6.12: Using Sentence Variety
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What is sentence variety?
Beyond individual word choices, the structure of your sentences also affects writing style. In this section, we will examine different sentence types. We will look at how sentence variety can contribute to interesting, effective writing and good academic style and how specific structures can highlight the relationships between ideas.
Sometimes a simple sentence gets an idea across best. In academic writing, however, writers often join their ideas to create compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences using coordination and subordination. This variety not only makes writing more lively and interesting, it also clarifies relationships between ideas. In agriculture, growing plants with different varieties, like the corn in figure 6.11.1, makes a crop more healthy and adaptable. Mixing up the types of sentence structures you use can do the same for your writing. We will look at four types of sentences: simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences.
Simple sentences
A simple sentence is made up of one independent clause. An independent clause has, minimally, a subject and a verb. It can also contain other elements that may be needed to express a complete thought.
Example: California is one of the world’s leading almond producers.
Read this excerpt from Amanda’s essay. Does anything stand out to you? What do you notice about the words and phrases Amanda uses?
The lack of accessibility and affordability may obstruct people of lower socioeconomic status. These places are called food deserts. People who live in food deserts cannot access healthy food. There are existing resources that they can make good use of to improve this situation. These resources include food hubs and community gardens.
Now, look at the revised version. What do you notice? Which version do you prefer? Why?
Although the lack of accessibility and affordability may obstruct people of lower socioeconomic status who live in food deserts access to healthy food, they can make good use of existing resources such as food hubs and community gardens to improve this situation.
The original excerpt was written using only simple sentences. Writing that contains mostly simple sentences can be repetitive and a bit boring. Additionally, simple sentences may lack transitions that can clarify the relationship between ideas.
Compound sentences (coordination)
A compound sentence, which is an example of coordination, is made up of two independent clauses, connected in some way. Coordination joins two independent clauses that contain related ideas of equal importance.
Original sentences: California is one of the world’s leading almond producers. Each year California exports many of its almonds.
In their current form, these two simple sentences contain two separate ideas that may or may not be related. To indicate a relationship between the two ideas, we can use the coordinating conjunction and:
Revised sentence: California is one of the world’s leading almond producers, and each year California exports many of its almonds.
The revised sentence illustrates that the two ideas are connected. Notice that the sentence retains two independent clauses (California is one of the world’s leading almond producers; each year California exports many of its almonds) because each can stand alone as a complete idea. However, the connecting word, and, shows that the second part of the sentence is an addition to the first.
Connecting independent clauses
Coordinating conjunctions
A coordinating conjunction is a word that joins two independent clauses. The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. These can be memorized by the acronym FANBOYS. Note that To punctuate these types of sentences, a comma precedes the coordinating conjunction when joining two clauses but not when joining a phrase (such as in this sentence).
Transitions
Another method of joining two independent clauses with related and equal ideas is to use a semicolon and a transition. The punctuation of a transition varies depending upon where in the sentence the adverb word appears. Once joined, the following sentences show cause and effect.
Original sentences: There was a shortage of PPE in 2020. Farmworkers did not have access to important protective equipment.
Since these sentences contain two equal and related ideas, they may be joined using a transition. Now, read the revised sentence:
Revised sentence: There was a shortage of PPE in 2020; as a result, farmworkers did not have access to important protective equipment.
The revised sentence explains the relationship between the shortage of personal protective equipment and its effect on farmworkers. Notice that the transition comes after a semicolon that separates the two clauses and is followed by a comma. In your Language Toolkit, you will find a list of common transitions and how they are used.
Complex sentences (subordination)
A complex sentence, which is an example of subordination, is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. A dependent clause is a sentence that contains a subject and verb but is not a complete thought. It is also called a subordinate clause. Unlike coordination, which allows a writer to give equal weight to the two ideas that are being combined, subordination enables a writer to emphasize one idea over the other. Typically, the idea being emphasized is located in the independent clause. Take a look at the following sentences:
Original sentences: California is one of the world’s leading almond producers. It is dry for much of the year.
To illustrate that these two ideas are related, we can rewrite them as a single sentence using the subordinating conjunction although.
Revised sentence: California is one of the world’s leading almond producers although the state is dry for much of the year.
In the revised version, we now have an independent clause (California is one of the world’s leading almond producers) that stands as a complete sentence and a dependent clause (although the state is dry for much of the year) that is subordinate to the main clause. The revised sentence emphasizes that demand for water is increasing because this information is contained in the part of the sentence that is the independent clause.
Connecting an independent clause with a dependent clause
Subordinating conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction is a word that joins a subordinate (dependent) clause to a main (independent) clause. Subordinating conjunctions include words like although, even though, since, because, and when. In your Language Toolkit, you will find a list of common subordinating conjunctions.
Punctuation
To punctuate sentences correctly, look at the position of the independent, or main clause and the dependent, or subordinate clause. If a dependent clause comes before the independent clause, use a comma between the two clauses. If the dependent clause follows the independent clause, no punctuation is needed.
Compound-complex sentences (coordination and subordination)
A compound-complex sentence is made up of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. In compound-complex sentences, writers use a combination of coordination and subordination.
Examples:
- Although it is dry for much of the year, California is one of the world’s leading almond producers; each year, it supplies about 80% of the world’s almonds.
- Because the Unites States was unprepared for a pandemic, there was a shortage of PPE in 2020; as a result, farmworkers did not have access to important protective equipment.
Varying your sentence types
Writers use a variety of sentences with different lengths and rhythms to achieve different effects. They use parallel structures within sentences and paragraphs to reflect parallel ideas, but also avoid monotony by varying their sentence structures. For example, a writer may consciously use a very short sentence in a paragraph to emphasize and draw attention to a particular idea. When you revise a piece of writing, consider the patterns of your sentences.
- Are they mostly simple sentences?
- Are they mostly compound?
- Or are the sentences varied in pattern?
Sentence variety can help maintain your readers’ interest.
Identifying sentence variety
Now let's look at the student essay in terms of sentence variety:
Read this paragraph from Amanda’s essay.
- Count the number of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences you find. Is there a balance, or does Alicia use one type of sentence more than others?
- Experiment with this paragraph by changing the structure of one or two sentences. For example, you could combine two simple sentences, adding a subordinating conjunction, to create a complex sentence.
The goal of City Slicker Farms is “to empower West Oakland community members to meet the basic need for fresh, healthy food by creating sustainable, high-yield urban farms and backyard gardens'' (para 1). Residents receive plots of land to plant vegetables and fruits. Residents are also encouraged to exchange and discuss their gardening experiences at the farm. If residents can make good use of food hubs or community gardens, they can access healthy food and learn how to grow fresh vegetables and fruits themselves. The earlier case study showed that the difficulties people of lower socioeconomic status who live in food deserts face in accessing healthy food are lower income and a lack of supermarkets. These factors may not be easy to change. However, recognizing the situation and making good use of existing resources to access healthy food are significant, feasible steps.
Revising for sentence variety
Now let's apply this to your writing:
Apply this!
Take a piece of writing you are working on and read it over.
- Count the number of simple, compound sentences, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Is there a balance? Are there noticeably more sentences of a certain type?
- Experiment with changing the structure of your sentences. Think about what ideas you want to emphasize, and make sure your sentences are helping you do this work.
Licenses and Attributions
CC Licensed Content: Original
Authored by Clara Hodges Zimmerman, Porterville College. License: CC BY NC.
Sample paragraphs on food deserts are adapted from "Accessibility and Affordability of Healthy Food Dependent Upon Socioeconomic Status" by Amanda Wu.
CC Licensed Content: Previously published
"What is sentence variety?", "Four types of sentences", "Simple sentences," and "Compound sentences (coordination)" is adapted from 11.7: "Coordination and Subordination" in Athena Kashyap and Erika Dyquisto's text Writing, Reading, and College Success: A First-Year Composition Course for All Learners. License: CC BY SA.
Additional text from "Connecting independent clauses" to "Varying your sentence types" is adapted from 7.4 "Revision Stage 3: Sentences, Words, Format" in Athena Kashyap and Erika Dyquisto's text Writing, Reading, and College Success: A First-Year Composition Course for All Learners. License: CC BY SA.