Page 186 - (DK) Help Your Kids with Language Arts

184 C OMMUNICA TION SKILLS

Making sentences SEE ALSO

26–27 Adjectives
interesting    40–41 Adverbs
58–59 Conjunctions
60–61 Prepositions
THE BEST PIECES OF WRITING USE SENTENCES THAT   68–69 Sentences
70–71 Compound sentences
ARE CLEAR BUT ALSO INTERESTING TO READ.  72–73 Complex sentences
Writing a narrative 212–213 
A text containing very similar sentences will be boring to read.
Using a variety of sentence types with plenty of detail will make
a piece of writing more engaging. This simple sentence
contains the subject
monster and the main
verb was.
Pick and mix
This compound
Good writers vary the types of sentence has two main
sentences that they use in their clauses linked by the A monster was on the loose. It came
work. Lots of short sentences can conjunction and. out at night and its howls filled the air.
make a piece of writing monotonous People said that the monster had green
and disjointed. Using some longer
sentences instead helps the writing fur and red eyes, although no one had
flow and links ideas together. ever seen it.
There are three main types of
sentences to choose from.
This complex sentence
contains a main clause
and a subordinate clause.

Change of pace
A long sentence in a
Rather than using a random mixture of sentences, it’s possible speech can reinforce the
to select a particular type of sentence for effect—for example, seriousness of a problem.
to change the pace or add tension or excitement.

She began to run. The Pulling herself out of the “If we don’t all gather
monster followed. Her heart water, she could see light together and track down
was racing. The monster from the cottage in the the bloodthirsty monster,
wasn’t far behind. She had distance. She scrambled up our children will not be safe
to make a decision. She the riverbank, and ran on the streets and we will
jumped into the lake. through the mud, under the not be able to sleep soundly
oak trees, around the bend in our beds. We need to
in the road, and up the act now.”
path. She was home.
A string of short
sentences in a story
can create excitement. Following the long sentence with
Using a short sentence after a a short sentence can make a
very long one can relieve tension. powerful final point.