Art of Styling Sentences

by Ann Longknife, K.D. Sullivan

A must-have for any student or aspiring writer, this book reviews the fundamentals of good sentence structure: Conventions of writing style change in subtle ways with passing years--a fact that prompts the need for periodic revisions of books like this one. The authors review the fundamentals of good sentence structure and then go on to describe twenty basic sentence patterns that encompass virtually every effective way of writing sentences in English. They also draw on passages by current prominent writers, using these examples to show how varying rhythm and sentence patterns can result in elegant writing styles that keep their readers interested. Exercises with answers and explanations appear throughout the text. Overflowing with practical and useful advice, this little gem will change the way people write.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, School, Language, Teaching, Education

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Franky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to pick up a used copy of this book. It is a handy little resource for giving a little added dimension and style to your writing. Perhaps what makes The Art of Styling Sentences so resourceful is that it caters to writing in various areas: high school writing, college and academic writing, leisure writing, etc. The book contains explanations for many sentence patterns, with examples and models, and then activities that can be used for practice. There are also examples and models taken from literature. Also, this book serves as a reminder that there are ways to change up and add some variety to writing. Sometimes if a student is so focused on getting an assignment done, they do not take time to think about their writing style. Many of the patterns in this book serve to be those reminders, and practice is essential. While many of the patterns may seem quite basic, they can be expanded into more sophisticated writing practice. This book is just a very useful and practical book to have when you need to spice up a paragraph or just give a little variation to your style. As the book’s title proposes, writing is an art form (sometimes frustratingly so), and it takes practice, practice, practice. This is a great resource to check out for any writers out there who want that practice.

[addy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an indispensable resource for any writer or editor. I can already tell that I'm becoming more conscious of the way I style my sentences to send across the intended message as accurately as possible. Whether I want to emphasize a certain point, add tension, connect relating ideas, or do one or more of the many other things that are possible with a well-structured sentence, I know I will be going back to this book quite often.

[Eric Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan provides succinct definitions of the parts of speech and offers forms in which to apply them. The book is structured into 20 patterns. Each pattern shows where a subject and verb would fall in relation to other parts of speech, in order to craft a stylized sentence. There are examples of each type, as they have appeared in published material. Some of the content could also be considered for classroom instruction.

[yoimhungry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is divided into 5 chapters; the second chapters explains 20 different sentence patterns with a a few variations for some. Finishing the reading was quick and easy. Chapter 2 will be used most frequently, requiring to use it as reference, until the patterns are memorized. Some other chapters were of use as well; they define figures of speech, punctuation, and general tips for better writing.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very, very useful reference for students who want to enhance their English writing skills more.

I think I can use it in my teaching ESL to non-native speakers.I should have bought it before. ^^

[Peregrine 12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, if you are willing to use the practice and exercises described herein. You will learn quite a bit and come to realize things you 'knew' but didn't fully understand.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A student manual, probably designed for any number of intro to college writing courses (or even a high school level course), I found this book to be a well-organized and handy-dandy reference work to explicitly look at the "how's" and "why's" of syntax.

The bulk of the book is Chapter two, which explain 20 core sentence types (with variations bringing that number to 28 entries in total). The remainder of the book included teacher/student introductions, some essays which identify the sentence types used by professional writers, some quick references for punctuation, and finally review questions.

I'll definitely keep this handy for use as I continue to improve the quality of my own style!

[Kristopher Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing has always been a struggle for me, and this book helped me understand how to structure sentences when college level courses couldn't. I read this book and others about writing and this one was the most pragmatic. Its not all you need to know about writing, but it is something you should know.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A helpful overview of various sentence types, but sometimes minor errors in the text create confusion, and what's missing is more analysis of what makes one sentence better than another in context.

[Luqman M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book helped me much

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first writing book I bought.
Why? As I wrote, I discovered that when I read, I don't read sentences--I read thoughts. I hoped this book would help me think about sentences and increase my sentence variety.

This book discusses twenty basic sentence patterns, plus variations. Professional examples and exercises are included for each pattern. The examples were enlightening. I didn't do the exercises.

An added bonus for me was the different approach to grammar, which made for a pleasant review of fundamental concepts. The book also reviews figurative language and punctuation.

Now when I read novels, I read and reread intriguing, well-written sentences and think about how the sentences are formed. I would suggest The Art of Styling Sentences for high school students serious about writing, college students and the writer who wishes to learn more about different types of sentence variety.

[Simulacrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. Reading it and working on its exercises will really change the way you write. It is not written like other books for just satisfying your interest in grammar or punctuation; it is written in a textbook format and includes exercises. The writers give excellent instructions about punctuations, and about when to use a particular type of sentence in your writing. The writers believe that by practicing again and again one can learn to write better sentences, a belief that reassures you and encourages you to work on the sentence-patterns. I strongly recommend the book.

[Rivka D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great exercise book. Short, straightforward--very profitable.
My only complaint is this: the "professional" examples tend not to follow the rules of the sentences they are supposed to be representing.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for anyone who wants to enhance their writing skills! I have suggested this on my own writer's forum:

http://wanderingwriters.org

[Moses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good way to become conscious of your sentences and their structure. Could have used some more vim and vigor.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful textbook: I'm glad my teacher made me practice these patterns.

[Giftzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good for a person who want to practice writing english.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good and helpful for the nitty-gritty details of writing. Very technical, and some of the examples that are given don't actually fit the sentence patterns, but good besides.

[Chad Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can any writer not read this book?

[Madly Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for writers. Some day you have to learn to edit your work. And to begin here is perfect.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent reference.