A System for Writing Complex Sentences

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Masterpiece Sentences

• A System for Writing Complex Sentences

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What is the difference between this
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and this ?
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Or This ?
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Details !
AND
Elaboration !
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What is the difference between this,
The cat slept in the basket.
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And this ?
After a huge dinner of fish and milk, the cat
slept soundly in a large wicker basket, filled
with soft pillows.
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Details !
AND
Elaboration !
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By adding detail and elaborating you can turn a
simple sentence into a
Masterpiece
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Step One
Identify your simple subject and simple
predicate.
The birds
flew in the sky.
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Step Two
Paint your Predicate
This means to tell more about what happened using
phrases and/or adverbs.
How? (with wings outstretched, swiftly)
When? (at sunset)
Where? (over the waves)
The birds flew with wings outstretched at sunset
over the waves.
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Step Three
Move the Predicate Painters
Make the sentence sound right by moving the
painters to different parts of the sentence.
The birds flew over the waves with wings
outstretched at sunset.
Over the waves at sunset, the birds flew with
wings outstretched.
With wings outstretched, the birds flew over the
waves at sunset.
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Step Four
Paint your Subject
Tell more about your subject by describing it
using adjectives, phrases, and clauses.
What kind of? giant, white, singing
How many? Some, thousands, many, several
Which? those, that emerged from the clouds
At sunset,with wings outstretched, a thousand
giant white birds that emerged from the clouds
flew over the waves.
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Step Five
Paint your Words
Replace ordinary words with precise, descriptive
words. Strengthen subject and predicate as well
as subject and predicate painters.
Birds sea gulls, eagles
Flew soared, floated
Over above, on top of
Waves thundering tide, crashing surf
At sunset, with wings outstretched, a thousand
giant white sea gulls that emerged from the
clouds soared above the thundering tide.
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Step Six
Finishing Touches
Move sentence parts around to find the best fit.
Refine your wording one last time.The final
sentence should be pleasing to your ear !
At sunset, a thousand giant white sea gulls burst
through the clouds with wings outstretched and
soared above the thundering tide.
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Masterpiece Sentences Made Easy
Create complex sentences by asking how, when,
where, which, what kind, and how many.
Use the answers to elaborate and add detail to
each sentence.
Refine your sentence by using descriptive words.
Move parts of the sentence around until it sounds
right.