Sentence Combining Strategies - By WarnerJordanEducation
00:0-1 | we Oh , wait to our podcast on sentence combining | |
00:11 | . We want to talk with you about three pretty | |
00:14 | basic ways that we can create better sentences by potentially | |
00:18 | combining some of our short , choppy sentences that we | |
00:21 | often times get in the habit of writing . So | |
00:23 | let's go and see we're talking about here . So | |
00:25 | take a look at this Siris of short sentences . | |
00:28 | Toad saw the list . It blew away . He | |
00:32 | chased after it . The wind was strong . Toad | |
00:35 | was mad . The list was gone . Or perhaps | |
00:39 | he came in . He saw the gun . The | |
00:41 | shot rang out . He fell . The gun dropped | |
00:44 | . Blood was spilled . How did those sentences feel | |
00:48 | ? What is the effect of the pace of those | |
00:50 | sentences ? Well , when you read them , they | |
00:53 | feel relatively fast . It's short . It's choppy . | |
00:57 | It is always in the format of subject than verb | |
01:00 | than object . There is no meandering pace to them | |
01:04 | . It seems like you're just being hit over the | |
01:05 | head with a list . This happened first . This | |
01:08 | happened next . This happened third . They have a | |
01:11 | rhythm to them . That's true . But the rhythm | |
01:14 | seems to be very fast , and so there are | |
01:17 | times where we want to slow that pace a little | |
01:20 | bit . We want to slow that pace so that | |
01:23 | your readers have time to think and digest and appreciate | |
01:27 | your message , but also how you share that message | |
01:31 | . And so there are many options of adding sentence | |
01:34 | variety in English . We're going to talk about three | |
01:38 | because this builds on our previous podcasts off clauses than | |
01:43 | phrases than the idea of the run on sentence . | |
01:47 | So if any of this seems like we're jumping a | |
01:49 | little bit too far too fast , please review some | |
01:52 | of those other podcasts understand those grammatical structures first , | |
01:56 | and that will help you understand this podcast a little | |
01:59 | bit better . So the first method that we're going | |
02:02 | to talk about to combine sentences is the idea of | |
02:05 | subordination . Now , looking at the root , we | |
02:08 | have sub sub means under or less than and so | |
02:13 | in grammar . A subordinate clause is a part of | |
02:18 | a sentence that is grammatically less important than the main | |
02:22 | clause . A subordinate clause acts like a dependent clause | |
02:28 | , meaning it cannot stand on its own . This | |
02:31 | clause must be stuck to an independent clause in order | |
02:36 | to form a complete sentence , and so oftentimes subordinate | |
02:41 | clauses or dependent clauses are formed with those conjunctions of | |
02:47 | Bubis words like always , almost while when ? Until | |
02:53 | words like that . So when those are starting a | |
02:56 | clause , they are creating a subordinate or dependent clause | |
03:01 | , and therefore they need to be stuck to another | |
03:04 | complete sentence . So let's go back to our example | |
03:07 | . Toads saw the list . It blew away . | |
03:10 | He chased after it . The wind was strong . | |
03:13 | Toad was mad . The list was gone . What | |
03:16 | if we took some of those short sentences and changed | |
03:20 | them so that we could combine them maybe two sentences | |
03:24 | into one longer ? One . So , for example | |
03:27 | , when towed saw the list , it blew away | |
03:30 | . Unfortunately , while he chased it , the strong | |
03:34 | wind was blowing and it angered Toad . Now , | |
03:37 | yes , we've changed a couple words . We've changed | |
03:40 | mad to angered . We've changed the order off some | |
03:44 | of these small sentences , and that's totally okay . | |
03:48 | But what we have done is we've taken some of | |
03:51 | those previous standalone short sentences and made them into subordinate | |
03:56 | clauses and then combined them with another independent clause . | |
04:01 | Look at that . First one , when towed saw | |
04:04 | the list comma , it blew away . The meaning | |
04:08 | is still the same . It does express when all | |
04:12 | of this happened . But rather than starting with subject | |
04:16 | verb object order , we have made that red claws | |
04:21 | into a subordinate or dependent clause . And then we | |
04:25 | stuck it to it blew away . So rather than | |
04:29 | being hammered over the head with a quick pace , | |
04:32 | we took some of those short sentences and subordinated them | |
04:36 | , combined them with the other clause to still make | |
04:40 | a complete sentence . But toe vary the pace of | |
04:44 | how those feel to our reader . And so remember | |
04:47 | , we're going to use a subordinating conjunction to lead | |
04:51 | that dependent clause into the independent clause . And so | |
04:57 | you can see the punctuation that we need down at | |
04:59 | the bottom there if we start with a dependent clause | |
05:02 | even though he was late . And then we attach | |
05:05 | that to a complete sentence comma , he still took | |
05:09 | the full test . We have toe have that dependent | |
05:13 | clause separated by a comma into our independent clause or | |
05:18 | complete sentence . But if for some reason we want | |
05:21 | to put that dependent clause at the end of our | |
05:24 | complete sentence , no punctuation is needed . He still | |
05:28 | took the full test despite the fact that he came | |
05:31 | in late there , it just rolls between the independent | |
05:34 | clause right into that subordinate dependent clause . It changes | |
05:40 | the feeling it changes the flavor , it changes the | |
05:42 | pace . And that is good because we don't want | |
05:45 | our reader to feel like they're being beat over the | |
05:47 | head while reading our fast paced essay . Another way | |
05:51 | we can change the feel or pacing or flavor of | |
05:54 | our writing is to combine independent clauses as independent clauses | |
06:00 | . So this is when we have two full independent | |
06:04 | stand on their own sentences , but we're choosing to | |
06:07 | combine them into one bigger , longer sentence . Now | |
06:11 | the thing is , we have to be careful because | |
06:13 | this sets up the potential for a run on sentence | |
06:17 | . So here's what we want to do . We | |
06:19 | want to combine those two independent clauses properly . If | |
06:24 | we don't , it is a grammatical run on , | |
06:26 | so we want to be able to do it properly | |
06:28 | and in our podcast on run ins , we go | |
06:30 | into more depth with this . But in essence , | |
06:33 | we use what we call the superheroes of punctuation to | |
06:36 | avoid the run on but still create groups of independent | |
06:41 | clauses . So , for example , this doesn't actually | |
06:44 | combine independent clauses . It just avoids the run on | |
06:48 | . But one thing we could do to avoid the | |
06:50 | run on is to have one independent clause end it | |
06:54 | with a period and then begin another independent clause or | |
06:58 | complete sentence . Simply use a period end . The | |
07:01 | first clause begin the second clause run on avoided and | |
07:06 | perhaps some variety added . But the truly start combining | |
07:10 | these independent clauses , perhaps we could use Aquaman or | |
07:14 | of the semi colon . Between our independent clauses , | |
07:18 | we could start with a full and complete sentence and | |
07:21 | independent clause , use a semi colon and then add | |
07:25 | our second independent cause right after that . Now they | |
07:28 | form one giant sentence with one capital letter and one | |
07:32 | period at the end . But we have to full | |
07:35 | complete ideas , joined together properly with a semicolon , | |
07:40 | and again if we happen to mess this up , | |
07:43 | that creates a grammatical error of a run on my | |
07:46 | personal favorite way of combining sentences to avoid the run | |
07:50 | on . But also to add variety is the use | |
07:52 | of the Wonder twins and again , both twins were | |
07:55 | needed to fight crime , So we need to parts | |
07:58 | to correctly join independent causes , and those two parts | |
08:02 | are a comma and a coordinating conjunction , and in | |
08:06 | English there are seven coordinating conjunctions for and nor but | |
08:13 | or yet and so and they make the acronym of | |
08:17 | Fanboys . So if we have a complete sentence , | |
08:21 | an independent clause that can stand on its own and | |
08:23 | we want to combine it with another complete sentence , | |
08:26 | another independent clause . We can totally do that if | |
08:30 | we use both parts . If we use a comma | |
08:33 | and a conjunction , not just a comma and not | |
08:36 | just a conjunction , we need to have both parts | |
08:40 | . Just like the Wonder twins needed both the boy | |
08:42 | and the girl in order to fight crime again , | |
08:45 | it adds some variety . It adds some different pacing | |
08:49 | . It adds some different feel for our reader , | |
08:52 | and if we do it correctly , we have what's | |
08:54 | called a compound sentence . If we don't do it | |
08:57 | correctly , we have created the grammatical error off a | |
09:00 | run on now because we don't talk a lot about | |
09:02 | grammar . Students oftentimes start to make mistakes pretty early | |
09:06 | because they're confused between what is an independent clause , | |
09:10 | which is a full and complete sentence and what is | |
09:13 | a dependent clause , basically something that has to be | |
09:17 | stuck to a complete sentence . If you have a | |
09:20 | dependent clause and it iss stuck to an independent clause | |
09:24 | , you just follow that with a comma , and | |
09:27 | that becomes one giant sentence . But if what you | |
09:31 | have created are two independent causes and you've stuck them | |
09:34 | together , you might have a run on , and | |
09:37 | you might have to either split them with Superman , | |
09:40 | join them with Aquaman and the semi colon , or | |
09:44 | join them with the Wonder twins , that comma and | |
09:46 | the conjunction . In order to do it properly , | |
09:49 | perhaps go back to our clauses and phrases podcasts to | |
09:53 | make sure that you truly understand what these are and | |
09:56 | how they're different dramatically . So here's an example , | |
09:59 | going back to our original frog and toad short story | |
10:02 | . But now we have combined them with the Wonder | |
10:06 | Twins and in a couple occasions with the semicolon Toad | |
10:10 | saw the list . It blew away . He chased | |
10:13 | after it . The wind was strong . Toad was | |
10:15 | mad . The list was gone . And then the | |
10:18 | rewritten example . Toad saw the list comma , but | |
10:22 | it blew away . He chased after it comma , | |
10:25 | but the wind was strong . Toad was mad semicolon | |
10:30 | . The list was gone . It changes the pace | |
10:33 | . It changes the feel . It changes the flavor | |
10:35 | of those short , choppy sentences . We've combined them | |
10:39 | into longer sentences properly either using the comma and the | |
10:43 | conjunction or the semicolon . And this is what we're | |
10:46 | after changing the feeling , changing the flavor , changing | |
10:49 | the pace so that our readers don't just get beaten | |
10:52 | over the head with short , choppy sentences for an | |
10:55 | entire essay . The third way , we'd want to | |
10:57 | talk about combining sentences and then therefore , adjusting pace | |
11:02 | is to create a phrase . If you don't remember | |
11:04 | what a phrase is , you can always visit our | |
11:07 | podcast on phrases . But in short , it is | |
11:09 | a group of words that travel as a unit . | |
11:12 | They do not have a subject and a verb . | |
11:16 | Therefore they cannot stand on their own . And so | |
11:19 | the phrases we have talked about are the proposition . | |
11:22 | All phrase , the gerund phrase and the infinitive phrase | |
11:26 | go back to our selection of short , choppy sentences | |
11:28 | . Could we take some ideas in either one of | |
11:31 | those , craft them into a phrase and then stick | |
11:34 | them to a full and complete sentence to add variety | |
11:38 | , for example , Toad saw the list blowing away | |
11:42 | to get the list he chased after it flowing away | |
11:46 | from the strong wind . The list was gone and | |
11:49 | Toad was mad . That just feels different . We | |
11:52 | have some different paces in there . That first sentence | |
11:55 | we've added blowing away . We've added a gerund phrase | |
12:00 | rather than two sentences in the next sentence . To | |
12:03 | get the list , we've added an infinitive phrase rather | |
12:07 | than having to short choppy sentences . Flowing away from | |
12:11 | the strong wind is another gerund phrase . So again | |
12:15 | , rather than having to short choppy sentences , we've | |
12:18 | taken some of the ideas . Some of the words | |
12:20 | reformatted them into a phrase and then properly joined them | |
12:25 | with a full and complete sentence . Changes the feel | |
12:28 | , the flavor and the pace . And that's what | |
12:31 | we're after here . So here are some examples that | |
12:33 | you can practice with . Most of these are run | |
12:36 | on sentences . Somebody has tried to combine two full | |
12:41 | and independent clauses , but they have done it incorrectly | |
12:46 | . So go ahead and challenge yourself a little bit | |
12:47 | here . Can you punctuate each sentence correctly ? Where | |
12:51 | would you split these clauses , or where would you | |
12:54 | at a semi colon ? Or where would you add | |
12:56 | the wonder twins of a comma and a conjunction in | |
12:59 | order to avoid the run on and add sentence variety | |
13:25 | . One more set of practice and so in some | |
13:48 | . If we have to complete sentences , we can't | |
13:51 | just jam them together in order to create better pacing | |
13:54 | and flow . If we do , we might have | |
13:57 | created a run on . So if we're looking to | |
13:59 | combine two full and complete sentences to independent clauses , | |
14:04 | we might have to visit the use of the semi | |
14:07 | colon or the use of the comma , plus a | |
14:09 | conjunction the Wonder twins in order to combine those . | |
14:13 | Or perhaps we could subordinate one set of those words | |
14:17 | , make a dependent clause out of one part of | |
14:20 | them , and then properly join those with an independent | |
14:23 | clause of the other . Or perhaps we could even | |
14:26 | be a little bit more daring and take one group | |
14:28 | of words and that idea and make them into a | |
14:31 | phrase and then properly join that to a complete sentence | |
14:35 | or an independent cause again . The point is not | |
14:38 | to just join sentences for the sake of joining sentences | |
14:41 | just for the heck of it , so that we | |
14:43 | have X amount of uses of the semi colon in | |
14:46 | a paper . That's not the point . The point | |
14:49 | is , do we have a nice flow in our | |
14:51 | sentence creation , or is it too fast ? Should | |
14:54 | we slow it down ? Do we need to speed | |
14:56 | up our pace ? This is a feeling that is | |
14:59 | created by our writing , and one way we can | |
15:02 | manipulate that feeling or that pace is through sentence , | |
15:05 | combining if we ADM or to a complete sentence , | |
15:08 | it slows the pace down . It forces are reader | |
15:11 | to think and to slow down with the commas and | |
15:13 | then the periods . If we want to keep the | |
15:15 | pace high for some reason , then we should keep | |
15:18 | those short , choppy sentences . This isn't something to | |
15:21 | do just to do it . Ask yourself about your | |
15:23 | pace . You're feeling your variety on . If you | |
15:27 | feel like you do need to combine . You could | |
15:29 | definitely use one of these three methods to do that | |
15:32 | . I think that's it . Thanks so much for | |
15:33 | listening . If you have any questions , you go | |
15:35 | ahead and bring those in the class . Otherwise , | |
15:37 | we will do some practice when we get back together | |
15:39 | . Thanks so much |
DESCRIPTION:
How can we avoid the monotonous or short, choppy sentence patterns? Watch on to see three patterns where we can mix it up a bit! [This podcast is related to the podcast on Clauses.]
OVERVIEW:
Sentence Combining Strategies is a free educational video by WarnerJordanEducation.It helps students in grades 4 practice the following standards L.4.1.B.
This page not only allows students and teachers view Sentence Combining Strategies but also find engaging Sample Questions, Apps, Pins, Worksheets, Books related to the following topics.
1. L.4.1.B : Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses..