Chapter 7: Improving your sentences

1. Chapter 7: Improving your sentences By: Jeremy, Savanna, Baily, and Chris

2. Goal for the Chapter • Write clear, precise sentences.

3. 5 Keys to Improve Sentences • Write complete sentences. • Use active voice. • Divide long or rambling sentences. • Combine choppy sentences. • Use transitions.

4. How to Know When a Sentence is Complete A sentence is complete when it has: • A subject. • A predicate. • A complete thought.

5. What is a Fragment? • A sentence without a subject, predicate, or complete thought. • The occasional fragment can be effective if used skillfully, but try to make complete sentences.

6. Active Voice Vs. Passive Voice • An active voice is when the subject of the sentence is performing the action. • A passive voice is when the subject is being acted upon.

7. How to Divide a Long Sentence • Break the sentence into parts and reshape it as a bulleted or numbered list. • If that doesn’t work well for the info in the sentence you can divide it into 2 or more sentences.

8. How to Combine Choppy Sentences • Use a series: Use commas to combine sentences. • Use a coordinating conjunction: Combine using and, but, or, nor, for, yet, or so. • Use a subordinating conjunction: Combine sentences using although, before, in order that, unless, and while.

9. How to fix run-on sentences • Using the example in the book- • Use a period: You would place a period after the 24th and capitalize it. • Use a semicolon: You could place a semicolon after 24th. • Use a comma and a conjunction: Place a comma after 24th and add a conjunction (and or so).

10. Use transitions to connect sentences • Transitions show your reader how the ideas in your sentences link or relate to each other.

11. Which transitions work well? • Transitions show how ideas are linked by location, time, comparison, and so on. • Transitions link sentences and paragraphs into an easy-to-read document.