Linking Sentences

By: Sean Savoie 

Students who have an interest in puzzles and mathematics are often intrigued by the way English grammar can be seen most clearly as sets of patterns. The different types of phrases and clauses that we have been practicing in this newspaper column over the last six weeks are most useful for writing when pieced together like a puzzle. For the writer, grammar is an action. 

One excellent way to practice the active use of grammar is to first list single short sentences and then figure out how they can be connected by focusing on the words that similar in the various sentences. This exercise, like most exercises, enables a student to become increasingly proficient at developing ideas and writing. 

For practice, while considering different types of phrases and clauses, take a look at the sentences below and determine how they can be organized into one single sentence. (That is right! One sentence) 

1. Artists live on the fringe of society.
2. Artists often cohabitate in groups.
3. These groups live in lofts.
4. The artists are passionate.
5. The artists are visual.
6. The artists are willing to work menial jobs for long hours.
7. They work simply to purchase art supplies.
8. These art supplies are necessary to develop their skills
9. They are necessary for the artists to pursue their passion.
10. The supplies are necessary for artists to express themselves visually.
11. These artists are some of the most profound visionaries.
12. These artists are some of the most profound intellects.
13. Many historians will agree with the previous sentence.
14. The artists exist in our society.
15. Our society is modern.
16. Our society is complex.
17. Our society is information-driven.

Single sentence combination: 

Living on the fringe of society, often cohabitating in groups within lofts, passionate visual artists, willing to work menial jobs for long hours simply to purchase the art supplies necessary to develop their skills, pursue their passion, and express themselves visually, are, as many historians will agree, some of the most profound visionaries and intellects in our modern, complex, information-driven society. 

Of course longer sentences are not necessarily better sentences, but the ability to connect many ideas into one single sentence is valuable. 

Take a look at a shorter group of sentences and try to analyze what different types of phrases and clauses could be used to connect them: 

1. The environment will become inhospitable to humans.
2. The environment will become inhospitable to millions of species around the world.
3. The environment is undergoing some extreme changes.
4. The climate change will be caused by greenhouse gases.
5. Legislative red tape contributes to the climate change.
6. Human indifference contributes to the climate change.
7. The changes will potentially cause a great climate change.
8. The climate change may be the greatest ever witnessed in human history.

One potential solution: 

As a result of greenhouse gases, legislative red tape, and human indifference, the environment, now undergoing some extreme changes, will become inhospitable not only to humans, but also to millions of species around the world, potentially causing the greatest climate change ever witnessed in human history. 

See if you can take the same eight sentences above and create another one sentence solution.