ESL 71 A Feb 10 Sentence Structure Sentence
ESL 71 A Feb 10 Sentence Structure: Sentence Types
Learning Objectives • 1. Identify ways to vary sentence structure. • 2. Write and revise sentence structure at the beginning of sentences. • 3. Write and revise sentence structure by connecting ideas. • 4. Use correct punctuation when creating a variety of sentence structures.
Sentence Types • Simple • Compound • Complex • Compound-Complex
Basic Elements of Every Sentence SUBJECT PREDICATE
Basic Elements SUBJECT PREDICATE Mary plays tennis.
Simple Sentence
Simple Sentence • A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate.
Simple Sentence Observe how a simple sentence is constructed: We went to San Juan yesterday.
Simple Sentence Pronoun Verb Prepositional phrase We went to San Juan. Simple subject Complete predicate
SIMPLE SENTENCE SUBJECT PREDICATE Mary plays tennis. one subject one predicate
Simple Sentence Tom and Mary Compound Subject & play tennis.
Simple Sentence Tom and Mary Compound Subject & play tennis and swim. Compound Predicate &
SIMPLE SENTENCE with compound subject Tom and Mary play tennis.
SIMPLE SENTENCE with compound subject and compound predicate Tom and Mary play tennis and swim.
What do all of these simple sentences have in common? • John and Amanda will be analyzing this week’s financial report. • The car screeched to a halt just a few inches away from the young boy. • Students rarely come to the exam adequately prepared.
Make them more interesting. • Add an Adverb at the beginning
Move the Adverb to change it up! • 1. The red truck sped furiously past the camper van, blaring its horn. • 2. Fernando snatched at the bread hungrily, polishing off three slices in under a minute. • 3. Underage drinking typically results from peer pressure and lack of parental attention.
Move the Adverb • 4. The firefighters bravely tackled the blaze, but they were beaten back by flames. • 5. Mayor Kasim Reed privately acknowledged that the budget was excessive and that further discussion was needed.
Move a prepositional phrase to add variety to your writing! • The bandaged man waited in the doctor’s office. OR In the doctor’s office, the bandaged man waited. • My train leaves the station at 6: 45 a. m. OR At 6: 45 a. m. , my train leaves the station. • Teenagers exchange drugs and money under the railway bridge. OR Under the railway bridge, teenagers exchange drugs and money.
Starting a Sentence by Inverting Subject and Verb • 1. A truck was parked in the driveway. • 1. A copy of the file is attached.
• 2. Parked in the driveway was a truck. • 2. Attached is a copy of the file.
On your own sheet of paper, rewrite the following sentences as inverted sentences. • 1. Teresa will never attempt to run another marathon. • 2. A detailed job description is enclosed with this letter. • 3. Bathroom facilities are across the hall to the left of the water cooler. • 4. The well-dressed stranger stumbled through the doorway. • 5. My colleagues remain unconvinced about the proposed merger
Other ideas for Variety • Joining Ideas Using an –ing or -ed Modifier • Joining Ideas Using a Relative Clause • Joining Ideas Using an Appositive
Examples • Original sentence: Steve checked the computer system. He discovered a virus.
• Revised sentence: Checking the computer system, Steve discovered a virus
-ed modifier • Original sentences: The Ramirez family was delayed by a traffic jam. They arrived several hours after the party started.
• Revised sentence: Delayed by a traffic jam, the Ramirez family arrived several hours after the party started.
Relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun, such as who, whose, whom, which, or that. • Original sentences: The managing director is visiting the company next week. He lives in Seattle. • Revised sentence: The managing director, who lives in Seattle, is visiting the company next week. OR • Revised sentence: The managing director, who is visiting the company next week, lives in Seattle.
Joining Ideas Using an Appositive • Original sentences: Harland Sanders began serving food for hungry travelers in 1930. He is Colonel Sanders or “the Colonel. ” • Revised sentence: Harland Sanders, “the Colonel, ” began serving food for hungry travelers in 1930.
Practice • 1. Baby sharks are called pups. Pups can be born in one of three ways. • 2. The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south. • 3. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics. He is a champion swimmer.
Practice cont. • 4. Punam introduced her colleague Timothy to her husband, Mahendra. She speculated that the two of them would have a lot in common. • 5. Cacao is harvested by hand. It is then sold to chocolate-processing companies at the Coffee, Sugar, and Cocoa Exchange
Compound Sentence
Compound Sentence • A compound sentence has more than one part that can stand alone (independent clauses). • Independent clauses are connected by coordinating conjunctions, adverbs or a semi-colon. conjunctive
Compound Sentence We went to San Juan, and most of us danced all night.
Compound Sentence Subject Verb Prepositional phrase We went to San Juan, Coordinating Conjunction Predicate and most of us danced all night. Subject Verb Modifying phrase
Compound Sentence Use of Coordinating Conjunctions SUBJECT PREDICATE and SUBJECT PREDICATE
Compound Sentence Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis.
COMPOUND SENTENCE: COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS FOR AND NOR BUT OR YET SO
COMPOUND SENTENCE: COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis. Clause 1 Clause 2 Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE: COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Tom swims, and Mary plays tennis. Comma before “and” in compound sentences!
COMPOUND SENTENCE: CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS MOREOVER HOWEVER OTHERWISE THEREFORE
COMPOUND SENTENCE: CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich. Clause 1 Independent Clause 2 Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE: CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich. Note: Semicolon before conjunctive adverb and comma after conjunctive adverb!
Conjunctive Adverbs “float” • Conjunctive adverbs are sometimes called “floating” adverbs because they can be positioned at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a clause.
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB: AT THE BEGINNING, IN THE MIDDLE, AT THE END Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich. Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich. Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.
Semicolons • “If the relation between the ideas expressed in the main clauses is very close and obvious without a conjunction, you can separate the clauses with a semicolon” (Little, Brown Handbook, 9 th Edition, p. 361).
COMPOUND SENTENCE: SEMICOLON Tom has benefited from his exercise program; he is slim and energetic.
Complex Sentence
Complex Sentence • A complex sentence has at least two parts: one that can stand alone and another one that cannot • The part that cannot stand alone is linked to the rest of the sentence by a subordinating conjunction
Complex Sentence Since my boyfriend and I wanted to have fun, we went to San Juan yesterday.
Complex Sentence Since we wanted to have fun, Subordinating Conjunction Part that cannot stand alone Subject Predicate we went to San Juan yesterday.
Complex Sentence SUBJECT PREDICATE even though SUBJECT PREDICATE
Complex Sentence Bob is popular even though he is ugly.
COMPLEX SENTENCE: SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS The most common subordinating conjunctions are "after, " "although, " "as, " "because, " "before, " "how, " "if, " "once, " "since, " "than, " "that, " though, " "till, " "until, " "when, " "where, " "whether, ” and while. "
COMPLEX SENTENCE: SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Bob is popular even though he is ugly. Clause 1 Independent Clause 2 Dependent
COMPLEX SENTENCE: SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Even though Bob is ugly, he is popular. Clause 1 Clause 2 Dependent Independent
Compound-Complex Sentence
Compound-Complex Sentence • This type of sentence has more than one part that can stand alone, and at least one that cannot. • Conjunctions link the different parts of this sentence.
Compound-Complex Sentence Since we wanted to have fun, my boyfriend and I went to San Juan yesterday, and we danced all night.
Compound-Complex Sentence Subordinating Conjunction Since we wanted to have fun, Part that cannot stand alone my boyfriend and I went to San Juan, Coordinating Conjunction Subject Predicate and we danced all night.
Compound-Complex Sentence Mike is popular because he is good looking, but he is not very happy.
Exercises Say if the following sentences are: Simple, compound, complex or compound-complex.
1. The bell rang. 2. Bridget ran the first part of the race, and Tara biked the second part. 3. He stands at the bottom of the cliff while the climber moves up the rock. 4. The skier turned and jumped. 5. Naoki passed the test because he studied hard and understood the material.
Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Simple Compound Complex Simple Compound-complex
1. Because Kayla has so much climbing experience , we asked her to lead our group. 2. You and I need piano lessons. 3. I planned to go to the hockey game, but I couldn’t get tickets. 4. Dorothy likes white water rafting, but she also enjoys kayaking. 5. There are many problems to solve before this program can be used, but engineers believe that they will be able to solve them soon.
Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Complex Simple Compound-complex
References Writing Academic English, Second Edition, by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue. White Plains: Addison, Wesley, Longman, 1999. The Little, Brown Handbook, by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, Pearson, 2004.
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