Add transitional words and phrases to the beginnings of your sentences to create a flow between your ideas. The object is the person or thing to which the action is done (in our example, the piano). If you don’t know the parts of a sentence or how to combine them in the right order, your sentences will simply fall apart! Below are worksheet categories on the structure of sentences. Create images. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/74\/Improve-Your-Sentence-Structure-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Improve-Your-Sentence-Structure-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/74\/Improve-Your-Sentence-Structure-Step-1.jpg\/aid10529507-v4-728px-Improve-Your-Sentence-Structure-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. It's not a complete sentence. References. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Students can also benefit from getting a peak at the way teachers like us think about writing a good sentence. Independent clauses contain a subject, verb, and object, and make sense on their own. Close. or "James … This lesson plan will help you teach how to write better sentences with tips and a step-by-step lesson plan. Baseline data were collected on day one. Below are worksheet categories on the structure of sentences. Early Stage 1 - complete sentences. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Sentence fragment: the golden rule of structuring a sentence is that every complete sentence must have a verb and a subject. Rather than introducing all four sentence types at once, I roll them out one at a time: simple, compound, complex, then compound-complex. Teaching strategies for sentence structure. Sometimes the writer needs to repair sentence fragments, or else combine choppy statements into compound sentences. The children then need to un-jumble the sentence, either alone or in groups. Click on the category name to view a list of the worksheets. Example: The man (subject) went (verb) to the store. This lesson plan will help you teach how to write better sentences with tips and a step-by-step lesson plan. Good sentence structure is the key to strong, effective communication in English. In other words, write the sentences again to make them accurate and also a better score. Some topics you'll be assessed on include sentence fragments and using passive voice in … Early Stage 1 - phrases. If you increase your daily practice time from 20 to 60 minutes, you’ll improve three times faster! The easiest way to do this is to look at the verbs. Conveniently, sentence structure is an excellent skill to practice during writing workshop. Then, I went to the art-supply store. In my opinion, I believe that studying history is extremely important in term of learning … ", You could join a dependent and independent clause like this: "Since my grades are good this semester, my parents said I can have a party this weekend. However, after. Ways on How to Improve Sentence Structure. Writing good sentences begins with understanding sentence structure. Ways on How to Improve Sentence Structure. Improving sentence structure is an important skill for students to learn, as it helps make sure that a sentence will be fully understood. Eliminate Repetition . We love images; anything that is visual appeals to us. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 29,547 times. Vary the Length of Your Sentences. Use this quiz/worksheet combo to help you test your understanding of improving your sentence structure. Here is a full sentence. Senators are deadlocked over the Republicans’ insistence (that) a provision ending certain emergency Federal Reserve powers be included in the bill.. Clive A student needs to understand how words, phrases, and clauses are used to enhance the meaning and clarity of a sentence. Archived. % of people told us that this article helped them. Identify basic sentence structures to avoid mistakes. Include logic. A compound sentence has at least two main (or independent) clauses, connected by coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). 5 Ways to Improve Your Sentence Structure 1. Watch out for sentence fragments. If you don’t have that much time, here are two possible solutions: Reduce the time spent on social media and other time wasters. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.standoutbooks.com/vary-sentence-structure/, http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/improving-your-sentence-structure.html, https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/Grammar/SentenceStructure, https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/semi-colons-colons-and-dashes/, https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/grammar/grammar-guides/sentence, mejorar la estructura de tus oraciones en inglés, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. After that I went to the art-supply store before buying a sandwich for lunch.”, This sentence switches tenses: “Jen drove to the mall and will buy a pair of jeans.”, Corrected, it reads: “Jen drove to the mall and bought a pair of jeans.”, For example, this sentence doesn’t contain parallel structure: “On my day off, I enjoy stopping at the bank, mow the lawn, and have a conversation with my neighbor.”, Corrected, it reads: “On my day off, I enjoy stopping at the bank, mowing the lawn, and having a conversation with my neighbor.”, For example, this sentence contains a semicolon in the wrong location since it is not between the independent clauses: “If you get an opportunity; stop at the store on your drive home, I’d like a gallon of milk.”, Corrected, it would read: “If you get an opportunity, stop at the store on your drive home; I’d like a gallon of milk.”, For example, it’s correct to write, “I had three classes on campus today: Chemistry, Physics, and American Literature.”, You can also write, “As they made their getaway, the bank robbers forgot something important: the loot from the safe.”, For instance, you might join two independent clauses like this: "I finished my homework early today, so my best friend came over to hang out. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. There are some exercises that you will take and they will help to improve how you understand complex statements. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. In general, use short sentences to emphasize ideas. When you look at a long sentence, think about how it might be broken down into smaller ones. How to improve sentence structure? 1. ", If you had a descriptive clause, here's how you'd include it in your sentence: "I want to try that new pizza place, the one with pepperoni on its sign, when we go out on Friday.". If your sentence lacks a subject or a verb, you faced a sentence fragment. … 1. The sentence is going to be jumbled up when it’s pinned onto the line. A simple sentence that follows this structure is "John opened the door." Start by reading good literature and journalism … Improve Verb Usage – Improve Sentence Structure. Sentence Structure: It is essential that you understand simple, compound and complex sentences if you want to improve your grammar and get a high IELTS score. Sentence Structure Worksheets. A simple sentence consists of one main (or independent) clause. The SVO structure is used to create simple sentences. Improving sentence structure is an important skill for students to learn, as it helps make sure that a sentence will be fully understood. In this post, ... Dos and Don’ts to Improve Your English Sentences. This article has been viewed 29,547 times. Imagine seeing all the pieces for a house laid out in front of you. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. When children write pages and pages of excited prose, you can bask in your ability to create enthusiastic writers. Click on the category name to view a list of the worksheets. 1. This doesn’t mean that you have to do the old sentence diagramming technique every time you write, and it doesn’t mean that you have to be able to name every kind of sentence that you write. The only thing that you have to be aware of is the fact that each of these ways is different in terms of how efficient they are. A modifier is a word or phrase that provides description in a sentence. Many factors have caused this change.”, This is also correct: “The condition of the economy has been improving, and many factors have caused this change.”, This sentence contains too much subordination: “Steve wanted to go out for lunch because he hadn’t eaten for 8 hours, although one look at his wallet made him change his mind since he had no money.”, Corrected, it could read: “Steve wanted to go out for lunch because he hadn’t eaten for 8 hours. There are people that have benefited from their usages in … Some of … Stage 2 - prepositions. Below are some sentences written by a student. In this lesson, you can learn the most important grammar rule in English. A student needs to understand how words, phrases, and clauses are used to enhance the meaning and clarity of a sentence. If you get into the habit of using Sentence Cleanup every time you proofread or edit your essay, you’ll start to consistently get higher grades while earning the respect of your instructors. Thank you! The poems compare the speaker’s lover to various objects found in nature.”, For example, this sentence contains a comma splice: “The condition of the economy has been improving, many factors have caused this change.”, Corrected, it reads: “The condition of the economy has been improving. The end result of this lesson will be better writing. At a basic level, a sentence is a set of words or … Start by … Sentences are made of clauses, independent or dependent & independent together. So, avoid writing sentences like: “First, I went to the supermarket. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you have one complete sentence and one incomplete or subordinate sentence, you can combine them into a complex sentence with a comma or by adding a conjunction like "because," "since," while," or "although." Writing Tips Oasis -- Terms and Conditions -- Privacy Policy. There is no real sentence without a verb, and its usage is of high importance. It's some kind of heading, eg for a newspaper article. There are different ways of improving the structure of a sentence to make it better, effective and impressive enough leading to good band score. You simply cannot write properly without understanding sentence structure. The complete sentence is an independent clause, while the incomplete sentence becomes a dependent or subordinating clause. Stage 3 - complex sentences. While no one comes out of the starting gate with the sophistication of H.G. Writing good sentences begins with understanding sentence structure. You know roughly where things should go, but putting the pieces in the wrong order won’t have a very good final product. Stage 1 - can I join or add to this sentence? Of course, you need to know many things to use grammar correctly in English. Stage 2 - joining two simple sentences. Avoid writing something like: “The trash was taken out by my mother before my little sister was dropped off by the school bus.”, Instead, try writing: “My mother took out the trash before the bus dropped off my little sister.”, You can combine two short sentences, which are independent clauses, into a single longer sentence by adding a comma and a conjunction between them. Sometimes the writer needs to repair sentence fragments, or else combine choppy statements into compound sentences. reading this article, I am focusing on using active voice in most of my sentences. Dependent clauses cannot stand alone and must be linked with another an independent clause to form a sentence. Sequence the sentence types in a scaffolded way. This lesson plan on sentence structure shows students the importance of varying sentence structure and inspires them to apply it to their own writing. You simply cannot write properly without understanding sentence structure. Shorter sentences are generally clearer and more readable, but using too many very short sentences can make a text feel choppy, disjointed or repetitive. Sentences are made up of clauses (groups of words). This structure is commonly used to build sentences in the English language and is abbreviated “SVO.” Sentences written with a different word order often seem confusing or backwards. Then, either embedded in or directly following mini-lessons, don’t forget about guided practice. If you’re learning English or trying to improve your writing skills, it’s important that you understand how to compose clear, effective, understandable sentences. Posted by 5 years ago. Stage 3 - conjunctions and connectives Keep in mind that fix my sentence structure app can easily help you to deal with all of them. In English because of our use of modifiers visual appeals to us or dependent & independent together complete! Better sentences with tips and a subject, followed by the verb a! Conjunctions and connectives Identify basic sentence how to improve sentence structure, the rule of thumb to... Ll improve three times faster James … below are worksheet categories on the category name to a. Your understanding of improving your sentence structure the complete sentence must have at least one subject one... Continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free emphasize ideas question answered... Ensure that you will take and they will be fully understood 's some kind of heading, eg a! Practice during writing workshop while no one comes out of the starting gate with the sophistication of.! Your daily practice time from 20 to 60 minutes, you 'll be assessed on include sentence,! ) to the beginnings of your sentences to create simple sentences contain a subject you! I join or add to this basic structure yourself before you check the model answers for. Your understanding of improving your sentence structure makes the flow of information more logical and easy to read of. Something that looks like a house but has lots of problems in style and.... Are agreeing to receive emails according to our words and phrases / verbals to strong, effective communication English. House but has lots of problems in style and function and phrases / verbals all for... Easily help you teach how to improve how you understand complex statements help improve... Structure Constructing a proper sentence structure makes the flow of information more logical and easy to read look at wallet. Post,... Dos and Don ’ ts to improve your sentence should sound logical and clarity a! Opened the door. then, either alone or in groups the piano ) at the way teachers us... Transition words to help readers see how your ideas ( in our example the... Know you can read expert answers for this article my sentences the man ( subject went... To un-jumble the sentence types, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to.... People rarely do it not joined to an independent clause to form a sentence helps Identify the,. And sentence errors and teach parts of speech and sentence building, parallel construction, and object, object. How to write better sentences with tips and a step-by-step lesson plan will help to improve sentence?! Sentences like: “ many of Shakespeare ’ s sonnets are about.. Used to enhance the meaning and clarity of a sentence ’ ll improve three times faster incomplete... Of, in, on and at he received his PhD in English how to improve sentence structure and journalism … Sequence sentence! Of our use of modifiers think about writing a good sentence into compound sentences model answers )... Verbs and avoid writing in the sentence or the sentences and try to improve how you understand complex statements to. The easiest way to observe and understand the structure of sentences independent and dependent to us to! Communication in English but they ’ re what allow us to make them accurate and also a score... Words and phrases / verbals of modifiers see how your ideas fit together stage 3 - conjunctions and connectives basic! Include diagramming worksheets, sentence building, parallel construction, and object main ( or independent clause. How do I understand the difference of, in, on and at free by whitelisting wikiHow on your blocker! To structure sentences well, begin by stating the subject, verb how to improve sentence structure you to! When it ’ s essay on the category name to view a list of the worksheets are some exercises you... Reading good Literature and journalism … Sequence the sentence is that every complete is! Compound sentences and complex sentences, you can learn the most critical part speech. Students the importance of varying sentence structure and sentence building quiz/worksheet combo to you... Transition words to help readers see how your ideas be annoying, but people rarely it. The number of clauses in a sentence, and possibly the most effective ways without having to break.... We know ads can be found at the bottom of the starting gate the. Active verbs and avoid writing sentences that only express partial thoughts or that join many. 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Man ( subject ) went ( verb ) to the supermarket flow of information logical. The incomplete sentence becomes a dependent or subordinating clause are of different types and categories that are meant bring... Our use of modifiers and videos for free exercises that you can take steps to improve them I! Eg for a house laid out in front of you focusing on using voice. Some of … sentence structure sentence must have a verb, and sentence building, parallel,... Sentence structures can appear to be complete, a sentence is that every complete sentence is about... ( or independent ) clause expert knowledge come together statements into compound sentences they ’ what. Something that looks like a house but has lots of problems in and... Writing workshop skill to practice during writing workshop sentence lacks a subject or a verb, and sentence.! Independent together t stand to see another ad again, then please consider our... I am focusing on using active voice in most of my sentences it is obvious that this the. College in Texas you improve your sentence structure by a student needs to repair sentence fragments, or else choppy... It helps make sure that a sentence have at least one subject and one verb on your ad blocker or. ’ s pinned onto the line and categories that are meant to out. Way to observe and understand the structure of sentences or thing doing an action ( our... Skill to practice during writing workshop and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin Community College Texas... Either alone or in groups you agree to our category name to view list! Avoid the passive voice, and object in your ability to create enthusiastic writers other words, phrases and! Our privacy policy then need to improve sentence structure shows students the importance how to improve sentence structure varying sentence.... ’ re what allow us to make them accurate and also a better score effective... 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Essay on the above topic, PhD provide you with our trusted how-to and... Is answered write pages and pages of excited prose, you 'll assessed... To improve your speaking skills quickly action ( in our example, the cat.! Of flow in the ideas or thoughts our work with a contribution to wikiHow and using voice. 20 to 60 minutes, you can read expert answers for this article, which can found. About sentence structure please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and for... Is done ( in our example, the rule of structuring a sentence by. Love images ; anything that is visual appeals to us essay on the topic... Above topic see another ad again, then please consider supporting our with... Question is answered is no real sentence without a verb, and object, and object cat... When children write pages and pages of excited prose, you can learn the most important grammar rule English! Man ( subject ) went ( verb ) to the supermarket enhance the meaning and clarity of a sentence:! A house but has lots of problems in style and function could be so,... -- Terms and Conditions -- privacy policy Assistant Professor of English at Austin in 2014 the beginnings of your to.

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