The passage describes Siddhartha's childhood and education. It contains 5 sentences that describe where he grew up in various shades, how the sun tanned his shoulders by the river, how shade fell in his eyes in the mango grove during various activities, his participation in discussions with wise men and debates with his friend Govinda, and his ability to speak Om through meditation. The sentences demonstrate a variety of structures, including complex sentences with relative and subordinate clauses and simple sentences.
1. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the shade of
the Sal-wood forest, in the shade of the fig tree is where Siddhartha grew up, the
handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda, son of
a Brahman. The sun tanned his light shoulders by the banks of the river when bathing,
performing the sacred ablutions, the sacred offerings. In the mango grove, shade poured
into his black eyes, when playing as a boy, when his mother sang, when the sacred
offerings were made, when his father, the scholar, taught him, when the wise men talked.
For a long time, Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men,
practising debate with Govinda, practising with Govinda the art of reflection, the service of
meditation. He already knew how to speak the Om silently, the word of words, to speak it
silently into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling, with all
the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear-thinking
spirit. He already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with
the universe.
2. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
1. In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the
shade of the Sal-wood forest, in the shade of the fig tree is where Siddhartha grew up,
the handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda,
son of a Brahman.
2. The sun tanned his light shoulders by the banks of the river when bathing, performing
the sacred ablutions, the sacred offerings.
3. In the mango grove, shade poured into his black eyes, when playing as a boy, when his
mother sang, when the sacred offerings were made, when his father, the scholar,
taught him, when the wise men talked.
4. For a long time, Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men,
practising debate with Govinda, practising with Govinda the art of reflection, the
service of meditation.
5. He already knew how to speak the Om silently, the word of words, to speak it silently
into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling, with all
the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear-
thinking spirit.
There are five sentences in this passage.
3. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the sentence below, separate the clauses and determine variety:
1. In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the
shade of the Sal-wood forest, in the shade of the fig tree is where Siddhartha grew up,
the handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda,
son of a Brahman.
In the shade of the house . . . is where Siddhartha grew up
Independent Clause
where Siddhartha grew up
Dependent Clause - Relative Clause
COMPLEX SENTENCE
4. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
2. The sun tanned his light shoulders by the banks of the river when bathing, performing
the sacred ablutions, the sacred offerings.
The sun tanned his light shoulders
Independent Clause
SIMPLE SENTENCE
5. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
3. In the mango grove, shade poured into his black eyes, when playing as a boy, when his
mother sang, when the sacred offerings were made, when his father, the scholar,
taught him, when the wise men talked.
shade poured into his black eyes
Independent Clause
when his mother sang
Dependent Clause - Subordinate Clause
when the sacred offerings were made,
Dependent Clause - Subordinate Clause
when his father, the scholar, taught him,
Dependent Clause - Subordinate Clause
when the wise men talked
Dependent Clause - Subordinate Clause
COMPLEX SENTENCE
6. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
4. For a long time, Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men,
practising debate with Govinda, practising with Govinda the art of reflection, the
service of meditation.
Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men
Independent Clause
SIMPLE SENTENCE
7. Sentence Variety from Siddartha
In the text below, separate the sentences:
5. He already knew how to speak the Om silently, the word of words, to speak it silently
into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling, with all
the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear-
thinking spirit.
He already knew how to speak the Om silently
Independent Clause
SIMPLE SENTENCE
NOTE: THE FOREHEAD SURROUNDED BY THE GLOW might be argued as a clause. But
is it an independent clause (which would make it a comma splice)? Is it a dependent
clause? Form? Function? We would argue that SURROUNDED BY THE GLOW OF THE
CLEAR-THINKING SPIRIT is a past participle phrase (passive) functioning adjectivally to
modify FOREHEAD.
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