The Structure of a Sentence, Sentenced Structure.
The Structure of a Sentence
The Structure of a Sentence
Remember that
every clause is, in a sense, a miniature sentence. A simple
sentences contains only a single clause, while a compound sentence, a complex
sentence, or a compound-complex sentence contains at least two clauses.
I drink coffee
I drink coffee is an independent clause. It contains a
Subject (I) and a Verb (drink), and it expresses a complete thought.
The most basic type of
sentence is the simple sentence,
which contains only one clause. A simple sentence can be as short as one word:
Run!
Usually, however, the
sentence has a subject as well as apredicate and both the
subject and the predicate may havemodifiers. All of the following are simple
sentences, because each contains only one clause:
Melt!
Ice melts.
The ice melts quickly.
The ice on the river melts quickly
under the warm March sun.
Lying exposed without its
blanket of snow, the ice on the river melts quickly under the
warm March sun.
As you can see, a simple
sentence can be quite long -- it is a mistake to think that you can tell a
simple sentence from a compound sentence or a complex sentence simply by its
length.
The most natural sentence
structure is the simple sentence: it is the first kind which children learn to
speak, and it remains by far the most common sentence in the spoken language of
people of all ages. In written work, simple sentences can be very effective for
grabbing a reader's attention or for summing up an argument, but you have to
use them with care: too many simple sentences can make your writing seem
childish.
When you do use simple
sentences, you should add transitional phrases to connect them to the surrounding
sentences.
A compound sentence consists of two or
more independent clauses (or simple sentences) joined
by co-ordinating conjunctions like "and," "but,"
and "or":
Simple
Canada is a rich country.
Simple
Still, it has many poor
people.
Compound
Canada is a rich
country, but still it has many poor people.
Compound sentences are very
natural for English speakers -- small children learn to use them early on to
connect their ideas and to avoid pausing (and allowing an adult to interrupt):
Today at school Mr. Moore
brought in his pet rabbit, and he showed it to the class, and I got to pet it,
and Kate held it, and we coloured pictures of it, and it ate part of my carrot
at lunch, and ...
Of course, this is an extreme
example, but if you over-use compound sentences in written work, your writing
might seem immature.
A compound sentence is most
effective when you use it to create a sense of balance or contrast between two
(or more) equally-important pieces of information:
Montéal has better clubs, but Toronto has
better cinemas.
There are two special types
of compound sentences which you might want to note. First, rather than joining
two simple sentences together, a co-ordinating conjunction sometimes joins two
complex sentences, or one simple sentence and one complex sentence. In this
case, the sentence is called a compound-complex
sentence:
compound-complex
The package arrived in the
morning,
but the courier left before I could check the contents.
The second special case
involves punctuation. It is possible to join two originally separate
sentences into a compound sentence using a semicolon instead of a
co-ordinating conjunction:
Sir John A. Macdonald had a
serious drinking problem;when sober, however, he could be a formidable foe in the
House of Commons.
Usually, a conjunctive
adverb like "however" or "consequently" will appear
near the beginning of the second part, but it is not required:
The sun rises in the east; it
sets in the west.
A complex sentence contains one
independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Unlike a compound
sentence, however, a complex sentence contains clauses which are notequal.
Consider the following examples:
Simple
My friend invited me to a
party. I do not want to go.
Compound
My friend invited me to a
party, but I do not want to go.
Complex
Although my friend invited me
to a party, I do not want to go.
In the first example, there
are two separate simple sentences: "My friend invited me to a party"
and "I do not want to go." The second example joins them together
into a single sentence with the co-ordinating conjunction "but," but
both parts could still stand as independent sentences -- they are entirely
equal, and the reader cannot tell which is most important. In the third
example, however, the sentence has changed quite a bit: the first clause,
"Although my friend invited me to a party," has become incomplete, or
a dependent clause.
A complex sentence is very
different from a simple sentence or a compound sentence because it makes clear
which ideas are most important. When you write
My friend invited me to a
party. I do not want to go.
or even
My friend invited me to a
party, but I do not want to go.
The reader will have trouble
knowing which piece of information is most important to you. When you write
the subordinating conjunction "although" at the beginning
of the first clause, however, you make it clear that the fact that your friend
invited you is less important than, or subordinate,
to the fact that you do not want to go.
SENTENCE
The English language
provides considerable flexibility in sentence construction. Using various
sentence patterns produces speech and writing that are lively and interesting.
Also, variety in sentence construction contributes to well-organized messages.
1) SIMPLE SENTENCE
The simple sentence is
an independent clause without subordinate clause. It begins with a capital
letter and closes with an end mark. Simple sentences can vary considerably in
length.
Example:
- I bought four apples
at the farmers’ market.
- I bought four
apples, a basket of tomatoes, a bag of green beans, and three squashes at the
farmers’ market.
- The farmers’ market
is a classic example of producers selling directly to consumers and avoiding
the attempts of agents to control the supply or to manipulate the price.
2) COMPOUND SENTENCE
The compound sentence
contains two or more independent clauses but no subordinate clauses. The two
independent clauses are joined by a comma (,) followed by a conjunction (for,
and, nor, but…). They may also be joined by a semicolon (;), a semicolon
followed by a linking adverb (therefore, however, because, since…), or a colon (:).
Example:
- I don’t know where
he went, and no one has seen him since this afternoon. (conjunction)
- Harold the First
fought in northern Ireland; his campaigns generally were successful.
(semicolon)
- Vivian wanted to
stay another week in Ashville; however, her parents refused to send her more
money. (linking adverb)
- You must have heard
the news: we’re all getting bonuses this year! (colon)
a) Compound Sentences with
Coordinators
Independent Clause + , +
Coordinators + Independent Clause
|
The two independent
clauses are joined by a comma and one of the seven coordinating
conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. You
can remember the coordinating conjunctions by remembering the word FANBOYS. The
following sentences illustrate their meanings.
1. The Japanese have the
longest life expectancy of any other people, for their diet is extremely
healthful. (for expresses reason)
2. The Japanese consume a
lot of rice, and they eat more fish than red meat. (and expresses
equal related ideas)
3. Many Americans, on the
other hand, do not eat a healthy diet, nor do they get enough exercise. (nor joins
two equal negative independent clauses)
4. In the last twenty
years, Americans have reduced their smoking, but Europeans seem to be smoking
more than ever. (but expresses contrasting ideas)
5. Europeans should
change their smoking habits, or they will risk developing lung cancer. (or expresses
alternatives or possibilities)
6. Many Japanese men
smoke, yet the Japanese have long life expectancies. (yet expresses
an unexpected contrast)
7. The Japanese diet is
becoming more westernized, so their life expectancy will probably decrease in
the future. (so expresses results)
b) Compound Sentences with
Linking Adverbs (Conjunctive Adverbs)
Independent Clause; + Conjunctive
Adverb, + Independent Clause
|
The two independent
clauses are joined by a semicolon (;), a conjunctive
adverb and a comma. Just like the FANBOYS coordinators,
conjunctive adverbs express the relationship of the second clause to the first
clause. The chart below shows the coordinators and conjunctive adverbs which
express similar relationship.
Coordinating Conjunctions
|
Conjunctive Adverbs
|
Meaning
|
And
|
Furthermore, besides, moreover, also
|
Additional idea
|
But, yet
|
However, nonetheless, nevertheless, still
|
Opposite idea
|
Or
|
Otherwise
|
Choice
|
So
|
Consequently, thus, therefore, hence, accordingly
|
result
|
Example:
- Junior colleges
offer preparation for the professions, business, and industry; moreover, they
prepare students to transfer to a four-year college or university. (equal
related ideas)
- Many junior colleges
do not provide dormitories; however, they provide housing referral services.
(opposite ideas)
- Students must take
the final exam; otherwise, they will receive a grade of Incomplete. (“or else”)
- Native and
non-native English speakers have different needs; therefore, most schools
provide separate English classes for each group. (results)
c) Compound Sentences with
Semicolon
Independent Clause + ; +
Independent Clause
|
The two independent
clauses are joined by a semicolon (;). Use a semicolon only
when the two independent clauses are closely related and the relationship is
implied.
Example:
- My older brother
studies laws; my younger brother studies medicine.
- The Berlin Wall’s
construction in 1961 surprised the world; its destruction in 1989 stunned it.
- Poland was the first
Eastern block country to turn away from communism; others soon followed.
3) COMPLEX SENTENCES
A complex sentence
contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clause. In a complex
sentence, one idea is generally more important than the other one. The more
important idea is placed in the independent clause, and the less important idea
is placed in the dependent clause.
Independent Clause + Dependent
Clause
|
Dependent Clause + , + Independent
Clause
|
In the following
sentences, the independent clause is underlined, and the dependent clause is in
italics.
Example:
- If you are
not good at figures, it is pointless to apply for a job in a bank.
- When he saw
the door open, the stranger entered the house.
- Holiday
resorts which are very crowded are not very pleasant.
- That the
Earth’s temperature is rising concerns scientists.
NOTE: There are three kinds of dependent
clauses used in complex sentences: adverb, adjective and noun.
a- A dependent
adverb clause begins with an adverbial subordinator such as when,
while, because, even though, so that, etc.
b- A dependent
adjective clause begins with a relative pronoun such aswho, whom,
which, whose, or a relative adverb where, when, and why.
c- A dependent
noun clause begins with that, a wh-question word, whether,and if.
4) COMPOUND-COMPLEX
SENTENCES
A compound-complex
sentence is a combination of two or more independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses. It is like a family of two adults and one or more children.
Example:
- After I finished
high school, I wanted to go to university, but I had to work in my family’s
business.
- The word root multi,
which means many, comes from Latin, and the word root poly, which also means many,
comes from Greek.
- When the power line
snapped, Jack was listening to the radio, and Linda was reading in bed.
MODIFIERS IN SENTENCES
A modifier is any word
or group of words which limits or qualifies the meaning of other parts of the
sentence. Be sure that your modifiers are clearly joined to the word or words
they qualify. Descriptive phrases or clauses joined to the wrong words are
known as dangling modifiers.
You can correct
dangling modifiers by making the doer of the action the subject of the sentence,
by adding omitted words, or by changing the phrase to a subordinate clause.
Example:
- Coming over the
hill, the blueberries were seen. (incorrect)
- Coming over the
hill, we saw the blueberries in the valley below us. (correct)
- Referring to
your request of April 12, the matter is being reviewed by our board.
(incorrect)
- Our board is
reviewing your request of April 12 for an additional 122 tons of
steel. (correct)
- When she was four
years old, her mother died. (incorrect)
- She was four
years old when her mother died. (correct)
- Exhausted and
bleary-eyed, the report was finished by the team in the morning. (incorrect)
- The team, exhausted
and bleary-eyed, finished the report in the morning.
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