After revising the overall structure and ideas in a literacy narrative, writers can improve how individual sentences work together. This lesson focuses on combining related sentences to create smoother, more varied prose while preserving the details and emphasis that matter.
A draft made up mostly of short, similar sentences can sound choppy and disconnected. Combining closely related ideas helps readers see how those ideas connect and can make a narrative feel more fluent and nuanced.
All flashcards
Sentence combining
Joining closely related ideas in ways that improve flow and reduce unnecessary repetition.
Dependent clause in sentence combining
A clause that can show how ideas relate, such as by expressing time, reason, or purpose.
Vague use of you
Using you for an unspecified person or group rather than addressing a specific audience.
Unclear use of this
Using this without naming the idea, event, or situation it refers to.
Concision
Removing wording that adds no useful meaning, rhythm, or emphasis while preserving what the reader needs.
Quiz questions
When is you appropriate in a sentence?Answer: When the writer is directly addressing a specific audience.
What can make this unclear to readers?Answer: It appears without a noun or explanation identifying its meaning.
Why might a writer revise a sentence beginning with there are or it is?Answer: The construction may obscure the doer or make the main information less direct.
Why is the briefest possible version of a sentence not always the best choice?Answer: A fuller version may provide context, tone, or emphasis suited to its purpose.
Which is a useful way to revise a wordy sentence?Answer: Remove redundant wording and use direct verbs while preserving needed meaning.
Based on Writing Guide with Handbook by Michelle Bachelor Robinson, Maria Jerskey, featuring Toby Fulwiler (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.