Writers use sentences to make statements, ask questions, give directions, and express emotion. Well-written sentences permit clear communication, while poorly written sentences block understanding.
Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had now pushed through the morning mists. The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day's sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.
—from "The Most Dangerous Game" written by Richard Connell
The sentences vary in length and type to create an interesting paragraph.
A declarative sentence states an idea and ends with a period.
Water freezes at 0° C.
An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark.
What is the longest day of the year?
An imperative sentence gives an order or a direction and ends with a period or an exclamation mark.
Abandon ship!
Please close the window.
An exclamatory sentence conveys strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark.
How wrong you are!
Short sentences can be combined by using compound subjects or verbs, phrase modifiers, compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences.
Varying the length and form of sentences can make your writing more interesting. Short sentences can be expanded by adding details or by combining with other sentences. Long, involved sentences can be broken into shorter, simpler sentences.
A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought but is punctuated as if it were a sentence.
Because we missed the train.
The boy wearing the green shirt.
A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences that are not properly joined or separated. They are not separated by an end mark, or they are joined only by a comma.
The coals are ready now we can begin cooking.
The lettuce is thriving, the broccoli plants are straggly.
A modifier should be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies. A misplaced modifier appears to modify the wrong word in a sentence.
Misplaced – We found an old olive grove hiking up the mountain. (seems to modify grove)
Corrected – Hiking up the mountain, we found an old olive grove. (clearly modifies We)
A dangling modifier seems to modify the wrong word or no word at all because the word it should logically modify is missing.
Dangling – Flying over the Alps, the view was breathtaking. (Who is flying?)
Corrected – Flying over the Alps, we found the view breathtaking. (We are flying.)
