By:

Linda J. Davis
Adapted from Sentence Starters used in Andrew Pudewas Institute
for Excellence in Writing based on Blended Structure Style in
Composition by James P. Webster
Edited by UWC Sta: Lisa Crawford, Lead Editor
( DBU University Writing Center)

 There are actually six dierent ways to

begin a sentence. A sentence can begin

with the following:
The subject
A prepositional phrase
An adverb
A present participle phrase
A past participle phrase
A dependant clause

 A sentence may begin with the subject:

These are the types of sentences that begin with

the, a, or a proper noun, like Rover.

The dog ran home.

The dog shivered outside the door.
Rover shook the water o his soaked fur.

 For added variety, begin a sentence with a prepositional

phrase.

Prepositions are words that connect nouns to the rest of

the sentence.

A prepositional phrase is comprised of a preposition and a

noun phrase

In the pouring rain, Rover ran home.

Outside the door, Rover shivered in the cold.
Before going up the steps, Rover shook o the excess water.
On the porch, Rover licked his wet fur.

 Also, try beginning a sentence with an adverb.

Adverbs are words that usually end in ly, and

adverbs that begin a sentence are adverbials.

Jauntily, the dog sloshed through the pouring rain.

Violently, Rover shivered in the cold outside the door.
Purposefully, Rover shook o the excess water before going up
the steps.
Carefully, Rover licked his wet fur on the porch.

 Varying sentence starters even further, a present

participle phrase may begin the sentence.

Present participles are words that end in -ing.

Running home quickly, the dog got soaked in the pouring rain.
Shivering violently, Rover stopped in front of the porch stairs.
Bounding up the steps, Rover shook out his water-logged coat.
Sitting on the porch, Rover licked his wet fur.

 Seasoned with past participle phrases, writing will

have more zing.

Past participles are words that end in -ed.

Soaked from the pouring rain, Rover ran quickly.
Aided by his canine instincts, he shook himself vigorously.
Determined to get quickly onto the porch, Rover climbed the
stairs in just one leap.
Seated on the covered porch at last, Rover licked his wet fur.

 When a sentence starts with a clause, the

paragraph will have interesting variations.

Dependent clauses have a subject and a verb,

but begin with an adverb.

Although Rover ran home quickly, he still got soaked in the

pouring rain.
While Rover shivered violently, he ran to the porch stairs.
As he climbed the steps, Rover shook out his water-logged coat.
After he sat on the porch, Rover licked his wet fur.

Here is a sample paragraph using one of each of the

starters. Can you nd them?

Quickly running home, Rover sloshed through the

pouring rain. Before going up the steps to the porch,
he shook the water o his soaked coat. Tiredly, he
plopped down on the porch and happily licked
himself dry. Finished with his romp in the rain, Rover
entered the warm house. Yawning, he settled
gratefully on the braided rug near the roaring re.