You can create tension, or interest, by leaving the most important information to the end of a sentence. To do this, you will need to reverse – or alter – the normal sentence order.e.g.
A red silk dress was draped across the back of the chair. >
Draped across the back of the chair was a red silk dress.
e.g.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the kitchen. >
Wafting from the kitchen was the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
Now you try:
Rewrite these sentences in the same pattern as the sentences above.
[1] A fat, black cat twined between her red high heels.
[2] Something red, warm and wet was dripping through the ceiling.
[3] Someone – or something – screamed somewhere in the dark, draughty recesses of the house.
[4] The car skidded out of control as it roared, swerved, then crashed into the wall, bursting into flames.
[5] She walked straight up to me and kissed my boyfriend, giving me a sideways glance.
Answers
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
[1] Between her red high heels, twined a fat, black cat.
[2] Dripping through the ceiling above was something red, warm and wet.
[3] Somewhere in the dark, draughty recesses of the house, someone – or something – screamed.
[4] Around the last bend, the car roared, swerved then skidded out of control, bursting into flames as it crashed into the wall.
[5] Giving me a sideways glance, she walked straight up to me, got in very close and kissed my boyfriend.
It packs a better punch when you make people wait, right?