Sentence Combining
For several reasons, it is good to practice combining short sentences into longer ones. In longer sentences it is possible to express more information in fewer words, to show the logical relations between clauses, and to put the emphasis where you want it (because the main clause receives more focus than the rest of the sentence). In the following examples the main clauses are highlighted.
1.
Noriko is Japanese.
She is 40.
She feels lucky to be
studying at an American community college.
Students
of all
ages study together at American community
colleges.
2.
A 40-year-old Japanese woman, Noriko
feels lucky to
be studying at an American community
college, where
students of all ages study together.
3.
Because students of all ages study together at an American
community college, Noriko, a
40-year-old Japanese
woman,
feels lucky to be attending one.
4.
Students of all ages study together at
the community
college that Noriko, a
40-year-old Japanese woman,
goes to.
If you have trouble with run-on sentences, you should consider whether the clauses should be combined before using a period to solve the problem:
5.
*Noriko feels lucky to be attending an American
community
college, students of all ages are
welcome.
(run-on)
possible:
Noriko feels lucky to be attending and American
community college. Students
of all ages are
welcome. (corrected with period)
better: Noriko feels lucky to be attending an American
community college because
students of all ages
are welcome. (corrected by combining)
As you can see from these examples, there are many ways to combine
clauses. We have studied many of these ways in class,
but there are also many we have not practiced. The links below will show
you a number of ways to combine sentences and provide exercises.
Links:
sentence
combining
09/19/2007