Page 897 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Vary Sentence Openings

5 Vary sentence openings.

The most common sentence pattern in English is one that opens with
a subject followed by a verb, as in the following sentences:

The two horses galloped across the finish line in a photo finish.

Dappled cows grazed peacefully in a field of bright green.

This pattern is common because it is strong and dynamic and gets the

job done quickly. While you never want to give up this pattern, varying

it can energize your writing. One of the easiest ways to vary the

pattern is to open with a prepositional phrase.

In a photo finish, the two horses galloped across the finish line.

In a field of bright green, dappled cows grazed peacefully.