Using Phrases to Improve Sentences

A. Combine each group of sentences into one meaningful sentence, using prepositional phrases.

1. They retreated from the scene. Their retreat was masked by a storm dust.

2. The song had a catchy beat. It was played almost every hour.

3. He mounted the horse. He headed in search of the villains. He headed toward town.

4. Two men rode their horses. They rode across the desert. They had grave expressions.

B. Use participial phrases to combine each group of sentences into one. Punctuate correctly.

1. The baby is playing on the swing set. He is my sister’s youngest son.

2. Mrs. Brown always gossiped maliciously about her neighbors. She soon lost all her friends.

3. Some people live a life of great luxury and comfort. These people are unaware of the suffering and deprivation of others.

4. Roger and his friends were sitting at the back of the hall. They could not hear the lecturer very well.


C. Use gerund phrases to combine each group of sentences into one. Punctuate correctly.

1. The bulldozer roared all day long. This got on my nerves and gave me a headache.

2. The water pipes burst. This was caused by the extreme cold.

3. The man ate too much fat. The doctor warned him to avoid that.

4. He had falsified the records. He went to jail for that.