Lesson 11 - Using sentences of different lengths

LESSON 11 - Using Sentences of Different Lengths


Varying the length of your sentences so that you have some that are long, some that are medium and some that are short can make a lot of difference in your writing. Look at the example below.

Example 1:

Susan walked to the shops. She saw a dog on the way. The dog was black and white in colour. It was wagging its tail. Susan walked towards it. She patted it on its head. The dog unexpectedly bit Susan.

The length of the sentences are all almost the same in the example above. They are all relatively short. They are monotonous to read and to listen to. Now look at the example below.

Example 2:

While walking to the shops, Susan saw a black and white dog. It was wagging its tail. Susan walked towards it and patted it on its head. Snap! The dog unexpectedly bit Susan.

The length of the sentences in the example above is more varied. There are a couple of long sentences, a very short one (consisting of only one word - "Snap!") and a couple of medium-length ones. This variety makes the story more interesting to read.


HOMEWORK 11


Rewrite the sentences below so that they are more varied in length:

1. Sammy arrived at school. There was no one there. She opened the classroom door. The room was quiet and dark. Then she heard a scream.

2. On Sunday afternoon, we decided to go to the beach. We brought our swimming attire and some food. Dad drove for half an hour before we arrived. We were so excited we ran out of the car immediately. We didn't see what was right in front of us.