Sentences: Many Ways to Begin

foreign [Music] I'm going to begin a story episode by reading a few sentences excuse me [Applause] I had to set the stage now listen to this Linda Miller climbs the polished marble stairway she Strode directly into Henry Simpson's office she halted in Surprise she saw an overturned chair and a smashed lamp she noticed the remains of Simpson's lunch on his desk lacks a bit of something don't you think almost every line begins with the word she now there's nothing wrong with those sentences individually but they lack variety there are many different ways to begin a sentence and each way has a different effect now I'm going to start the story again but this time each sentence will have a different beginning listen to it closely you'll hear a little ping each time a new sentence starts [Music] Linda Miller climbed to the polished marble stairway because she was expected she strove directly to Henry Simpson's office inside she halted in Surprise a lamp lay smashed on the floor near an overturned chair on the desk where the half-eaten remains of Simpson's lunch her heart skipped a beat then thumped rapidly ruling around Linda rushed out and crossed the balcony to the secretary's office whereas Mr Simpson she shouted something's wrong without waiting for a reply she grabbed the telephone and started to dial then she noticed that the secretary had not moved tell me what happened Linda demanded the woman remained still impatient Linda reached over and tapped her on the shoulder slowly stiffly secretary toppled to the floor to add to her shock Linda saw that the woman's eyes were fixed upon her in an unblinking stare later that afternoon Linda told her story to two detectives all right thank you we'll stop there turns out Mr Simpson murdered his secretary he messed up his own office to make it appear as though he also had been attacked but they caught him do you need me anymore just one more time please if you become aware of the possibilities in the sentences you can make readers see exactly what you want them to see we used 17 different Beginnings in those scenes with Linda this time let's talk about those various beginnings and see the effects they create the first sentence begins with the proper noun Lind Miller that impresses upon the reader that this person is important Linda is the one we're going to follow because she was expected she behaved in this manner in other words here we explain the cause of her action before she acts now we begin with location inside tells us where she is before saying what she does a lamp lay smashed if it said the lamp that would indicate a definite lamp but here the lamp itself is not important what's important is that it's smashed so it's just a lamp this sentence begins with a prepositional phrase why do you suppose the author didn't just say the remains of Simpson's lunch were on the desk because by Leading off with the prepositional phrase look how the author directs our attention we went from the smashed lamp to the chair and then to the desk and saved for last the most important discovery the half-eaten remains of Simpson's lunch now to Linda's reaction it begins with a pronoun there's no identity problem because so far Linda is the only person we've met whirling around Linda rushed the advantage of this type of sentence is that it begins with action it gets the sentence off to a fast start beginning with dialogue readers like dialogue it's much more interesting than saying Linda asked for Mr Simpson was do you agree dialogue continues but for the first time we have a sentence beginning with a common noun the second word is has been contracted as it would be in excited speech sometimes phrases we would normally put at the end of a sentence are more effective at the beginning here we are told the condition under which she acts before we're told what she does it enables the action to build without waiting she grabs the phone and starts to dial the rising action makes us aware of the contrast when her actions suddenly stop then usually introduces a separate clause in a sentence but in this case the author did not want this tagged onto the previous sentence so for emphasis it was allowed to stand alone can we ever begin a sentence with the verb sure a sentence that is a command will often begin with the verb there's no doubt here that Linda is concerned about one definite person the woman remained still there's even something a little scary about the the and the Simplicity of the statement do you feel it this time an adjective begins a sentence another example of a beginning that tells us Linda's condition which leads to the action if we weren't told she was impatient we might stop to wonder why she would touch the woman here's an adverb beginning two adverbs in fact do you see how this word order builds up the action it wouldn't be so effective if the author said she toppled to the floor and then after the action mentioned that she had done it slowly and stiffly do you see why it works better the way it's written to add to her shock the sentence Begins by stating the effect upon Linda and then describes what caused that effect which is more dramatic Linda's shock or the dead woman's unblinking stare the author wanted the sentence to end with that stare and lastly we find a sentence beginning with the time element phrases such as later that afternoon or after that or that night make it easy for the reader to follow changes in time nobody would write by trying to remember so many ways to begin a sentence what's important is to think about what you want to say and to realize there are many ways to say it and make it more interesting this doesn't apply just to stories someday you'll want to write a letter about a job or a mail order or a money raising project I suppose you have to read aloud what you wrote in the letter it could go this way good afternoon ma'am I have a letter to read to you we hope you will let us wash your car we will be doing it at 6th and Main we will be washing them all day Saturday we will use sponges and soft wiping cloths we will be careful your car will look good we will do a good job we hope you'll bring your car we are trying to make money for Center High band uniforms that had some good points but it did sound more like Elementary students I don't know if I'd turn my car over to them or not now suppose another High School group had the same offer for the same purpose but this writer gave more thought to what he could do with sentences our high school group has a special offer for you bring your car to the Western High parking lot this Saturday not only will you get a great wash job but your donation will help the Western High band get new uniforms our sponges and wiping cloths are the softest we could find your car will really be in good hands will be there all day and promise to give you fast service will you join us at the Special Band uniform car wash she was more impressed that time both fellows said almost the same thing but one gave more thought to how it was said have you ever noticed the variety of sentences that good writers use just take the first line of some famous works listen to the variety in these opening sentences we're going through the Commander's voice was like thin ice breaking no one not in my situation can appreciate my feelings of sadness at this parting I'll tell you how the sun rose a ribbon at a time can you imagine the feeling of the first man who discovered that the water he had just been drinking was full of little animals last night I dreamed I went to Mandalay again well son I'll tell you Life For Me ain't been no Crystal stare it had tax in it and splinters and Boards torn up and places with no carpet on the floor bear the high gray flannel fog of winter closed the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world whose woods these are I think I know sentences are wonderfully flexible you can make them do anything you want them to do try it [Music]