Sentence Openings
The cat jumped onto the chair.
Subject (most common way)
The hallway was silent.
The hallway echoed with silence.
- The teacher handed out the test.
- The test was about prepositions.
- The test was a surprise.
- The students were not prepared.
- The teacher handed out the surprise test
about prepositions to the unprepared
students.
- The teacher handed out the surprise
prepositions test, and the students were
not prepared.
The very big, scary, loud dog barked loudly.
The enormous dog barked.
In the morning, the cat stretched lazily
Prepositional phrase
The students were excited.
The students buzzed with excitement.
- The student was anxious.
- The student was waiting.
- The student checked the time on her
Chromebook.
- It was already 4:00 p.m.
- The test scores were supposed to be released at
3:30 p.m..
- Anxiously waiting, the student checked the time
on their Chromebook. The test scores were
supposed to published at 3:30, and it was already
4:00 p.m.
- The student anxiously checked the time on their
Chromebook. It was already 4:00, and the results
were supposed to be posted at 3:30.
She ran really fast down the extremely long, windy road.
She sprinted down the winding road.
Stretching its legs, the cat leapt onto the table.
-ing verb / action phrase
The student said that she was ready for the weekend.
The student shouted that she was ready for the weekend.
- The power went out.
- It was the middle of the night.
- There was a storm.
- It was a thunder storm.
- There was a thunderstorm in the middle
of the night and the power went out.
- In the middle of the night, the power
went out because of a thunderstorm.
I ate a really delicious, sweet, yummy cake.
I devoured a rich, chocolate cake.
Quietly, the cat tiptoed across the room
Adverb / Adverbial Phrase
The students went to Town Hall.
The students dashed to Town Hall.
- She practiced all summer.
- She practiced in the evenings.
- She wanted to be the best golfer.
- She wanted to win the state
championship.
- She wanted to be the best golfer and win
the state championship, so she practiced in
the evenings all summer.
- She practiced in the evenings in the summer
because she wanted to win the state
championship and be the best golfer.
The small, tiny, little bird sang very sweetly in the tree.
The little bird sang sweetly in the tree.
Because she was hungry, the cat meowed loudly.
Dependent Clause
The student ate a snack after PE.
The student devoured a snack after PE.
- A scuba diver dove into the water.
- He jumped from a boat.
- He was looking for exotic fish.
- He was looking for coral.
- He took an underwater camera with
him.
- Looking for exotic fish and coral, the diver jumped from the boat into the water while carrying an underwater camera.
It was so very cold, and the student felt the icy, windy air brush against his face.
It was frigid, and the student felt the icy wind brush against his face.