19 Creating Sentence Variety
What is Sentence Variety?
When you write, using different types of sentences can make your writing more interesting and enjoyable to read. This is called sentence variety. It helps keep your readers engaged and makes your ideas clearer.
Compare the two paragraphs below. What do you notice about the sentences? Which paragraph is easier to read? Which one sounds better when you read it aloud?
| Paragraph 1
Studying is important. You should find a quiet place. It should be free of distractions. Take breaks while you study. Breaks help you learn better. Use different study methods. Summarize your notes. Make flashcards. Teach the material to someone else. Studying can be fun. |
| Paragraph 2
Studying effectively is important for success. To start, you should find a quiet place to study where you won’t be distracted. While studying, take regular breaks to rest your mind. Although it might seem like a waste of time, breaks can actually help you learn better. Another strategy is to use different study methods, such as summarizing notes, making flashcards, and teaching the material to someone else. If you use these strategies, you’ll find that studying can be more enjoyable and effective. |
In the examples above, you might notice that all of the sentences in Paragraph 1 are short. This makes the paragraph sound a little bit boring. On the other hand, in Paragraph 2, there are some shorter sentences and some longer sentences. That makes the paragraph sound more natural and easy to read.
How to Create Sentence Variety
One great way to create sentence variety is by using different types of sentences. There are four types of sentences in English:
Simple
A simple sentence has one subject and one main verb, or predicate.
Example
The dog barked.
In this sentence, “The dog” is the subject, and “barked” is the verb, or predicate.
Compound
A compound sentence connects two simple sentences with a coordinating conjunction. There are seven coordinating conjunctions. You can remember them by thinking of the word FANBOYS:
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
Examples
The dog barked, so I looked out the window.
In the first example sentence, “The dog barked” is one simple sentence, with one subject (the dog) and one predicate (barked). Another simple sentence, “the cat meowed,” is connected to this sentence with a comma (,) and the coordinating conjunction and.
In the second example sentence, “The dog barked” is again the first simple sentence, but this time, there is a longer simple sentence that follows: I looked out the window. Even though this sentence is longer, it is still a simple sentence because it only has one subject (I) and one predicate (looked out the window). Notice that these simple sentences are connected with a comma (,) and the coordinating conjunction so.
Complex
As the name suggests, complex sentences are a little more–complex! Complex sentences contain two parts:
- An independent clause: a clause (group of words) that can be a sentence all by itself.
- A dependent clause: a clause that can not be a sentence all by itself.
A complex sentence combines an independent clause and a dependent clause with a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions are words like because, although, since, before, or after. They work a lot like coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS), but the rules are a little bit different.
Example
The dog barked because it was hungry.
Because the dog was hungry, it barked.
In this example, the simple sentence “The dog barked” is connected to another simple sentence, “it was hungry” with a subordinating conjunction–because. A subordinating conjunction makes the clause dependent, meaning that it can not be a sentence by itself.
Notice that complex sentences can look different ways. In the first example, The subordinating conjunction because is in the middle of the sentence. What means the independent clause comes first and the dependent clause comes second, after the subordinating conjunction. In the second example, the sentence begins with the subordinating conjunction because, and the dependent clause comes before the independent clause.
Punctuation Note:
When the independent clause comes first, you don’t need a comma to separate the two clauses, like this:
I’m sleepy because I didn’t sleep well last night.
However, when the dependent clause comes first, add a comma to separate it from the independent clause, like this:
Because I didn’t sleep well last night, I’m sleepy.
Compound-Complex
A sentence can also be compound-complex, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a sentence that has both a coordinating conjunction (compound) and a subordinating conjunction (complex).
Example
The dog barked because it was hungry, but we didn’t have any food.
In this example. the complex sentence from the previous example (The dog barked because it was hungry) is connected to another sentence (we didn’t have any food) with the coordinating conjunction but.
Let’s Practice!
Take another look at the paragraph from the beginning of this chapter. What kinds of sentences do you see? Try to label each sentence.
| Studying effectively is important for success. To start, you should find a quiet place to study where you won’t be distracted. While studying, take regular breaks to rest your mind. Although it might seem like a waste of time, breaks can actually help you learn better. Another strategy is to use different study methods, such as summarizing notes, making flashcards, and teaching the material to someone else. If you use these strategies, you’ll find that studying can be more enjoyable and effective. |
Now, try it out! Rewrite the paragraph below with a variety of sentence types. As you write, you can also add more details to make your writing stronger.
| To be a better writer, read a lot. Write every day. Use a notebook. Check your spelling. Check your grammar. Ask a friend to read your work. Get feedback. Edit your writing. Use new words. Take breaks. Be patient. Keep trying. |
