Writing Complex Sentences

Handy Dandy Sentence Formulas

What are Handy Dandy Sentences?

Handy Dandy Sentences are formulas for creating complex sentences. You can use these complex sentences in your essays to help your ideas flow naturally.

Learning Objectives: Organize and express your ideas in simple,

compound, and complex sentences. Write a variety of sentence types that

reflect the relationships of the ideas you are trying to express.

Subordinating Conjunction Sentences

A Subordinating conjunction comes at the beginning of a Subordinate (or Dependent) Clause and establishes the relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the sentence. It also turns the clause into something that depends on the rest of the sentence for its meaning.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions after

althoughasas ifas long asas thoughbecausebeforeeven ifeven though

ifif onlyin order thatnow that

oncerather thansinceso thatthanthoughtillunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhile

Subordinating Conjunction Sentence Formula

Subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Subordinating Conjunction Examples:

Because the football game begins at 7:00 PM, we need to leave by 6:30.

If Emily applies gets accepted to Stanford, she will need to apply for financial aid.

Until the electric company receives the check, they will be sitting in the dark.

You Try It

Subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause

Begin your sentence with: If I had left ten minutes earlier, … Please share your answers with a

partner.

ED / Past Tense Verb Sentences

These past tense verbs usually end with an ‘ed’, but sometimes they change form. The verbs are usually followed by the words “by” or “as”.

Common Past Tense Verbs Accepted Approached Assisted Based Created Dressed Helped Inspired Jostled Kept Loved Moved

Manipulated Needed Noticed Officiated Organized Proven Puzzled Questioned Rushed Understood Verified Victimized

Past Tense Verb Sentence Formula

Past tense verb at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause

Past Tense Verb Examples

Loved by millions, the Harry Potter books continue to be best sellers.

Organized by the Leos club, the canned food drive helps hundreds of families every year.

Inspired by a true story, Titanic was the most popular movie of 1997.

You Try It

Sentence Formula Past tense verb at the beginning of a

clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Begin your past tense verb sentence with Based on my observations, …

Share your answers with a partner.

“Ing” Sentences

These sentences begin with words ending in “ing.”

Common “Ing” Words Addressing Begging Creating Disputing Encouraging Guessing Fidgeting Helping Instigating Inspiring

Joking Keeping Loosing Moving Noticing Offering Providing Remembering Questioning Underestimating

“Ing” Sentence Formula

“Ing” word at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Examples of “Ing” Sentences

Disputing the referee’s call, the coach asked to review the tape.

Keeping his best friend’s secret, Andrew lied about Kyle’s actual whereabouts.

Noticing the grey clouds, my grandmother insisted we bring an umbrella.

You Try It

Sentence Formula “Ing” word at the beginning of a

clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Begin your sentence with Hoping for good news,…

Share your sentence with a partner.

Ly/ Adverb Sentences

These sentences begin with words ending in “ly”

Common Ly Adverbs Quickly Softly Loudly Boisterously Enthusiastically Idealistically Exclusively Inevitably Inexcusably Leisurely

Madly Mistakenly Accurately Humbly Passionately Faithfully Outrageously Peacefully Poorly Randomly Surprisingly

Ly/Adverb Sentence Formula

“Ly” word at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Examples of Ly/Adverb Sentences

Poorly prepared, Josh reluctantly took his driving test.

Randomly chosen, six students in the class will read their research papers aloud.

Carelessly rummaging in the closet, Debbie created a huge mess.

You Try It

“Ly” word at the beginning of a clause + Comma + Independent Clause + Period

Begin your sentence with Inexcusably late, …

Share your sentence with a partner.

Appositives

Sentence Formula The subject + Comma + a noun

phrase that describes the subject + Comma + the predicate + Period

Examples of Appositives Barack Obama, the newly elected president

of the United States, was born in Hawaii William Shakespeare, the most famous of

all English authors, died on April 23, 1616. Whittier, a city located 12 miles from

downtown Los Angeles, was founded by a Spanish soldier named Manuel Nieto in 1784.

You Try It

Sentence Formula The subject + Comma + a noun

phrase that describes the subject + Comma + the predicate

Start your sentence with Pioneer High School, …, …

Review of the Five Types of Handy Dandy Sentences Subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a

clause + Comma + Independent Clause Past tense verb at the beginning of a clause +

Comma + Independent Clause “Ing” word at the beginning of a clause + Comma

+ Independent Clause “Ly” word at the beginning of a clause + Comma +

Independent Clause The subject + Comma + a noun phrase that

describes the subject + Comma + the predicate

Handy Dandy Sentence Quiz

Directions: Copy over each of the sentences. Punctuate them correctly. Finally, identify them as SC

(subordinating conjunction), ED (past tense verb), ING, LY (adverb) or AP (appositive).

Handy Dandy Sentence Quiz 1. Albert Einstein one of the world’s most famous

physicists received his doctorate from the University of Zurich.

2. Before applying for a college visit the campus. 3. Unexpectedly orphaned last year Anthony had to

work nearly 30 hours a week while still enrolled in high school.

4. Dancing for fifty-three hours straight Ginger and Roger raised thousands of dollars for charity.

5. Elected president of South Africa in 1994 Nelson Mandela helped reconcile the differences between the white and black communities.

Remember, punctuate each correctly and label them one ofthe following: SC, ED, ING, LY, AP