Varying Sentence Openers
Evaluate the sentence structures in any piece of published writing—from novels to news articles—and you're sure to notice one thing: sentence variety is the key to writing that flows gracefully from one sentence to the next. If you structure all the sentences in a paragraph the same way, subject followed by verb followed by direct object, for example, your paragraph will sound boring and repetitive. Altering the way in which your own sentences begin is one way to introduce sentence variety and improve the flow of your writing. Some of the ways to vary your sentence openers are listed below.
- Start with adjectives or adverbs.
- Deep green, shiny, and clear, the emerald sparkled in the jeweler's case. (adjectives)
- Loudly and insistently, my mother called me to dinner. (adverbs)
- Start with a prepositional phrase.
- During rush hour, I avoid the freeway.
- Start with a participle or participial phrase.
- Shouting his dog's name, Ross headed for the park. (present participial phrase)
- Cooked to perfection, my father's meal beckoned us to eat. (past participial phrase)
- Start with an absolute phrase.
- All things considered, it was a good day.
You can also use more than one of these options, as in the following example:
Quickly, without fanfare, Eliot handed out the gifts. (adverb + prepositional phrase)
