Improve your writing skills

Learning objective: To learn to use a variety of sentence openers to make our writing more interesting

Improve your writing skillsClick on the player to listen to some advice.

STRUCTURING SENTENCES

Using a variety of sentence openers to make your writing more interesting.

One of the most common ways to start a sentence is to begin with the thing being described as subject(first word). So we start with the..., or she/he/it..., followed by the verb (action).

Eg: The lanky, unkempt fellow slinked down the canal path...Check out any vocabulary you dont understandThis way of structuring the sentence can get a bit boring...The car was very fast.It (the car again) drove around the corner before spinning out.Its passenger was saved by the seatbelt as the cars brakes failed and it rolled onto the pavement. The passenger managed to force open the door and crawl onto a grassy strip out of danger.

Lets return to our example before :Did you check out the vocabulary ?

The lanky, unkempt fellow slinked down the canal path...

Lanky and unkempt = adjectivesFellow = young manTo slink = to walk unobtrusively (do you know the character SLINKY in Toy Story ?)

SlinkyThis helps to give you an idea of the movement.

Use an ly (adverb) opening word:Unsteadily, the lanky, unkempt fellow slinked down the alleyway...Other examples of adverbsListen to the recording and write yourself a list :

Open your sentence with words indicating location:Along the canal towpath , the lanky, unkempt fellow ambled slowly...Start the sentence using a word ending in ing:Ambling along the canal tow path, the intoxicated thief spied his victim...Drop in clause or comma sandwich:The inebriated man, who was lanky and unkempt, stumbled along the canal towpath...Use a variety of sentence lengths, from short and punchy, to more complex:She froze.They waited.He fell to the ground, with a thud.Use although, or despite as a sentence starter:Although he was intoxicated, the thief managed to escape through the deserted canal towpaths which criss-crossed the city...Despite his intoxicated state, the thief was able to escape through the deserted canal towpaths...

Open using a word ending in ed:Terrified, the girl darted out of the path of her pursuer...Use a simile:The mugger approached his target like a stealthy cat stalking its prey...

The pickpocket moved as smoothly as a sea snake glides through the water...What is a simile ?Listen for definition of a simile and some examples you can use in your writing :

Similes activity

Use alliteration:Ragged, rough and rank, the criminal closed in on the student walking alone down the alley...Use sentences of three, for impact:She staggered home, yanked off her painful shoes, and made a cup of tea...Speech, followed by action with an ing clause:Help me!, he screamed, tripping on the slimy cobblestones..

Use time: including time of day, season, and temperature:At 6pm on an icy winter evening...Start with a name:Detective Marshall didnt believe a word of the devious criminals story...Start with a question:Are you sure its safe to walk by the canal tonight? asked his anxious girlfriend.Start with a wish:Why couldnt he be lying safely wrapped in his fluffy duvet instead of here bleeding into the slush and snow...Describe the scene:On the edge of town stood a derelict building that no one ever dared enter...Introduce a new character:Her name was Morwenna and everyone realised there was something mysterious about her right from the beginning...

Begin a sentence with dramatic action:The gun fired as the bank robber leapt through the window in escape...Conclusions

intro fileJenny LgernullBlues34455.703file n4Jenny LEGERnullBlues21812.275egs of adverbsJenny LEGERnullBlues7314.3066although and despiteJenny LEGERnullBlues22857.197similesJenny LEGERnullBlues124660.68conclusionsJenny LEGERnullBlues57520.63