Developing Sentence Variety

As you know, in English, a typical order of words in a sentence is subject – verb – object. To make your paragraphs flow, it is important to use a variety of sentences. It’s good to use a variety of simple, compound, and complex sentences – and begin some sentences with prepositional or verbal phrases.

A variety of sentences help create unity and flow of a paragraph:

1. Simple sentences and independent clauses contain the important information in the paragraph.
2. Dependent clauses and phrases provide context and additional details about the important information – they explain when, why, or how the action happened.
3. Transitional expressions are often inserted into simple sentences to add logical connections between ideas.

Let’s look at some examples.

Example 1

Read the following paragraph. 

The Iranian revolution happened. Thousands left Iran for Southern California. We were one of the few Iranian families already there. Our phone did not stop ringing. Everyone called us with questions. They wanted to know about settling into this new land. These were relatives, friends, friends of relatives, friends of friends, and people whose connection we never quite figured out. My father displayed the hospitality that Iranians so cherish. He extended a dinner invitation to everyone who called. We found ourselves feeding dozens of people every weekend.

Notice that it consists of mostly simple sentences. All the sentences are equal in importance, and there are few words that show logical connections them.  Each sentence begins with a subject. 

Example 2

Now read this paragraph as it appears in the article “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful.” 

When the revolution happened, thousands left Iran for Southern California. Since we were one of the few Iranian families already there, our phone did not stop ringing. Relatives, friends, friends of relatives, friends of friends, and people whose connection we never quite figured out called us with questions about settling into this new land. Displaying the hospitality that Iranians so cherish, my father extended a dinner invitation to everyone who called. As a result, we found ourselves feeding dozens of people every weekend.

Let’s analyze the differences between the two paragraphs step by step.

Review other paragraphs in “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful.” Analyze how the writer uses sentence variety in this article.

Grammar Behind Sentence Variety

Punctuation with Different Sentence Connectors

(For deeper explanation of the terms in this exercise, please refer to the Sentence Structure Glossary and the lessons in the supplemental grammar unit.)

Remember the differences between the following types of connectors, which are reflected in punctuation.

1) Transitional expressions and phrases at the beginning of the sentence are separated from the sentence with commas.

• It is cold outside. Therefore, we will not play soccer today.
• Because of the cold weather, we won’t play soccer today.

2) When a sentence begins with a BOBUB, a comma goes at the end of the clause.

• Because it is cold outside, we will not play soccer today.

3) When a BOBUB begins in the middle of the sentence, there is no comma before the BOBUB.

• We will not play soccer today because it is cold outside.

4) When FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) connect two clauses, there is a comma between them.

• It’s cold outside, so we will not play soccer today.

5) When FANBOYS connect two words, there is no comma between them.

• It’s cold outside, so we will not play soccer or go for a walk today.

All of these connectors express certain relationships between ideas, and some may be confusing because they express the same meaning.

Transitions and Their Meanings

Some transitions are unique and express meanings that are not expressed by other connectors.

Remember to use commas after these transitions in sentences.

Other Connectors

Condition is mainly expressed by BOBUBS (subordinating conjunctions): if, even if, unless, only if, whether (or not), in case.

• If it rains tonight, I won’t have to water tomatoes in the morning.
• I will have to water tomatoes in the morning unless it rains tonight.

The relationships of time, order, contrast, cause, and effect can be expressed by several types of connectors.

Time

Contrast

Cause and Effect

Choosing Connectors

As you can see, some relationships between ideas can be expressed through different types of connectors. How do you choose which one to use?

• Review your paragraph; it is good to use a variety of sentences.
• Connect ideas logically—the end of one sentence needs to be connected to the beginning of the next sentence.
• Use independent clauses and simple sentences to express the main points and information.
• Include information that provides context in dependent clauses and phrases.

Exercise 1. Read the passage. Add capital letters, periods, and commas.

because my mother did not drive my father took her to buy ingredients every tuesday after work in abadan my mother and i had started most days in the market, going from vendor to vendor looking for herbs vegetables and fruits the fish came from the Karun and Arvand (Shatt al Arab) rivers the lavash and the sangak breads were freshly baked and the chickens were still alive we were locavores by necessity and foodies without knowing it in america i learned that the time my parents spent shopping was in direct correlation to the degree of my mother’s bad mood an extra-long trip meant that my mother could not find everything she needed a point she would make loud and clear when she got home.

the first step was preparing the herbs my mother insisted that the parsley cilantro and chives for qormeh sabzi herb stew had to be finely chopped by hand the food processor she explained squished them as she and my father sat across the table wielding huge knives they argued incessantly my father did his best to help her it wasn’t enough as soon as the mountain of herbs was chopped my mother started frying them at any given time my mother was also frying onions every few days while my father was watching the six o’clock news my mother would hand him a dozen onions a cutting board and a knife no words were exchanged much to my father’s relief I once volunteered for this task but apparently my slices were neither thin enough nor even it took my father’s precision as an engineer to slice correctly

From “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”

Check Your Answers

Compare your changes with the passage below:

Because my mother did not drive, my father took her to buy ingredients every Tuesday after work. In Abadan, my mother and I had started most days in the market, going from vendor to vendor looking for herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The fish came from the Karun and Arvand (Shatt al Arab) rivers, the lavash and the sangak breads were freshly baked, and the chickens were still alive. We were locavores by necessity and foodies without knowing it. In America, I learned that the time my parents spent shopping was in direct correlation to the degree of my mother’s bad mood. An extra-long trip meant that my mother could not find everything she needed, a point she would make loud and clear when she got home.

The first step was preparing the herbs. My mother insisted that the parsley, cilantro, and chives for qormeh sabzi, herb stew, had to be finely chopped by hand. The food processor, she explained, squished them. As she and my father sat across the table wielding huge knives, they argued incessantly. My father did his best to help her. It wasn’t enough. As soon as the mountain of herbs was chopped, my mother started frying them. At any given time, my mother was also frying onions. Every few days, while my father was watching the six o’clock news, my mother would hand him a dozen onions, a cutting board, and a knife. No words were exchanged. Much to my father’s relief, I once volunteered for this task, but apparently my slices were neither thin enough nor even. It took my father’s precision as an engineer to slice correctly.

From “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”

Using the Past Perfect Tense

When past events are described, the Past Simple tense is most typically used:

• While all four burners were in use, my mother mixed the ground beef, rice, split peas, scallions, and herbs for stuffed grape leaves. I chopped the stems of the grape leaves.

To describe an event or activity that was completed before another past activity or time in the past, the Past Perfect tense is used:

• I had tried stuffing [the grape leaves] once, but my rolls, deemed not tight enough, were promptly unrolled and then rerolled by my mother.

Forming the Past Perfect tense

To form the Past Perfect tense, “had” + Past Participle is used:

•   By the time we reached the theater, the movie had already started.
•   After her guests had left, Lisa sat down on the couch and took a sip of her tea.

As you can see, the Past Perfect tense can occur at the beginning of the end of the sentence. What is important is that it includes the event that happened first, before another past action.

The Past Perfect in Reported Speech

The Past Perfect is often used in reported speech to report on someone’s words in which the Past Simple or Present Perfect tense was originally used:

Direct speech: “I have never been to Texas,” Michael said.

Reported speech: Michael said that he had never been to Texas.

Direct speech:  “My father’s death came as a shock for me,” said Jane.

Reported speech: Jane said that her father’s death had come as a shock for her.

Distinguishing between the Past Perfect Tense and Similar Forms

1) The Past Simple tense of the verb “have” is “had,” but it will not be followed by a Past Participle:

• My prosecuting attorney once stated that I had no hope for change.

2) The past form of the modal “have to”: had to + base form of the verb:

• He had to complete two projects before the end of the day.

3) Causative “have” in the Past Simple tense will be followed by a pronoun and the base form of the verb:

• My mother had me deliver plates of food to our neighbors.

Noticing the Past Perfect Tense

Instructions: Read the following passages from the article “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”.

• Underline verbs in the Past Perfect tense.
• Highlight “had” with causative meaning in yellow.
• Highlight “had to” (the past tense of modal “have to”) in blue.
• Highlight the Past Simple form of the verb “have” in green.

Paragraph 3: By the time of the Iranian revolution, we had adjusted to life in California. We said “Hello” and “Have a nice day” to perfect strangers, wore flip-flops, and grilled cheeseburgers next to our kebabs. We never understood why Americans put ice in tea or bought shampoo that smelled like strawberries, but other than that, America felt like home.

Paragraph 4: Our guests squeezed onto the sofa, sat on the floor, or overflowed onto the patio. We eventually had to explain to our American neighbors why there were so many cars parked in front of our place every weekend. My mother, her diplomatic skills in full swing, had me deliver plates of Persian food, decorated with radish roses and mint sprigs, to them.

Paragraph 6: Because my mother did not drive, my father took her to buy ingredients every Tuesday after work. In Abadan, my mother and I had started most days in the market, going from vendor to vendor looking for herbs, vegetables, and fruits.

Paragraph 7: The first step was preparing the herbs. My mother insisted that the parsley, cilantro, and chives for qormeh sabzi, herb stew, had to be finely chopped by hand. The food processor, she explained, squished them. As she and my father sat across the table wielding huge knives, they argued incessantly.

Paragraph 8: While all four burners were in use, my mother mixed the ground beef, rice, split peas, scallions, and herbs for stuffed grape leaves. I chopped the stems of the grape leaves. I had tried stuffing them once, but my rolls, deemed not tight enough, were promptly unrolled and then rerolled by my mother.

Paragraph 9: She soaked walnuts and almonds in water to plump them up; fried eggplants for kashk-e bademjan, a popular appetizer with garlic, turmeric, mint, and whey; made torshi-e limo, a sour lemon condiment; and slivered orange peels. I had been fired from this task also, having left on far too much pith.

Paragraph 10: Almost 40 years later, I still remember my mother’s disappointment and her explaining to my father that her sister had time to talk because my aunt’s maid did all the cooking.

Paragraph 11: As people entered the dining room, they gasped at the sight of my mother’s table. Her zereshk polow, barberry rice, made many emotional. There are no fresh barberries in America (my mother had brought dried berries from Iran in her suitcase), and the sight of that dish, with its distinct deep red hue, was a reminder of the life our guests had left behind.

Paragraph 12: On Sundays, my mother lay on the sofa, her swollen feet elevated, fielding thank-you phone calls from our guests. She had the same conversation a dozen times; each one ended with, “Of course you can give our name to your cousins.”

Using Passive Voice and Modal Verbs

Noticing Passive Voice and Modal Verbs

Instructions: Read the following passages from the article “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful” and highlight all verbs in the passive voice and underline modal verbs.

What is the meaning of the modal verbs? Why is passive voice used in a particular case?

Paragraph 5: The marathon started on Monday, with my mother planning the menu while letting us know that she was already tired. Fortunately, our rice dishes were made to be shared; our dilemma, however, was space. We eventually had to explain to our American neighbors why there were so many cars parked in front of our place every weekend.

Paragraph 6: Because my mother did not drive, my father took her to buy ingredients every Tuesday after work. In Abadan, my mother and I had started most days in the market, going from vendor to vendor looking for herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The fish came from the Karun and Arvand (Shatt al Arab) rivers, the lavash and the sangak breads were freshly baked, and the chickens were still alive… In America, I learned that the time my parents spent shopping was in direct correlation to the degree of my mother’s bad mood. An extra-long trip meant that my mother could not find everything she needed, a point she would make loud and clear when she got home: “Why don’t they let fruit ripen here?” “Why are the chickens so huge and flavorless?” “I couldn’t find fresh herbs.” “My feet hurt.” “How am I supposed to get everything done?”

Paragraph 7: The first step was preparing the herbs. My mother insisted that the parsley, cilantro, and chives for qormeh sabzi, herb stew, had to be finely chopped by hand. As soon as the mountain of herbs was chopped, my mother started frying them. At any given time, my mother was also frying onions. Every few days, while my father was watching the six o’clock news, my mother would hand him a dozen onions, a cutting board, and a knife. No words were exchanged.

Paragraph 8: While all four burners were in use, my mother mixed the ground beef, rice, split peas, scallions, and herbs for stuffed grape leaves. I chopped the stems of the grape leaves. I had tried stuffing them once, but my rolls, deemed not tight enough, were promptly unrolled and then rerolled by my mother.

Paragraph 9: In between cooking, my mother made yogurt—the thick, sour variety that we couldn’t find in America. She soaked walnuts and almonds in water to plump them up; fried eggplants for kashk-e bademjan, a popular appetizer with garlic, turmeric, mint, and whey; made torshi-e limo, a sour lemon condiment; and slivered orange peels. I had been fired from this task also, having left on far too much pith.

Paragraph 10: By the time our guests arrived, my mother was exhausted. But the work was not finished. Rice, the foundation of the Persian meal, the litmus test of the cook’s ability, cannot be prepared ahead of time.

Paragraph 12: Our dinners took days to cook and disappeared in 20 minutes. As our guests heaped their plates and looked for a place to sit, they lavished praise on my mother, who, according to tradition, deflected it all. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I wish I could’ve done more.”

Paragraph 13: On Sundays, my mother lay on the sofa, her swollen feet elevated, fielding thank-you phone calls from our guests. She had the same conversation a dozen times; each one ended with, “Of course you can give our name to your cousins.” As I watched my mother experience the same draining routine week after week, I decided that tradition is good only if it brings joy to all involved. This includes the hostess. Sometimes, even our most cherished beliefs must evolve. Evolution, thy name is potluck.

Error Correction in the Use of Passive Voice and Modal Verbs

The following sentences contain errors in the use of passive verbs and modal verbs. Please find and correct these errors.

1. Fortunately, our rice dishes made to be shared; our dilemma, however, was space. We eventually have to explain to our American neighbors why there were so many cars parked in front of our place every weekend. (2 errors)
2. The fish came from the Karun and Arvand (Shatt al Arab) rivers, the lavash and the sangak breads were freshly bake, and the chickens were still alive… (1 error)
3. An extra-long trip meant that my mother cannot find everything she needed, a point she would make loud and clear when she got home: “My feet hurt.” “How am I suppose to get everything done?” (2 errors)
4. My mother insisted that the parsley, cilantro, and chives for qormeh sabzi, herb stew, have to be finely chop by hand. As soon as the mountain of herbs was chop, my mother started frying them. (3 errors)
5. While all four burners were in use, my mother mixed the ground beef, rice, split peas, scallions, and herbs for stuffed grape leaves. I chopped the stems of the grape leaves. I had tried stuffing them once, but my rolls, deemed not tight enough, were promptly unroll and then reroll by my mother. (2 errors)
6. By the time our guests arrived, my mother was exhausted. But the work was not finish. Rice, the foundation of the Persian meal, the litmus test of the cook’s ability, cannot prepared ahead of time. (2 errors)
7. As our guests heaped their plates and looked for a place to sit, they lavished praise on my mother, who, according to tradition, deflected it all. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I wish I could be done more.” (1 error)

Noticing and Using Dependent and Reduced Dependent Clauses

Exercise 1: Noticing Reduced Dependent Clauses: Adjective (relative), Adverb (subordinate), and Noun

(For deeper explanation of the terms in this exercise, please refer to the Sentence Structure Glossary.)

Dependent clauses are often added to independent clauses to create layers of meaning within a sentence. Using dependent clauses also offers an opportunity to create complex sentences, which add variety to the rhythm and flow of a paragraph.

Sometimes a writer chooses to use a full clause structure that includes a marker word and subject-verb units.

Examples of full clauses from “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”

Adjective Clause: We never understood why Americans put ice in tea or bought shampoo that smelled like strawberries, but other than that, America felt like home. (paragraph 3)

Adverb Clause: As she and my father sat across the table wielding huge knives, they argued incessantly. (paragraph 7)

Noun Clause: We eventually had to explain to our American neighbors why there were so many cars parked in front of our place every weekend. (paragraph5)

Often, though, a writer uses reduced clause structures to add this information, especially when BE verbs (am, is, are, was, were) are being used instead of action verbs. It is not always necessary to reduce clauses. If you are not sure if a reduction works in your own writing, it is always best to use the full clause.

Examples of reduced clauses from “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”

Reduced Adjective Clause (“appositive”):  Our real home was in Abadan, a city in the southwest of Iran. (paragraph 2)

Reduced Adverb Clause: The marathon started on Monday, with my mother planning the menu while letting us know that she was already tired. (paragraph 5)

Reduced Noun Clause: In America, I learned the time my parents spent shopping was in direct correlation to the degree of my mother’s bad mood. (paragraph 6)

Read through the article again. See if you can find:

1. 1. Two more full adjective clauses – how can these be reduced?
   2. Ten more full adverb clauses (there are 18 total) — There are no other reduced adverb clauses in this article, and none of the full adverb clauses can be effectively reduced. Try to reduce a few to see how confusing it is for the reader. Remember: if you aren’t sure about reducing, it’s best to use the full clause!
   3. Four more full noun clauses – how can these be reduced?

• One more reduced adjective clause

• One more reduced noun clause

Other things to notice:

• Where are the independent clauses? How do the other pieces attached to them support their meaning?
• Where are the commas with which adjective clauses? Are they defining or non-defining?
• Where are the commas with the adverb clauses? What’s the rule?