Tutorial: Combining Sentences

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Combining Sentences

Here are some instructions and examples on sentence combining.
Assume you have a list of short sentences.

• First, read over the list of sentences aloud to hear them.
• Begin putting the sentences together into one.
• Omit the numbers of the individual sentences.
• Add words as needed.
• Re-arrange them if you want to.
• Create a longer sentence.
• Read over what you have written to make sure it makes sense
• Read over what you have written again aloud to “hear” the rhythm. Do you need to make any changes?
• Edit carefully for spelling and punctuation.

Here is an example of the list of sentences. Read over the sentences. Then read the two different ways you could write the paragraph, using these short sentences.

I watch waves. The waves punch spray, The spray hits seagulls. The sunlight in Capitola warms me. I sit on a bench. The bench is splintery. The bench is wooden. There is a bronze plaque. It is on the backrest. It says something. “To the memory of (somebody). “He died so young.”

I do math. The math is quick. He was 22 years old. I wonder. Did he drown? Was the drowning by surfing? Was he hit by something Was the thing a car? Was he eaten? Was the eating by a whale? Was he the loser? Was the loss from a shark fest?

In the following example of combining the above sentences, the numbers refer to the above 'short' sentences to help you see the patterns.

I watch waves punch spray, hitting seagulls (1,2,3). The sunlight in Capitola warms me as I sit on a splintery wooden bench (4,5,6,7). I watch waves punch spray, hitting seagulls (1,2,3). A bronze plaque on the backrest says: “To the memory of (somebody) (8,9,11). He died so young.” I do some quick math (13,14). He was 22 years old. I wonder if he drowned surfing or if a car hit him (17,18,19,20). Did a whale eat him or was he the loser of a shark fest (22,23,24)?

or you could write this one:

Watching waves punch spray and hit seagulls, I sit on a splintery wooden bench. The sunlight in Capitola warms me. A bronze plaque on the backrest of the bench says: “To the memory of (somebody). He died so young.” When I do some quick math, I find that he was 22 years old. I wonder. Did he drown surfing or did a car hit him? Maybe a whale ate him. Even worse, was he the loser of a shark fest?

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Here is another example called the SUSQUEHANNA story . Read the ten sentences aloud. Then read the two sentence paragraph you could write, by combining these short sentences.

1. The Susquehanna is broad
2. The Susquehanna is slow.
3. The Susquehanna rolls.
4. The Susquehanna is a river.
5. The Susquehanna cuts across Pennsylvania.
6. It cuts like a string slices a block of cheese.
7. It runs through central farm fields.
8. It runs by Duncannon.
9. It runs by Harrisburg.
10. It runs by Liverpool.

The Susquehanna River, a broad, slow rolling cuts across Pennsylvania like a string slices a block of cheese. It runs through central farm fields, by Duncannon, Harrisburg, and Liverpool.

Notice that we now have only two combined sentences instead of 10 sentences. Notice that we have omitted the numbers, so it reads more like a story.

 

 

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