写作(句子)练习

Practice:

Combine the following pairs of simple sentences. Using a comma and a joining word(and, but, for, so) to connect each pair.

1. My son is studying computer science. My daughter is majoring in communication.

My son is studying computer science, but my daughter is majoring in communication.

2. We are watering the trees. We don’t have any rain for month.

We are watering the trees, for we don’t have any rain for month.

3. The children started arguing. I made them turn off the TV.

The children started arguing, so I made them turn off the TV.

4. At midnight my roommate closed her books. I studied until 2 A.M.

At midnight my roommate closed her books, but I studied until 2 A.M

5. We must plan our family budget carefully. The price of food has risen recently.

We must plan our family budget carefully, for the price of food has risen

recently

3. The complex sentence

A complex sentence is made up of a simple sentence ( a complete statement ) and a statement that begins with a dependent word.

A complex sentence is used when you want to emphasize one idea over another in a sentence. Here is an example of a complex sentence.

Because I forget the time, I missed the play.

Practice

1. Jack obtained a credit card. He began spending money carelessly.

When Jack obtained a credit card, he began spending money carelessly.

2. English is offered only in the morning. Chemistry can be taken at night.

English is offered only in the morning while Chemistry can be taken at night.

3. The house had been burglarized. Smith couldn’t sleep soundly for several

months.

After the house had been burglarized, Smith couldn’t sleep soundly for

several months.

4. His vision begins to fade. He knows he’d better get some rest.

When his vision begins to fade, he knows he’d better get some rest.

5. The storm hit the coast city. We crisscrossed our windows with strong tape.

Before the storm hit the coast city, we crisscrossed our window with strong

tape.

6. Richard counted the cash three times. The total still didn’t tally with the amount on the register tape (list).

Although Richard counted the cash three times, the total still didn’t tally with

the amount on the register tape.

Practice:

Combine each of the following groups of short sentences into the best long sentence you can write. Don’t change any of the key words and don’t leave out any information. As a example the first has been done in three ways.

The day was damp. The day was dismal. The day was cold. It was winter. The old man worked all day. He worked in the woods. He died on his way home.

a. The old man died on his way home from the woods, where he had worked all of a damp, dismal, and winter day.

b. After working all day in winter woods that were damp, dismal, and cold, the old man died on his way home.

c. On his way home from working in the woods on a damp, dismal and cold winter day, the old man died.

practice

1. It was nearly dark. A snowmobile appeared. The snowmobile was roaring, it was running without lights. It hit Mrs. Clifford.

It was nearly dark when a roaring snowmobile appeared, running without

lights, and hit Mrs. Clifford.

2. Louis eyed the perfume. She carried a purse. The purse was already open.

The clerk turned around. Louis put the perfume in her purse. The store manager told the judge that he saw all this happen.

The store manager told the judge that he saw Louis carry an open purse, eye

the perfume, and put it in her purse when the clerk turned around.

3. Peg entered the room. Lisa was in the room. Lisa lay on his couch. Lisa appeared to be asleep. Lisa’s hair was long. It nearly touched the floor. On Lisa’s stomach was her cat. Its name was Tikky.

When Peg entered the room, he found Lisa lying on his couch, appearing to

be asleep, whose long hair nearly touched the floor and on whose stomach

was her cat, Tikky.

1. The compound-complex sentence

The compound-complex sentence is made up of two (or more) simple sentences and one (or more) dependents. In the following examples, a solid line is under the dependent statement.

When the power line snapped, Jack was listening to the stereo, and Linda was reading in bed.

After I returned to school following a long illness, the math teacher gave me make-up work, but the history teacher made me drop her course.

Practice

Read through each sentence to get a sense of its overall meaning. Then insert a coordinating word

(and, or , but. for, or so ) and a subordinating word (because, since, when or although).

1. Since he had worked at the construction site all day, Tom decided not to meet his friend at the dinner, for he was too tired to think.

2. Because the projector broke for a second time, some people in the audience hissed, and others shouted for a refund.

3. Nothing could be done _before_ the river’s floodwater receded, _so_ the townspeople waited helplessly in the emergency shelter.

4. _Since_ you are sent damaged goods, the store must replace the items, or_ it must issue a full refund.

5. Sears had the outdoor grill I wanted, but the clerk wouldn’t sell it to me

because it was the food sample.

Practice

Use coordination or subordination to combine the groups of simple sentence into one or more longer sentence words. Keep in mind that, very often, the relationship among ideas in a sentence will be clearer when subordination rather than coordination us used.

Example:

My car is not starting on cold morning. I think the battery needs to be replaced. I already had it recharged once. I don’t think it would help to charge it again.

Because my car is not starting on cold morning, I think the battery needs to be replaced. I already had it recharged once, so I don’t think it would help to charge it again.

1. Gena had worn glasses for fifteen years. She decided to get contact lenses. She would be able to see better. She would look more glamorous.

2. Jack dialed the police emergency number. He received a busy signal. He dropped the phone and ran. He didn’t have time to call back.

3. The rain hit the hot pavement. Plumes of steam rose from the blacktop. Cars slowed to a crawl. The fog obscured the driver’s vision.

4. His car went through the automated car. Harry watched from the sidelines. Floppy brushes slapped the car’s doors. Sprays of water squirted onto the roof.

5. My car developed an annoying rattle. I took it to the service station. The mechanic looked under the hood. He couldn’t find what was wrong.

Answer:

1. Because Gena had worn glasses for fifteen years, She decided to get contact lenses, so she would be able to see better and look more glamorous.

2. Jack dialed the police emergency number but received a busy signal. so dropped the phone and ran as he didn’t have time to call back.

3. When the rain hit the hot pavement, plumes of steam rose from the blacktop. Cars slowed to a crawl as the fog obscured the driver’s vision.

4. When his car went through the automated car-wash, Harry watched from the sidelines. Floppy brushes slapped the car’s doors and sprays of water squirted onto the roof.

5. My car developed an annoying rattle, so I took it to the service station. The mechanic looked under the hood, but he couldn’t find what was wrong.

Practice

A. Change the following sentences into simple sentences with coordinating structures

1. On his way up the hill Jack fell down. He hurt his hands and knees.

On his way up the hill, Jack fell down and hurt

2. Jack worked in the factory. Tony also worked in the factory.

(Both) Jack and Tony worked in the factory

3. You will have to finish this book. Or you will have to finish that one.

You will have to finish either this book or that one

4. He failed to come not because of his illness. He did not come because of his laziness.

He failed to come not because of his illness but because of his laziness

5. The boy does not smoke. He does drink alcohol. He does not idle away his time.

The boy does not smoke, nor drink alcohol, nor idle away his time

B. Change the following sentences into compound sentences

1. The boys did not go out. It was snowing hard.

The boys …, for it …

2. They could not make a ship without my help. They came to me.

They could not …, so they came to me.

3. Mr. Frank does not love the environment. He is not accustomed to the weather either.

Mr. Frank neither loves the environment, nor is he accustomed to the

Weather.

4. Tom began to mop the floor. Dick began to mop it too.

Tom began to mop the floor, so did Dick.

5. Gas is a substance with no definite volume. It is a substance with no definite shape.

Gas is not a substance with definite volume, nor is it a substance with definite

shape.

C. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with nominal clauses

1. Has he made an error? He is anxious to know it himself.

He himself is anxious to know whether he has made an error.

2. You have taken an active part in the concert. This is good news to me. It give me much pleasure.

It is good news to me and gives me much pleasure that you have taken an

active part in the concert

3. A peculiarity of English is its having many borrowed words.

A peculiarity of English is that it has many borrowed words

4. We can not yet tell where and when to go.

We can not yet tell where and when we shall go

5. I will give this to anyone in want of it.

I will give this to whoever wants it

A. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with attributive clauses

1. A tree stands on the top of the mountain. A strange story happened there.

A tree stands on the top of the mountain where a strange story happened

2. We should also attach importance to local industries. They play an important role in the manufacture of goods for home consumption.

We should also attach importance to local industries, which play an

important role in the manufacture of goods for home consumption

3. A few students haven’t realized the value of the book. They still don’t agree to use the book as their textbook.

A few students haven’t realized the book, which they still don’t agree to use

as their textbook

B. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with

adverbial clause.

1. She is hard-working. The other students are not equally hard-working.

She is more hard-working than the other students

2. It may rain. It may not rain. We’ll start on time in either case.

We shall start on time, whether it rains or not

3. I may live long. During my life time I will remember it.

I will remember it as long as I live

4. He was disabled. He tried his best to do what he could for the people.

Disabled though he was, he tried his best to do what he could for the people

C. Change the following sentences into simple sentences

1. Mr. Smith is not a man who gets angry so easily.

Mr. Smith is not a man to get angry so easily

2. It was believed to that he had already read the book.

He was believed to have already read the book

3. Mary is a weak girl whom we should help.

Mary is a weak girl to be helped by us

4. The ground was covered with leaves that had fallen.

The ground was covered with fallen leaves

5. She became tired of my complaints about the program. She turned off the

wireless.

Becoming tired of my complaints about the program, she turned off the

wireless. Entering the room suddenly, he found the boys smoking

6. The father entered the room suddenly. He found the boys smoking.

Entering the room suddenly, he found the boys smoking

7. I sat in the front row. I was equipped with a pair of binoculars. I saw everything

beautiful.

Sitting in the front row and equipped with a pair of binoculars, I saw

everything beautiful

A. Change the following sentences into simple sentences with coordinating structures

He failed to come not because of his illness. He did not come because of his laziness.

B. Change the following sentences into compound sentences

Gas is a substance with no definite volume. It is a substance with no definite shape.

C. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with nominal clauses

You have taken an active part in the concert. This is good news to me. It give me much pleasure.

D. Change the following sentences into a complete sentence with an attributive clause

The peasant farmers still work in the ancient ways of their ancestors.

The peasant farmers till the Nile Delta.

E. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with adverbial clause.

1. I may live long. During my life time. I will remember it.

2. He was disabled. He tried his best to do what he could for the people.

F. Change the following sentences into complex sentences with appositives clause.

Sharks are streamline swimmers and bloodhounds of the sea.

Sharks are equipped with an extraordinary sense of smell.

G. Change the following sentences into a sentence with an absolute structure.

His homework was done.

His English composition was written.

Larry decided to go for a good rest.

H. Change the following sentences into simple sentences

1. Mary is a weak girl whom we should help.

2. The father entered the room suddenly. He found the boys smoking.