Sometimes you may unnecessarily repeat a word or group of words in a sentence. You can eliminate the repeated material and incorporate the remaining ideas into the main sentence.
Adding Single Words
Sometimes you can delete all but a single word in a sentence and move this word, with no change in spelling, to another sentence.
You may be able to add several single words, and thus combine several sentences, in this manner.
Sometimes you may want to join the words you have incorporated into the sentence with and.
Punctuation Note: Often you will have to use a comma when you add more than one word to a sentence without using a conjunction.
- The crew prepared to leave the ship. It was sinking.
- The crew prepared to leave the sinking ship.
You may be able to add several single words, and thus combine several sentences, in this manner.
- The club's president explained her fund-raising ideas to the members. The ideas were unusual. The members were enthusiastic.
- The club's president explained he unusual fund-raising ideas to the enthusiastic members.
Sometimes you may want to join the words you have incorporated into the sentence with and.
- Hannibal's march across the Alps surprised the Romans. The march was bold. It was courageous.
- Hannibal's bold and courageous march across the Alps surprised the Romans.
Punctuation Note: Often you will have to use a comma when you add more than one word to a sentence without using a conjunction.
- Tim Reed ran an inn at the base of the mountain. It was quaint and comfortable.
- Tim Reed ran a quaint, comfortable inn at the base of the mountain.
Adding Single Words with a Form Change
In the examples shown above, words were added without making any changes in their form. Occasionally, however, the form of the important word must be changed slightly before it is added to the other sentence. Sometimes this means adding -ing, the participial form of the word.
At other times, you might have to change the word so that it ends in the adverbial form -ly.
- The sound of the motor annoys me. It whines.
- The sound of the whining motor annoys me.
At other times, you might have to change the word so that it ends in the adverbial form -ly.
- When cold weather causes their body temperatures to drop, bears begin to hibernate. Their actions are automatically.
- When cold weather causes their body temperatures to drop, bears automatically begin to hibernate.
Adding Groups of Words
As you look for ways to combine ideas, you may find that one sentence contains an important group of words, a phrase, that can be added without any change in form to another sentence.
When the group of words gives additional information about someone or something (functioning as an adjective), it should be added near the words that identify the person or thing,
Sometimes the added phrase restates an idea or renames a person presented in the main sentence - an appositive or appositive phrase.
When the added group of words describes an action (functioning as an adverb), it should be added near the words that describe the action.
When the group of words adds more information about the entire main idea of the other sentence, it may be added at the beginning or at the end.
When the group of words gives additional information about someone or something (functioning as an adjective), it should be added near the words that identify the person or thing,
- The ship was bound for Istanbul. It was loaded with grain.
- The ship loaded with grain was bound for Istanbul.
Sometimes the added phrase restates an idea or renames a person presented in the main sentence - an appositive or appositive phrase.
- The recipe calls for saffron, Saffron is an expensive spice.
- The recipe calls for saffron, an expensive spice.
When the added group of words describes an action (functioning as an adverb), it should be added near the words that describe the action.
- The American colonists had been complaining for years. They had been complaining about the British tax on tea.
- The American colonists had been complaining for years about the British tax on tea.
When the group of words adds more information about the entire main idea of the other sentence, it may be added at the beginning or at the end.
- The snow had disappeared. It was gone by the time the sun set.
- By the time the sun set, the snow had disappeared.
- The snow had disappeared, by the time the sun set.
Adding Groups of Words with Form Changes
In several situations when adding groups of words, you will have to change the form of one or more words in the phrase.
Sometimes you will have to add -ing to one or more words in the phrase.
Notice that the words knew and understood were changed to knowing and understanding and that the word he was eliminated. Notice also that the resulting participial phrase modifies Daniel Boone.
Sometimes a word in one sentence refers to the whole idea presented in another sentence, as does the word this in the following example. In such cases, the two sentences often can be combined by substituting a gerund phrase beginning with -ing word for the word that refers to the whole idea.
The word packed was changed to the gerund packing, and unnecessary words were eliminated.
In some cases the necessary changes are a bit more complicated. Notice the changes that must be made in the following examples.
The word decided has been changed to be gerund deciding and George Washington has been changed to the possessive form George Washington's.
Sometimes you will have to add -ing to one or more words in the phrase.
- Daniel Boone captured the imaginations of Americans. He knew the ways of the wilderness and understood how to survive.
- Knowing the ways of the wilderness and understanding how to survive, Daniel Boone captured the imaginations of Americans.
Notice that the words knew and understood were changed to knowing and understanding and that the word he was eliminated. Notice also that the resulting participial phrase modifies Daniel Boone.
Sometimes a word in one sentence refers to the whole idea presented in another sentence, as does the word this in the following example. In such cases, the two sentences often can be combined by substituting a gerund phrase beginning with -ing word for the word that refers to the whole idea.
- We packed only the essentials. This allowed us to climb the mountain trails with ease.
- Packing only the essentials allowed us to climb the mountain trails with ease.
The word packed was changed to the gerund packing, and unnecessary words were eliminated.
In some cases the necessary changes are a bit more complicated. Notice the changes that must be made in the following examples.
- George Washington decided to drill his discouraged army at Valley Forge. This meant that the Americans would have a well-trained force in the spring.
- George Washington's deciding to drill his discouraged army at Valley Forge meant that the Americans would have well-trained force in the spring.
The word decided has been changed to be gerund deciding and George Washington has been changed to the possessive form George Washington's.
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