but the third strategy I appreciate is the appositive after a dash. Dashes show importance, and add variety as opposed to commas or parentheses. I find the dashes to be a solid strategy to describe an important concept. An example: “Anorexia nervosa--forced malnourishment leading to an obscene atrophy of one’s body.” In this case, I used a collection of sentences paralleling this format to introduce eating disorders in my essay. The dashes are attention-grabbing within the introduction, and the deliberate fragments show urgency, as eating disorders can be deadly.
The Art of Styling Sentences has allowed me to enhance my writing not only in English class. Just today, I wrote an assigned one page essay for an Economics test. Rather than barely meet the requirements (as I typically would), I found myself writing to inform an audience of my opinion, not just to gain points. I took the opportunity to practice my writing skills, especially varying my sentence variety. The Art of Styling Sentences has most definitely assisted me in achieving a higher level of composition.
The three strategies that I personally enjoy the most are (1) a short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, (2) Dependent clauses in a pair or series, and (3) repetition of a key term. I enjoy these three the most because, coming from a theater and music oriented background, I love anything that adds drama. These three strategies all add quite a bit of drama to an essay, and can easily catch a reader off guard. Catching the reader off guard can cause them to become more interested in the work that they are reading, much like short choppy lines in a dramatic scene or staccato notes in beautiful symphony can catch an audience off guard and engage them in the performance. I personally am trying to enhance my writing through practice like this, though in a more diary-like format. I have also been trying to improve my sentence variety through writing letters to my friends/boyfriend. I have actually been consciously attempting to include certain sentence structure types in these letters, as well as going back and rereading these letters and finding that I did include some types that I did not even know existed until a recent term Tuesday within these letters. Another way I have been trying to improve my writing is by adding more sentence structures within the final exam study list without them being requirements, though they are usually just practicing requirements which have already been taught/used in a previous essay. However, practicing never hurts anybody. there are many other ways I will be trying to improve my writing in the future, trying many new ways of writing included. Hopefully, many of the skills that I will learn throughout the rest of my senior year will carry on into college and make me the best writer that I could possibly be.
Huizenga 6
One aspect of writing that I generally have a problem with is redundancy. Strategy number two is a good way to avoid this dilemma. This sentence structure uses an elliptical pattern eliminating the need for a redundant verb in the second half of the sentence. Replacing the verb with a comma in this pattern adds more style and creativity to the sentence, making it more original and intelligent. I plan on utilizing this technique to add more sentence variety and to avoid reusing verbs in a single sentence. An example of this would be: Love in public is rejoiced; lust, reviled.
The strategy of number four is also one that appeals to me. In some sentences conjunctions such as “and” and “or” can be used in lists and then to join clauses as well. This sentence pattern eliminates this reuse and adds more style to the sentence as well. A lack of conjunctions is a problem that used to perplex me, but not anymore. I plan to use this in writing to avoid having an abundance of repetitive conjunctions. It is nice to have variety in the words used within sentences. An example of this is: Love is patient,kind,terrible, terrific.
A final strategy that I find interesting is strategy number thirteen. The intentional placement of a word outside of its usual placement adds a large degree of emphasis to the word that is being moved. This breaks up the predictability of the essay making it seems more scholarly. This is a very creative way to rearrange the sentence. Moving words to the front is only to be attempted by the well prepared and innovative minded, for it is an advanced writing technique. If implemented correctly, this greatly adds to the intelligence of ones essay. An example of this is: Frozen, the children braved the storm.
The Art of Styling Sentences has over 20 strategies for styling sentences; there are three I like the most. While I did just exemplify strategy #1 -- using a semicolon instead of a conjunction in a compound sentence -- in the previous sentence, this is not one of them. The first of my favorite strategies is strategy #3: this is using a colon and an explanatory statement in a compound sentence. Funnily enough, the sentence I just wrote that explains the strategy uses the strategy. I have also used this is my writing in this course at least once. Here is an example from the introduction of my manhood essay: “Well, to me there are three main defining characteristics: a man should be mature, wise, and independent from his parents.” The colon separates the two different parts of the sentence, and the second part explains the first part. The second of my favorite strategies is strategy #19a. Why? Well, it allows me to use short questions for dramatic effect like I just did. I used this in this course when I wrote the introduction to my causal essay. I used “Why is that?” as a question for dramatic effect after explaining that soccer seems to be relegated to second tier in the American professional sports scene. The third and final strategy I like the most is strategy #20. The deliberate fragment. Again, this was just done in the previous sentence as an example. I have used this in my comparison-contrast essay, too. My deliberate fragment in that essay was just one word: “Wrong.” This was used to emphasize that the Sioux Falls Canaries are not a minor league team, but an independent league team. I like these three strategies because it is fun and relatively easy to utilize them in my writing. In the future, I will try to use a couple of more of them in my essays.
Hillestad 6
I like number four, a series without the usual conjunction. Without the conjunction in the list, the sentence seems to flow smoother because the conjunction is not interrupting it. It makes the sentence sound much more intense. I like the idea of using conjunctions rather than commas too because there is a distinct rhythm to it.
I like number eight, dependent clauses in a pair or series. I like how it uses a list of dependent clauses to make more of a point and make more emphasis. It would be an easy way to summarize the points you have made throughout the paragraph. However, I do not think I would want to use it often. It seems as though after a while the sentence gets too lengthy and you can forget what the sentence is talking about.
I like number sixteen, paired construction. I like it because it is something that comes naturally while writing… or at least more natural than some of the other sentence styling techniques. I like it because there is a variety of ways to use it, and as long as you change the pairs, you can use it in many different types of essays.
I am working to enhance my sentence styling by first becoming familiar with different sentence styles. I am trying to use a variety of different sentence styles in my essays and in everyday writing. I am trying to make my sentences flow better and become more interesting. One of the hardest parts of writing is trying to interest the reader and the only way to do that is to not be redundant. I hope using different sentence styles helps some of the redundancy in my essays. I hope that learning these styling techniques and this class strengthens my writing skills because I know I will have to write many more essays throughout my life.
Duncanson 2
One of the sentence styles that I enjoy using the most is the emphatic appositive after a colon. I like using this in my sentences for a few reasons: it gives emphasis on the latter part of a sentence and is interesting to read. Using a simple comma becomes boring and repetitive. By using a colon, one provides a variety that gives more excitement to a work. For example, in an essay that I recently composed for American Government with Mr. Grode, a sentence that I used was “If the government wishes to eliminate the deficit, the government must do two things: cut spending and raise taxes.” This sentence gives in my mind, an excellent use of an emphatic appositive after a colon.
Another sentence styling technique that I enjoy is the deliberate fragment. The deliberate fragment uses a very special technique. The sentence is grammatically incorrect, but it is this way for emphasis. An example of this would simply be the sentence, “No matter.” By using just these two words, one can make this sentence stand out. This could be used to provide emphasis to what is surrounding it as well.
I also enjoy putting the object or complement before the subject and verb. This provides a needed break from the repetitive subject plus verb style of sentences. An example of this type of styling would be “A lover of Mr. Christensen’s composition class is Riley Duncanson.” By placing the object or complement in front of the subject and verb, more emphasis is placed on the object or complement of the sentence. This also provides variation to a person’s sentences. If a person does not have variation, they will easily bore the reader.
I have been working hard to incorporate these types of sentences into my essays. I have also been using these styles in other classes such as government. I believe that this will help my writing improve vastly in the future.
The Art of Styling Sentences has exposed me to a plethora of examples I have not explored before. I hope to eventually use each style and with use, perhaps the varying types will begin to come naturally to me. The first sentence style that intrigued me was a deliberate fragment. Throughout my years of English instruction, the use of fragments has not been allowed. This is understandable as we must be taught as young children to write in complete thoughts that contain both a subject and a verb. However, deliberate phrases can add emphasis and also make the sound of the writing more appealing to the reader. People often speak in fragments, and often times in speeches fragments make for a strong effect. An example from my own writing appears in the intro of my Womanhood Essay: “Manhood. Womanhood. Adulthood. Three notions that are seemingly similar yet have three completely separate meanings.” I deliberately separated the words to create a strong first sentence of my essay.
I really liked the structure of the dependent clauses in a pair or series and challenge myself to use in my next essay, the expansion assignment. This takes two or more subordinate clauses with parallel structure and puts them at the beginning or the end of a sentence. I am choosing to use this in my next essay because I feel that it could overemphasize the abundance of reasons listed. A sentence possibility for my newest essay could include: “Because women do not receive equal pay, because gender roles are still expected, because femininity is portrayed as a weak quality, women remain of a lower social status than men.
The final sentence structure I admire from this long list is an emphatic appositive at the end after a colon. I often use colons in my writing structure because not only am I accustomed to using them, but I also feel that the effectively grab the reader’s attention. An example from my most recent essay is as follows: “As American citizens, it is incumbent of us that we understand and take actions to eliminate the contributing factors of sexual assault that include: no sexual autonomy, education, misogyny, and punishment.”
Guthmiller 6
Three strategies I like from The Art of Styling Sentences written by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, and Roberta Walker is Internal series of appositives or modifiers, prepositional phrase before the subject and the verb, and absolute construction.
I like the internal series of appositives or modifiers strategy because it cleverly adds specific information (necessary or not) into a sentence. This is a style that I am moderately comfortable using. Example: The Brandon Valley dance team won in all three of their dances--jazz, kick, and pom--in their most recent competition.
I like the Prepositional phrase strategy because it sets the scene even before you know who is performing an action. This is one strategy that I know how to use and am comfortable doing so. Example: Under the fallen tree branch, the bugs scurred on in search of food.
I like the absolute construction strategy because it is scholarly, and it adds a whole new dimension to the sentence that could have easily been styled in an overused way. This specific strategy I am not quite comfortable using yet but I wish to become an expert. Example: His hands shaking, the diabetic took his insulin.
While going over the plethora of strategies I noticed that I do not always go outside of my writing comfort zone and use some of the strategies that would enhance my writing. I think to enhance my sentence styling I need to be more aware of what types I may overuse and how I can change them to a style that I may not be used to using. Doing this may train my brain to be more creative with my sentence structures. Using different strategies would also challenge me and add layers to my writing. I hope that I can become an expert in all of the sentence styles by making an effort to use them correctly throughout this class.
Eichelberg pd. 2
One of my favorite types of sentences is the series without the usual conjunction. I think it stray from the normalcy that my writing can encounter. I think when used it really stops the reader in their tracks because it is not commonplace and therefore has a tendency to stand out. This can be a definite bonus when an essay is becoming too monotone, to jerk a reader out of their habitual reading boredom. I also believe that this type of sentence gives a deep impact with the reader. It implies no pause can be made in form of conjunction or it would ruin the impact in the sentence.
I also like the repetition of a key term. In a focused essay this would make clear to the reader what exactly the author is trying to emphasize. Repetition is another tactic to entice the reader. It is as if a writer could use this sentence type in an intro to bait and hook the reader into continuing. The topic will draw interest with this sentence and definitely get the point across that the word used is the word meant to be the focus.
Another tactic that I enjoy using is a short question for dramatic effect. I believe this is another example of how to draw a reader in during the intro. It entices them and makes them think. They can no longer just read, process, and spit out information like a machine. Instead they are forced to ponder what they think in context to the essay. When used correctly these questions can make for a not only intriguing writing, but a deep one. Because the reader has invested thought into it, it will be more interesting for them and a bigger sense of accomplishment for the writer.
In my writing I have merely glanced at the Art of Styling Sentences, but now I have noticed many tactics I want to infuse into my own writing to make it great. I really will use this document more in an attempt to better my writing. As of now I am trying to just keep a wide variety of sentence so this will be highly useful.
When thinking about which three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I like the most, I came to some dead ends. I realized that I forget about varying sentences when I write because I am so focused on writing what I am thinking before I go back and change things. When it really comes to it, I found that my three favorite strategies are interrupting modifier between subject and verb, dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, and a series without the usual conjunction.
Starting with an interrupting modifier between subject and verb. Interrupting modifiers are rather easy to use because the modifier can be a single word, a phrase, or adjective or adverb. All you need is some type of punctuation, the suggested ones to use are commas, dashes,or parentheses. This writing style can be used to give more information or just a comment. I find these helpful because sometimes a comment or a small amount of information can turn into an unneeded fragment sentence.
Example: Watercolor, a type of paint, is very versatile.
Going next to dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, these can be tricky and I struggle with these, but they challenge you to go outside of your comfort zone and become a better writer. Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series has multiple dependent or subordinate clauses with parallel structure that either begin or end the sentence. When first you start writing with this style it can be difficult because these sentences can seem extremely wordy.
Example: Because I was lazy and because I dislike math, I did not get my homework done.
Last, but not least, is a series without the usual conjunctions. I have noticed that a lot of authors use this sentence style to create a certain emphasis on things. This style creates a rhythm that the conjunction usually interrupts but if you when you put objects or items in a parallel series, it adds to the rhythm.
Example: Marina was frustrated, confused, excited.
When a person first starts composing writing pieces, sentence variation is a hard concept to grasp. It might cross their minds to only tell the story their essay is trying to portray without any thought to making it interesting by using different forms of sentences. I even thought it to be impossible for a time; until I realized it came naturally. When I started looking for different sentences in my own work, I found a lot more than I realized I even used. It was incredible to see how mature my writing was and how much less work it was going to need to improve. When scouring the book, The Art of Styling Sentences by Marie Wadell, Robert Esch, Roberta Walker, the three sentences that I liked were: a series without the usual conjunction, an introductory series of appositives, the figurative sentence.
A series without the usual conjunction is just like a sentence with a conjunction, but the conjunction is not there to disturb the flow of the sentence. For example: Concentration, mood, brain function, grades, eyesight--to name a few--can all be improved with a few smarter decisions a day, is a sentence that I used in my causal essay. I liked this form of a sentence because it gave excitement and difference to it.
An introductory series of appositives are used in our causal essays. They introduce a series of appositives in order to explain what the noun in the sentence is doing. To create this sentence type, you have to insert a dash after a series of nouns Here is an example from my own causal essay: Laughing, smiling, and hugging--these are all symptoms of a healthy relationship. I am trying to add more of these types of sentences to my writing now because I understand how to use them; the book, The Art of Styling Sentence has helped me.
A figurative sentence is exactly like a simile just without the use of “like” or “as”. For example: Eating healthy is a primary ingredient in the recipe of a better body, is an example of comparing eating healthy to ingredients in a recipe that will give you the ideal body health. I enjoy reading writing that uses figurative sentences because it gives the reader something they can relate to without being personal, and it makes the topic more understandable.
The three strategies that I like the most from The Art of Styling Sentences are: a short question for dramatic effect, a full sentence as an interrupting modifier, and an antimetabole.
My favorite strategy is a short question for dramatic effect. A short question gives the reader a wake up call. This strategy is my favorite because it makes the reader pay attention. These questions can be highly dramatic; they can even be on the extreme side. By asking a short question, you can keep the reader thinking. In my causal essay I used short question for dramatic effect many times to keep the reader interested and intrigued. An example from my causal essay is: Are you born a criminal? Another example is: How does one become a criminal?
My second favorite strategy is a full sentence as an interrupting modifier. This type of interrupting modifier uses dashes to show that the information is important, and it is usually placed between a subject and a verb. It provides additional information to the sentence, giving it more detail. I like this strategy because it helps the reader understand the sentence better. In my causal essay I used a full sentence as an interrupting modifier to describe what broken homes are. Here is the example: Broken homes--these are homes where only one parent is present to strive and strain for the cause--can also affect a child’s likelihood of being involved in criminal behavior.
The last strategy I enjoy is an antimetabole. An antimetabole is when two elements of a sentence are presented and then reversed. I like this styling sentence strategy because antimetaboles make the reader really think. An example of a antimetabole is: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Antimetaboles enhance your writing, by adding drama and making your writing more interesting.
These strategies are just a few of the many writing techniques that I can use to improve my writing. I am going to continue to use The Art of Styling Sentences to improve my writing and my writing style. Using these techniques will help me to enhance my writing, and make my writing more enjoyable for readers.
Danny Eitreim
Period 3
Any given written work fails or succeeds on the merits of its sentences. An article about a very dry subject can be made interesting through clever sentence usage while one about the most exciting topic possible can be rendered unbearable with poor sentence structure. Because of this, it is imperative that a writer is constantly working to improve their sentence variety.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very useful tool for doing this. Three of the sentence strategies found within stand out to me the most. Absolute construction, same word repeated in parallel structure, and interrupting modifier between subject and verb. While I believe that all of the strategies described in the Art of Styling Sentences are useful, I think these are especially so.
Absolute construction involves using a noun and participle in a sentence that modifies the entire sentence. These are especially useful for offering an explanation for an event or situation. A couple examples of this would be: "His efforts at reform failing, Gorbachev found himself on thin ice," or "All other options exhausted, a coup was the only choice."
Using the same word in a parallel structure is another very good strategy. If used well, it can be an attractive way of describing something in your writing. An example: "The USSR at this time was divided--divided by ethnicity and divided by ideology."
An interrupting modifier between the subject and verb is the third and final strategy I chose. Properly utilized, it can offer more description to your sentence and make it more aesthetically pleasing. An example of this would be: "Mikhail Gorbachev, ever the optimist, believed the Soviet Union could be saved until the moment it fell."
I think these are the best strategies to be found with the Art of Styling Sentences and I am working to incorporate them into my writing to make me a more complete writer.
When going through “The Art of Styling Sentences” I found three types of sentence structures that I really liked and would help make my sentence structures in my own essay more diverse. The three that I chose were repetition of a key term, hypophora, and procatalepsis.
The first one I chose was repetition of a key term. This is where you repeat a word or some variation of the word to make is seem more emphasized and stand out from the rest. It is used to help make a sentence seem powerful to the reader. I liked this one, because I thought of how I could use it to help enhance my causal essay to my readers. I could use it when talking about eating disorders and how young adults or teenagers are struggling with their shapes and dying. There is also a slight variation to this type of sentence. It is when you are repeating the same word in a parallel structure. This means that you are not just repeating the same word over and over but you are using it in verb form instead of it being a noun, like the regular repetition of a key term.
Examples of this are: Teenagers are dying everyday from eating disorders. Dying from the battle of trying to fit into the society we have created. This would be an example of the variation form. The regular form example would be: We all have our own battles. Battles on the field and battles off of the field.
The second style of sentence writing I chose was hypophora. I chose this one because I realized that I have been using them wrong in one of my essays. I have been thinking I’m using this type of sentence structure, when asking rhetorical questions, but I’m not. Rhetorical questions and a hypophora are nothing alike. They are both questions in an essay, but a hypophora is a question that the author is answering, not trying to be sarcastic or obvious, but to make an emphasis and help answer the questions that the reader might actually have in their head at the time.
An example of this is: Why would a teenage girl have an eating disorder? Teenagers could have problems with their appearance and see their body as being too big or too small causing them to start having the disorders.
Lastly I chose procatalepsis. I chose to write about this because it is a type of writing where the author anticipates what the other group or person is going to say and the author takes what they are going to say and shoots it down before the other group has a chance to say it as their argument.
An example of this is: It usually said by many people that if people don’t maintain their weight they will become obese and the obesity rate in America will rise, but by sending this message to kids it leads to kids thinking that the are too fat and dieting, when they don’t need too.
I am going to try and use these three styles of sentences in my writing to help enhance my style. I think if I use these to help diversify my sentence my readers will not become bored and it will make my writing seem more scholarly.
Mollie Drexler
Period 7
19a. A short question for dramatic effect
I like using the short questions for dramatic effect because it engages the audience. It is an educational time to stop and reflect. The opinion and thought of the reader can be brought out when certain questions arise. I personally enjoy being engaged in a book or paper. Having talks about what has happened gets started with these questions; my mom and I take time to stop and talk about it. Getting some perspective from others helps open everyone’s perspective. The question can be a foreshadow of what is coming. Readers will want to know the answer to that question and do not want to be left hanging: they read on. I use these sometimes and hope to use them more to keep the reader interested and thinking for themselves.
Ex: How could she possibly do that?
Ex: What action will he take next:
7. An internal series of appositives or modifiers
An internal series of appositives or modifiers help paint the picture. These are words or phrases that explain the subject. I enjoy using this because I am a very visual person. Painting the picture for me makes the story or paper more striking. The appositives or modifiers could be taken out but that creates a boring sentence. I would like to use these more to make my paper more colorful. I will read through my paper and when something is simple, I will enhance it to be better.
Ex: My own standards for life-respect,trust, and caring-are needed everyday for a rewarding life.
Ex: The dress she wore-dark blue, long, and sparkling-turned heads and silenced the room.
4. A series without the usual conjunctions
A series without the usual conjunctions shows that a person knows different ways to show lists. It can be good to have a list with commas or add extra emphasis with "and" or "or". I can look at when I list ideas and mix up the ways I do. This way adds different varieties of sentences.
Ex: On our trip we baked and sung and skied and scuba dived.
Ex: My children could chose to play or paint or watch a movie.
After viewing all the different types of sentence styles; my favorites are: compound sentence with an explanatory statement, a series of balanced pairs, and a short dramatic question. I enjoy using a compound sentence with an explanatory statement because it leaves me some room to finish a thought, instead of me becoming redundant in my writing. The sentence style gives a break in my use of compounds, compound-complex, and complex structures. Another reason that I enjoy using the structure is, it seems to make the paper seem more friendly. It is like adding in an afterthought that needed to be said: or else the other reasons would not make sense. It is like a brief reprieve of thought before jumping back into the meet of the paper. A series of balanced pairs creates a rhythm that draws me into the topic in which is being written about. When I see it in the books I read I like the contrast they illustrate with the pairings of different words. I have also observed that many songs I listen to use series of balanced pairs in choruses in which have maken the song that much more catchy. In writing the style emphasizes an importance of the statements being made. I hope to use this writing style to advance my writing more often. I enjoy posing questions to the reader that is reading my essays and writings. I am all about thinking outside of the circle. If my ideas and reasoning is able to pause someone else into thinking more deeply about a topic I am passionate about, I feel successful. In fiction books that I read, they come up constantly. It is more of trying to guess what will happen next; it is changing perspective of a narrow minded person. Questions test the boundaries of thinking. The question “why” is absolutely amazing. It has lead to many discoveries and “Aha” moments. If my “dramatic” question lead to someones “aha” that is my goal.
The three most enhancing strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences are anadiplosis, procatalepsis, and absolute construction (noun plus participle). These three stood out to me the most because they are effective and supplement the essay an enormous amount. They all are efficient in different ways and are probably more useful in different types of essays.
I chose anadiplosis because with its rhythmic structure the reader is more likely to remember the sentence. An anadiplosis is when you start a series with the same word you ended in. You will achieve the structure of AB, BC, CD. An example is “The pondering man explored the mountains, the mountains peered into the sea, and the sea contained the pondering animals of the mysterious world above.” Anadiplosis is useful in essays because of how its flowiness and connectivity from one subject to the other.
Secondly, procatalepsis is very important in essays, especially debate-type essays, because it responds to any opposing arguments before they are asked. This is important because it shows the reader that you did not only research one side of your topic, but that you are completely informed of the topic. There are thousand of possible examples; one is “The Americans should not have dropped an atomic bomb on Japan because of all the innocent bystanders killed, but it also saved millions of soldiers from fighting and possibly dying in battle with more years to come. The bomb ended the war.”
Finally, absolute construction (noun plus participle) is important because it provides sentence variety into your essay. It is different because it modifies the whole sentence not just one word or phrase. It generally explains a cause or condition. An example is "Bethany, her worries rising, asked her parents what she should do."
I am trying to add sentence variety into my essays because I lack difference. If I add more sentence variety it will make my essays more enjoyable and easier to read.
My favorite Art of Styling sentences are the dependent clauses in a pair or in a series, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and appositive phrase begins the sentence. I believe these styling devices are great ways to create a essay that will stand out. Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series is a great way to diversify your sentence structure. I think it is easy for me to create sentences in this format. Single modifier out place for emphasis I also like this styling because it changes the way the sentence is read and will keep the reader entertained. The appositive phrase begins the sentence i also use frequently because it gives an more smooth way of reading appositives. I think it creates a better sentence structure that can be read more fluently. One way I am working to create better sentence styling is by not starting each sentence with the same word. By varying my sentence structure, it creates sentences that are more sophisticated. Another way I am creating better sentences is by using the different ways i can differentiate my sentences from the new material i am learning. This, though difficult at times, makes an essay much more enjoyable to read and also write.
Some examples of dependent clauses in a pair or in a series:
Because she was grounded the night before, Karly did not go to the bonfire.
Since everyone else left the dance, Steve decided it was time to go.
Some examples of a single modifier out of place for emphasis:
Scared, the girl left the haunted house.
Happy, the woman bought the last turkey.
Some examples of appositive phrase begins the sentence:
The King of Rock n’ Roll, Elvis left a legacy.
The King of the Jungle, the lion prowls for food.
Having the correct sentence structure and sentence style can make or break an essay. After reading The Art of Styling Sentences, the three strategies I like the most are absolute construction, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the figurative sentence(similie).
Absolute construction is hard to write for most people. Personally, it’s been challenging, but I love a challenge. What makes writing with absolute construction so hard is that it can easily become confused with other grammar styles. I like absolute construction because it provides details to enhance the writing. It also explains a cause or condition that has happened or is going to happen. In my expansion essay I wrote an example of this.
Ex. All instruments considered, the trumpet is the teenage stage of life.
A single modifier out of place for emphasis is one of my favorite strategies because it is used to spice up writings. Many sentences lack flare. Mixing up sentences and their structures by having a single modifier out of place changes the style and makes the writing more interesting.
Ex. Frozen, the little boy waddled to the warmth of the fireplace.
The job of writers is to put a picture in the readers mind. One way this can happen is by using figurative sentences or similes. I like this strategy because, to me, similes are easy to identify in a piece of writing. Similes are used to compare an idea with an object or person. It also allows the writing to become imaginable in the reader’s mind.
Ex. The diamond was like the bright, sparkly sun.
I have added many of these strategies in my essays, but a couple of my essays are lacking in these three categories. My goals are to enhance my writings with many of these strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences.
The three most interesting strategies that attracted my attention the most, were an introductory series of appositives, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. These three grabbed my attention more than the others because they are unique and are not used as often in high school student’s essays. I am going to incorporate these styles of writing into my essays from now on.
I think a single modifier out of place for emphasis is the most engaging of the three. It can create more style to someone’s essay. I think the out of place modifier really adds to the sentence and makes it more interesting. The modifier can be an adjective, adverb, or even a prepositional phrase. You could have the single modifier at the end of the sentence without a comma and just have a plain simple sentence, but then the sentence would have no style. Here is an example of a single modifier out of place for emphasis I used in my Causal Essay: Scared, Maggie moved back to where her childrens’ father lived.
The introductory series of appositives is writing a sentence the opposite of most writers. I think this is extremely good because it defines the writer from a “good” writer to a “great” writer. This helps give the reader a different way at looking at the sentence. I just added an introductory series of appositives to my Expansion Essay; I said, “Family, friends, celebrities, faith, mistakes, and decisions- all push me to become a better woman everyday.” I could have said, “The things that push me everyday to become a better woman are my friends, family, celebrities, faith, mistakes, and my decisions.” Saying it this way is not as interesting and does not have any style.
The last strategy of writing that caught my eye was a simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect. This one can be tricky because you want to make sure you use it correctly. Also, you do not want to use it too often in your essay. It really does add a dramatic effect to an essay because this style of writing is not used a ton. I plan on putting a simple sentence for dramatic effect in my Expansion Essay. An example I could use is, “Lessons learned.”. I could put this into my Expansion Essay somewhere since I am expanding my Womanhood Essay.
I will definitely refer back to this book to help with sentence variety in my essays. I will be using an introductory series of appositives, a single modifier out of place for emphasis, and the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect in my Expansion Essay.
I like interrupting modifiers between a subject and a verb, introductory or concluding participial phrases, and the deliberate fragment. I like the interrupting modifiers because they seem to have a subtle impact on the sentence if done right. One of the examples from the book is thus, “A small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, can make millions think.” It seems to be full of deep meaning, but it is only a modifier. I also enjoy how they can add detail to the subject without distracting from the purpose of the sentence. For example, if I were to say “Girls who are blonde and brunette can be friends,” it looks cluttered and too busy. However, if I say “Girls, blonde and brunette, can be friends,” it looks both visually and phonetically appealing. I enjoy the introductory or concluding participial phrases because, quite simply, I like the way a sentence sounds with these in them. Creating higher quality sentences, the book was the student’s favorite. It sounds more intelligent, honestly it does. Even at the end it creates a certain effect. I ate an extra cheese slice of pizza, mesmerized by the long strings of cheesy glory that hung down like vines. That last example might be a bit excessive, but in my defense, I just got off of work at Pizza Ranch. Working with pizza all night can have a long-lasting detrimental effect. Either way, participial phrases are much more fun to read. Finally, I take joy in deliberate fragments. I have always liked them, even if some people do not. If you use them sparsely and in the right moment, they can create a deeply meaningful sentence. By repeating something, you can add emphasis to what you just said so that it creates a deeper impact on the reader. Here’s an example; “It was the pizza man all along. The pizza man.” By repeating “the pizza man” I draw attention to the fact that I was surprised that it was the pizza man who did some dastardly deed. I am showing the reader that I am astounded and affected by this revelation. I am working to improve my sentence styling by including more variations. I am not very good at doing this, so it is a long-term goal of mine to make some changes. Variation is key!
The Art of Styling Sentences is an extremely helpful tool to further enhance writing in future essays. In particular, three sentence types that I found overly appealing and that would help enhance my writing are compound sentence with elliptical construction, an introductory series of appositives, and repetition of a key term.
A compound sentence with elliptical construction can be used to not use the same verb twice in a sentence. I fall guilty to becoming repetitive with my verb usage far too often in my essays. Using elliptical construction helps that problem. In order to use this method, you need one common verb, two subjects, and two direct objects along with a semi-colon. One example of this would be- Football is the game; winning, the goal; losing, not an option. Another would be- Dr. Talcott is the principal; Mr. “C”, a teacher.
The next useful tool to help enhance my writing is using an introductory set of appositives. In this tool, you use a series of nouns to rename other nouns later in the sentence. These nouns will be followed by a dash and a complete sentence following these dashes. This can be useful to me because at times, I struggle to put emphasis on certain areas that need emphasis. And if I do add emphasis, I do it I do it in a boring or repetitive way. An example of an introductory set of appositives is-- Hard Work, sportsmanship, skill--all attributes obtained by a football players. Another is-- Procrastinator, short, strong--all words that may make Riley Frantzen come to mind.
The last helpful tool to enhance my writing is repetition of a key term. This once agains adds the emphasis that I at times lack or become too redundant with in my essays. Doing this, you repeat the word exactly or repeat some form of that word. You also use commas or dashes to show that this is coming. One example of this is-- We played in a great football game against Roosevelt, a football game that had delays, interceptions, and memorable moments. Another example would be-- Reid is a very nice person--a nice person who would go out of his way to make others better.
The Art of Styling Sentences is a very good way to add more flair and spice to your essay. The best part about it is the changes that it recommends are fairly easy to interpret and its examples are easy to follow and understand. It would be very easy to add the new sentences to an old essay and make it almost two times better than it was without it. One of my favorite ones that I believe that I will be able to adapt to my essays is 19a. a short question for dramatic effect. I think it is a good way to get the reader to think about the topic you are discussing and gain an opinion for themselves. Also I think it a good way to keep them interested in your topic and to also to get them to pay closer attention as well. I like to use questions as the beginning of some of my essays since they are a good way to get the audience's attention. Yet, I also think that I should included short sentences in the middle of my essays since they are a good way to keep interest.
I also think that infinitive phrase beginning is an interesting style of sentence that I am interested in using. I do not usually use infinitives, which is something that I should work on. Along with using infinitives I should also try to use them as the subject of my sentence and also as an infinitive phrase in the beginning of the sentence. It adds a lot of spice to the essay and even lets it flow better as well.
I also would like to add short sentences for dramatic effect to some of my essays. I think it would be a good way to point attention at a certain point of my essay and it will also hopefully grab the readers attention to the sentences after it. Although, they can also be overused and make your essay sound choppy just like intentional fragments.
I am hoping to increase my sentence structures by adding styles from The Art of Styling Sentences. I am also still working on mixing up the use of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex in order to not have boring sentences with the same length. Also styles such as short questions, infinitive phrases, and short sentences will be easy styles for me to add to my expansion essay in order to interest and grab my audience's attention more. I think that I will be looking back at the different ways to style sentences throughout the year, because there are many different ways to form a sentence to increase interest.
I have a use of a hypophora in my causal essay. I started by saying “So what do these health programs cover, you may ask?” and then the following sentences after I explained what the programs are and what they cover.
Though the scintillating titles of some methods (chiasmus, procatalepsis, anadiplosis) are enticing, the sentence enhancement stratagems that capture my interest and devotion are 12, Introductory or concluding participial phrase, 19, the short, simple sentence for relief or dramatic effect, and N26, the metaphor. Participial phrases are arguably the most phenomenal of phrases. The phrase works as an adjective or adverb, long enough to have substance, but not distracting from the general effect of the sentence. My perusal perceives these serendipitous flavor bursts as sly asides--slipping description into a sentence without allowing the audience to be distracted. Placed at the start of a sentence, participial phrases pique interest by delaying the subject-verb pairing for which we search. When initially encountering a sentence, the reader latches onto the subject and verb as the important meaning to be derived from a sentence. Participial phrases (and any other subject delay) placed at the start of the phrase encourage the reader to continue, seeking gratification for the desire to mentally classify a sentence’s meaning. In a contrary but complementary way, ending sentences with participial phrases delays the period. This tactic tenaciously grasps attention until the bitter end, invigorating the sentence and securing the reader to the sentence. The thought seems completed, but the participial phrase leaves a fake-out comma in the dust of the construction, drawing the attention back before the closure of the period. Short, simple sentences can react mutualistically with longer counterparts, raising the intensity of the passage. Longer sentences can be flowery, beautiful, breathtaking, but the shortness of a brief sentence encapsulates the attention of the reactants and emphasizes the expression. Brevity is an undervalued writing trait. Pretty words and impeccable figurative language are incredible tools--but all attention is drawn to a short sentence when it punctures the normal interweaving pattern of intense words, metaphors, and basically, fluff. Glorious fluff, but fluff. Short sentences draw focus due to the visual and mental imbalance created. One part of the grandiloquent writings that short sentences perforate is the metaphor. Similes and metaphors are used to enliven ideas. Though an idea may contain merit and intrigue, introducing thoughts with figurative sentences links neurons in the reader’s brain, causing them to make connections between a nebulous idea and concrete substance. When used effectively, metaphors make the hair on your neck stand at attention, a tingling sensation washes down your spine, and your eyes widen into saucers. The beautiful potential of each and every sentence can be achieved through metaphor. Caution, though: metaphors in formal writing are as annoying overused as they are underused. Poetry uses unlimited metaphors, alliteration, and wordplay, but some formal compositions can be sullied by the attempts at figurative language. Metaphors ought to be used sparingly to increase impact.
I am working to enhance my sentence styling daily, integrating the ideas i learn from such texts, and more than not, recognizing where they occur naturally in my writing. Taking Composition 1 has, more than anything else, heightened my awareness to writing styles and voice in every piece of writing I read. In my essays, I have become more daring in my writing style, including phrases or snippets that I may have left out because they seemed to sound a little out of the ordinary, or might have been used incorrectly. Semicolons are more prevalent in my writing; I can recognize when the ideas of two sentences are linkable to the point of becoming one. Another piece of punctuation that I avoided was parentheses. (I felt unsure of their use, and somehow connected them with immature writing.) Fragments are really impactful if used stylistically, but I shied away from these as well, shuddering to think that a reader might not understand my style, and believe they encountered a neophytic mistake. Untrue. Even if they do not recognize the brilliant writing technique, readers tend to read over fragments without realizing they have done so. Overall, I am working to incorporate the writing styles I know how to use in my everyday writing without hesitation.
House 2
After reading The Art of Styling Sentences, I have concluded my three favorite types of sentence structures: paired constructions (option 16), introductory or concluding participial phrase (option 12), and emphatic appositive at end, after comma (option 10). With the intents of further adding these into my writing along with other styles, I hope to improve my writing.
The paired construction is interesting, and I find that I use it often without realizing it. I find myself speaking this a lot more than writing it. Paired constructions help add parallelism to the writing without getting repetitive. Some examples would be as follows: 1. Not only do teachers teach, but also they inspire their students. 2. The more the marching band practices, the less their chances of getting beaten this weekend are. 3.Just as I am worried for the Composition 1 final, so too are my friends. 4.Not only does James participate in marching band, but also football.
The introductory or concluding participial phrase is something I have found myself to begin to use quite a bit in this class and the essays I have produced. An example of concluding participial phrase can be found in my classification essay: Every member must work well together, listening and blending to the sounds surrounding them. Another example, this time an introductory participial phrase, from my classification essay may be: Trying to perfect their own music and drill, the Perfectionists can often be found in the practice room during free periods and out on the field at night marching through the show. An example from my causal essay is “Seeing their students everyday, teachers have the ability to formulate how their students view the world and the people around them.”
I find using the emphatic appositive at the end of a sentence after a comma to be rather challenging but also effective. An example from my causal essay would be: teachers have the opportunity to do something in their job that others cannot: laugh everyday.
I am working to enhance my writing style by using a variety of sentence structures. Often times when I am writing, I find that one paragraph can be filled of all the same type of sentence, usually longer. I find that by inserting shorter sentences at times can help completely change the tone of my essay. I also need to begin starting my sentences with phrases other than “there is/are” and other phrases like that because they are weak and boring to read. By using some of the examples above, I add variety to my essay and make it more interesting to read.
The first strategy that caught my eye was compound sentence with explanatory statement. The structure of this type of sentence creates a compound statement then has a semicolon. The semicolon is followed by a short simple sentence. The short sentence is right straight to the point. Creating the explanation at the end of the sentence make me feel like the sentence has great variation. I enjoy the little explanation at the end, which is the only reason I like this type of strategy.
The second strategy I chose was a series without the usual conjunction. I feel as if this strategy is used to give many reasons or adjectives to the subject and sentence. Knowing that you can use commons or conjunctions is nice for the different variations of this strategy. Sometimes it is easier to write when you can use different variations of the same type of sentence structure. Yet the sentences are the same form of strategy.
Finally my third strategy that I was influenced by was the hypophora. I have noticed I used many questions in all of my essays because I want the reader to become attached to the essay right away. The hypophora is a question that is asked to the reader and then answered right in the essay. In my diabetes causal/expansion essays I used a question asking “is the food that is gathered on the plate portioned correctly?” I then answered it by stating what a portion should be and the specific ratios of each food group. Also I stated that portions can be determined by gender, weight, height, and exercise level.
My favorite strategy is the compound sentence with explanatory statement. This sentence structure used two different grammatical structures; compound and simple. I think I am going to fit this in my essays more often because they fit very nicely. This strategy was also the most appealing out of the three I chose.
I am working to put different variations in my essays. The essays that have more variation do not seem monotone when reading them. They also keep the reader’s attention longer.
The first strategy that caught my eye was compound sentence with explanatory statement. The structure of this type of sentence creates a compound statement then has a semicolon. The semicolon is followed by a short simple sentence. The short sentence is right straight to the point. Creating the explanation at the end of the sentence make me feel like the sentence has great variation. I enjoy the little explanation at the end, which is the only reason I like this type of strategy.
The second strategy I chose was a series without the usual conjunction. I feel as if this strategy is used to give many reasons or adjectives to the subject and sentence. Knowing that you can use commons or conjunctions is nice for the different variations of this strategy. Sometimes it is easier to write when you can use different variations of the same type of sentence structure. Yet the sentences are the same form of strategy.
Finally my third strategy that I was influenced by was the hypophora. I have noticed I used many questions in all of my essays because I want the reader to become attached to the essay right away. The hypophora is a question that is asked to the reader and then answered right in the essay. In my diabetes causal/expansion essays I used a question asking “is the food that is gathered on the plate portioned correctly?” I then answered it by stating what a portion should be and the specific ratios of each food group. Also I stated that portions can be determined by gender, weight, height, and exercise level.
My favorite strategy is the compound sentence with explanatory statement. This sentence structure used two different grammatical structures; compound and simple. I think I am going to fit this in my essays more often because they fit very nicely. This strategy was also the most appealing out of the three I chose.
I am working to put different variations in my essays. The essays that have more variation do not seem monotone when reading them. They also keep the reader’s attention longer.
The Art of Styling Sentences is very important to todays world. With the amount of essays that are written today you must have different styles within you sentences. Otherwise essays would be comparable to a monotone voice talking for hours on end. Style is needed to add some spice to the essay and grab the reader and make them wish to read more and more. My favorites to use are number twenty, twenty six, and nineteen A.
The reason I like the deliberate fragment is because of the way it is supposed to grab the readers attention. The reader sees the emphasis used with the deliberate fragment. You must be careful as to how often you use this type of style because you could kill the impact it is supposed to have and that will make the reader less interested if you continually use it.
I also like to use figurative sentences. When you use figurative sentences in your writing it creates an image in the readers mind. This also helps the reader connect with what you are talking about throughout your essay. It is also helpful when the reader isn’t quite sure what something means and then once you compare it to something that they do know it will help them understand.
The short question for emphasis is also a great way to incorporate people within your writings. It makes the reader stop and think about what they have read or what they know and see if they can answer your question. If they can’t it intrigues them to continue to read on into the essay to see if they can find the answer within your writing.
I am working within my Causal essay to input deliberate fragments to attract readers farther into my essay. I’m also working to change up my sentence styles to make the reading less of a drag and more exciting to the reader.
I like the strategies of an introductory set of appositives, interrupting modifier between subject and verb, and a single modifier out of place for emphasis from The Art of Styling Sentences. An introductory set of appositives appeals to me because it gives examples of the overall topic and helps the reader better understand what, specifically, the author is referring to or writing about. Including an introductory set of appositives in one’s writing enhances the overall composition and clarifies any confusing points. An interrupting modifier between subject and verb is helpful to writing by helping one understand the actual meaning of the subject. Use of an interrupting modifier between subject and verb also helps clarify the writing and create a more enjoyable composition to read. A single modifier out of place is yet another way to bring clarity to one’s writing. When I think of the memorable compositions I have read, I reminisce the works that were comprehensible and smooth to read. These three strategies are necessary to that of praiseworthy works. In my essay, I used each of these strategies to help my readers further understand what I was trying to say. I believe each strategy was used correctly, made my composition easier to read, and succeeded in clarifying any vague topics. Using these strategies is a great way to enhance anyone’s writing. In my essay, I used the introductory set of appositives in my sentence that states: Low self esteem, self harm, and suicides--devastating ways some cope with difficult issues-- are oftentimes related, directly or indirectly, to modeling, the industry, and the audience of the industry. In this case, “low self esteem, self harm, and suicides” are the introductory set of appositives, explaining the devastating ways to cope with oftentimes difficult issues in the modeling industry. In the sentence Modeling--once thought to be praiseworthy--is now a subject of great controversy (TRUE Model Blog & CBSNews), “--once thought to be praiseworthy--” is the interrupting modifier between subject and verb. In this case, this modifier reestablishes what “modeling” means. An example of a single modifier out of place for emphasis can be represented by “a bird” in the sentence: A cardinal, a bird, is a beautiful red color which makes it easy to spot when bird watching. I believe all the strategies for styling sentences are important but these three are my favorite.
Dependent clauses in a pair or in a series
Within my own writing and other composers’ works, I feel as though dependent clauses in a pair or in a series help strengthen one’s writing. When looking at the first example, it is evident that it allows for a stronger conclusion. Each dependent clause provides new reasoning for the thesis which can create a much stronger ending of an essay. With this example I have knowledge that I could potentially use in my essay. It would bode well into the conclusion of my causal essay. Therefore, summarizing all of my main points into one cohesive sentence.
The deliberate fragment
I also feel as this could be useful towards the end of many of my own paragraphs. It’s short and sweet! In my causal essay I very easily could integrate this when speaking of the NFL legend Brett Favre. A legendary quarterback. A powerful passer. This could give strength to my essay as it shows the reader in a simple way characteristics of Brett Favre. In a simpler sentence, the meaning can carry more!
Emphatic appositive at end, after a colon
In the example shown I can clearly see how this literary technique can jump out at a reader. It renames the subject in an interesting, and powerful way. It also can be used to rename a direct object like the second example. By listing the examples of cactus needles and rattlesnakes it creates much better sentence flow.
I plan to use these 3 tactics in upcoming essays. This will allow for a much more pleasing essay to read. These are truly key components to The Art of Styling Sentences. I am working to enhance my sentence styling by using some of the examples in the document. Reading through my work to make sure my sentences flow together nicely helps strengthen my essay.
I like Strategy 7, “An internal series of appositives or modifiers”, this is great because even within this one method, there are three different ways to go about it. It can be done by using commas, dashes, or parenthesis. Each different technique implies a different way of reading it, and this fact alone amazes me. Here is an example of Strategy 7: Warriors of the force (the Jedi, and the Sith) have fought for centuries. I also enjoy Strategy 10, “Emphatic appositive at end, after a colon”, because it is very unique. While reading I do not encounter these types of sentences very often; but when they occur they snag your attention. The suspense of saving the appositive until the end, and then placing it after a colon makes reading exciting. Provided is an example of Strategy 10: Force users around the galaxy have the same weapon: a lightsaber. A final strategy that specifically drew my attention, is Strategy 13, “A single modifier out of place for emphasis”. A fairly simple strategy, easily implemented into many sentences but manages to work wonders. These type of sentences are easy to visualize, making the reading much more sensational. Placing the modifier in the beginning sets the mood for the entire sentence; all done with one word. An example of this being: Powerful, the force is. In conclusion, The Art of Styling Sentences is full of different ways to enhance an individual’s writing; with just a few picked out, delving into this can make anyone a better writer.
I personally am working to enhance my sentence styling by trying to find topics that interest me. Also I try to experiment with words, and do my best to refrain from writing in bland, common sentence structure. Reading all of these different styles of sentences is also something I believe will enhance my writing, and while reading them I will try to form my own examples of each, making more comfortable with each style.
Burkman 2
The three strategies from The Art of Styling Sentences I like most would be 1. Compound Sentence : semicolon, no conjunction; 7a. A variation: a single appositive or a pair; and 12. Introductory or concluding participial phrases.
I like the idea of using a semicolon to bring two similar ideas together. I feel the use of conjunctions can bore the reader if the author uses too many of them. I also think a semicolon brings more attention to the second part of the sentence. The reader does not have to see another “and, or, but”; seeing the semicolon makes their brain think a little more as they the semicolon is not as common as conjunctions.
Examples:
The student is ready to graduate; preparing to move on in the world.
The dog is running extremely fast; the rabbit trying to escape for its life.
The strategy of using a single appositive or a pair of appositives is a unique way to explain or describe an idea. The use of an appositive also saves room. The author does not have to take an extra sentence to explain who “his doctor” is.
Examples:
The boy went to see his doctor, Dr. Smith.
His boss, Bob Rutger, gave him a promotion.
Using an introductory or concluding participial phrase seems to be something I like to use in my writings. They add variety to the writings. The phrases keep an essay from getting boring and repetitive.
Examples:
Hitting the ball, Terry began to run towards first base.
The children were ecstatic, impressed by the hit.
I am working to replace sentences that could be of improvement with these strategies. I am also trying to naturally insert these strategies as I write.
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