Question

Which passage on the left uses the best VARIETY of sentence structure and sentence length ?

Answer 1

Answer:

Passage C.

Explanation:

Let's take a look at the other passages.

Passage A only uses simple sentence structures and all sentences are of simillar length.

Passage B only uses compound sentence structures, and all sentences are of similiar length.

Passage D uses both simple and compound sentence structures but no complex ones. Sentence length is varied.

But Passage C uses all four sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. Sentence length is varied.

Sentence Structures:

S i m p l e

A simple sentence consists of one independent clause. (An independent clause contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.)

Example: I like coffee.

C o m p o u n d

A compound sentence is two (or more) independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon. Each of these clauses could form a sentence alone.    

Example: I like coffee, and she likes tea.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions:  

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. FANBOYS is a mnemonic device, which stands for these coordinating conjunctions.

C o m p l e x

A complex sentence consists of an independent and a dependent clause. A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction, contains a subject and verb, but does not express a complete thought.  

Example: Although I like coffee, she likes tea.

C o m p o u n d - C o m p l e x

A compound-complex sentence consists of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.  

Example: I drink coffee because I like it, but she likes tea.