Pattern 4: Compound Sentence with Explanatory Statement (Statements separated by a colon.)
Ex. 1: Darwin’s Orgin of Species forcibly states a harsh truth: only the fittest survive.
do: He won battles.
Ex. 2: No one would argue that George Patton did what generals were expected to
Ex. 3: I was successful with my writing for one big reason: I learned how to vary my sentence structure. KEY POINTS: 1. Remember the test: both sides of the colon must make a complete statement alone. 2. Remember the pattern: t he first statement is the general statement: the second, the specific one.
PRACTICE: …for this purpose: … f o r one reason: …for the following reasons: …for one thing : The highlighted words indicate that they may be changed. Use three (3) of these phrases with a colon and change at least one of the high-
lighted words with one of your own.