Eleven Ways to Expand Sentences
I. Combine Sentences: combine two ideas of equal importance into one sentence.
Example: John ate pizza. Joe ate lasagna. → John ate pizza and Joe ate lasagna.
2. Appositive Phrases: Use noun clauses that rename a noun to diversify sentences
Example: The teacher is a rock climber. She scaled Mount Everest. The teacher, a
rock climber, scaled Mount Everest.
3. Relative Pronouns: Rename the now with the use of who, which, that, etc.
Example: Michael Jordan was a basketball player. He won many NBA
championships. → Michael Jordan, who was a basketball player, won many NBA
championships.
4. Complex sentences: Combine two ideas of unequal importance
Example: The sun was shining. We stayed inside and played video games. → Even
though the sun was shining, we stayed inside and played video games.
5. Gerunds: -ing phrases that act as nouns
Example: Wakeboarding recklessly can cause serious injury.
6. Prepositional Phrases: start some sentences with prepositions to bring variety into
sentence structure
Example: After the chapel program, the students ate in the cafeteria
Example: During the speech, the classmate laughed and caused a disturbance
7. Participial Phrases: Verb phrases that describe nouns
Example: Running quickly, the woman regained her shopping cart.
Example: Speaking eloquently, the teacher was able to keep the class's attention.
8. Infinitive Phrases: « to » + verb
Example: To understand the homework the student went to extra help.
9. Adverbs: end in -ly, modify verbs
Example: He suddenly fell when the hillside gave way.
Example: She hurriedly ate so that she wouldn't be late for class.
10. Dependent Clauses: rearrange subordinate clauses to create complexity
Example: You can watch TV after you finish your homework. → After you finish
your homework, you can watch TV.
11. Transitions: words that make it easier to move from one sentence to another.
Example: Then
Next
Consequently
As a result
Therefore
Meanwhile
In contrast
Original source: “Sentence Types by Landmark College Writing Center”