Sentence models
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson
Participle
The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool.
Bill Hutchinson was standing quiet, staring down at the piece of paper in his hand.
The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers or sisters.
The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk.
Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones.
By now, all through the crowd there were men holding the small folded papers in their large hand, turning them over and over nervously.
Appositive
Mr Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the black box securely on the stool until Mr Summers had stirred the papers thoroughly with his hand. [ *also a combination with Adverbial clause – sentence can be rearranged, but the rhythm is nicer with the subordinate clause at the end of the sentence]
Absolutes
Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of the crowd.
Mrs. Dunbar and her two sons stood together, Mrs. Dunbar holding the slip of paper.
Nancy was twelve, and her school friends breathed heavily as she went forward switching her skirt, and took a slip daintily from the box "Bill, Jr.," Mr. Summers said, and Billy, his face red and his feet overlarge, near knocked the box over as he got a paper out.
Adverbial Clause [aka AAAWWUBBIS]
The lottery was conducted -as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program - by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.
When he arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was a murmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved and called. "Little late today, folks." [Combination – adverbial + participle]
Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it. [Combination – adverbial + appositive]
Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.
Mr. Graves took the child's hand and removed the folded paper from the tight fist and held it while little Dave stood next to him and looked up at him wonderingly.
Adjective Clause
Mr. Graves had selected the five slips and put them in the box, and he dropped all the papers but those onto the ground, where the breeze caught them and lifted them off.
Mr. Graves took the hand of the little boy, who came willingly with him up to the box.
The lottery was conducted - as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program - by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.
Combinations
The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr Summers set the black box down on it. [appositive – participle]
After that, there was a long pause, a breathless pause, until Mr Summers, holding his slip of paper in the air, said, “All right, fellows.” [Combination – appositive – participle]
The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions: most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around. [combination – adjectival clause - participle]
When he arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was a murmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved and called. "Little late today, folks." [Combination – adverbial + participle]