Kinds of Sentences
A good English sentence:
a) has a subject;
b) has a verb-predicate;
c) makes sense.
1. Simple sentences
S + Vi,
Mary goes to school every day.
Si + (Vi +V2)
Mary goes to school and participates in her classes every day.
Si + (VI + V2 +
V3)
Mary goes to school, participates in her classes, and helps
the teacher every day.
(Si + S2) + Vi
(Si + S2 + S3) + V
(Si+
Mary and John go to school every day.
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S2 + S3) + (V1
Mary, John, and Anna go to school every day.
+ V2) Mary, John, and Anna go to school and participate in their
classes every day.
In a simple sentence a subject (or a group of subjects) has to match (go together) with the verb-predicate (or a
group) of verbs-predicates. If a separate subject matches a separate verb but not all the verbs in the sentence, we
have a different type of a sentence.
Simple sentences can be combined in a longer sentence, so we can have two, three, or four simple sentences in
a bigger sentence.
A sentence "inside" (as a part of another sentence is called a clause.
Kinds of Clauses
If a clause has a subject, a verb-predicate, and it makes sense (that means that we can use this clause as a
separate simple sentence), we call it an independent or a main clause.
If a clause has a subject, a verb-predicate, but it doesn't make sense (that means that we cannot use this clause
as a separate simple sentence), we call it a dependent or a subordinate clause.
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2. Compound sentences
If a sentence consists of two or more independent or main clauses, we have a compound sentence.
There are two ways of combining independent (main) clauses into a compound sentence:
1) When two or more independent clauses are close in meaning, we have to use a semicolon (;) to combine
them into a compound sentence.
For example,
Students enjoyed their practice in a computer lab; this activity, helped them raise their self-esteem.
an independent (main) clause ; an independent (main) clause
(S1 + V1); (S2 + V2)
2) Another way to combine two or more independent (main) clauses together is with the help of a
coordinating conjunction. In this case we need a comma after the first independent (main) clause and a
coordinating conjunction.
(Si + 1), coordinating conjunction + (S2 + V2)
Coordinating conjunctions:
(fan boys)
for [cause and effect] Mary goes to school, for she wants to study English.
and [two equal ideas]
Mary goes to school, and John stays home.
nor [(--) + (--)]
Mary doesn't play the piano, nor she plays the violin.
but [(--) + (+)]
[(+) +(--)] Mary sings to the guitar, but she doesn't know many songs.
or [two choices]
Yet [[(--)
Mary reads a book, or she watches a movie on TV in the evening.
(±)] or ft+)
so [cause and effect]
(--)]
Mary has been studying English for two years, yet she
is not very confident in it.
Mary wants to become a flight attendant, so besides English she
also studies etiquette.
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3. Complex sentences
If we combine one independent (main) clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses, we have a
complex sentence. A dependent (subordinate) clause is introduced with a subordinating conjunction or a relative
pronoun.
(Si + VI) subordinating conjunction/relative pronoun + (S2 + V2)
Independent
subordinating conjunction
dependent
(main) clause
relative pronoun
(subordinate) clause
Subordinating conjunctions: after, as, as soon as, before, since, until, where, wherever, when, whenever, while,
because, since, although, even though, though, while, whereas
Relative pronouns: who (whom), which, that
When a dependent (subordinate) clause comes before an independent (main) clause, we need a comma.
For example,
When Mary has time, she attends a dance class.
When an independent (main) clause comes before a dependent (subordinate) clause, we don't need a comma.
For example,
Mary attends a dance class when she has time.
or
Mary knows who starred in any movie during the last ten years.
4. Compound-Complex Sentences
If we have at least two independent (main) clauses and one dependent (subordinate) clause, we have a
compound-complex sentence. The punctuation in this sentence is similar to that of compound and complex
sentences.
For example,
Reading is his favorite activity, but unfortunately, he doesn't have enough time for it because his
working schedule and household chores take up all his time.
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Typical mistakes in sentence writing:
1. Fragment
When a dependent (subordinate) clause stays on its own, we have a fragment.
For example,
Because he was my best friend.
To fix a fragment, we have to either delete a subordinating conjunction or add a dependent (subordinate) clause
to an independent (main) clause.
For example,
a) He was my best friend.
b) I invited him to my birthday party because he was my best friend.
2. Incomplete Sentence
If the combination of words that ends on a period (.), exclamation mark (!), or a question mark (?) has no
subject and/or verb-predicate, we have an incomplete sentence.
For example,
a) Goes to school every day.
b) She a good teacher.
c) A good topic for an essay.
To fix an incomplete sentence, we need to add to it either a subject, or a verb-predicate, or both.
a) She goes to school every day.
b) She is a good teacher.
c) It is a good topic for an essay.
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3. Comma splice
When two independent (main) clauses are connected with a comma alone (without a coordinating conjunction
we have a comma splice mistake.
For example,
The college was famous in the community, she decided to sign up for a class in it.
There are four ways of fixing a sentence with a comma splice error.
#1. We can use a semicolon (;) between two clauses.
For example,
The college was famous in the community; she decided to sign up for a class in it.
#2. We can use the comma while adding .a coordinating conjunction after it.
For example,
The college was famous in the community, so she decided to sign up for a class in it.
#3. We can put a period at the end of the first clause and capitalize the first word of the second
clause.
For example,
The college was famous in the community. She decided to sign up for a class in it.
#4. We can convert one of independent clauses into a dependent one.
For example,
Since the college was famous in the community. She decided to sign up for a class in it.
4. Run-on
If there is no punctuation between two independent main clauses, we have a run-on sentence.
For example,
The college was famous in the community she decided to sign up for a class in it.
The techniques of fixing a run-on sentence are the same as those for fixing a comma splice (see above).
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Steps to analyze the structure of the sentence:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
find the subject(s);
find the verb(s)-predicate(s);
see if the subject(s) and the verb(s)-predicate(s) match each other;
if they do, you have a simple sentence; if they don't, you have clauses;
separate clauses;
see if the sentence(s)/clause(s) make(s) sense.
If you have a subject, a verb-predicate, and the sentence makes sense, you deal with an independent (main)
sentence/clause.
For example,
I used to watch a lot of cartoons.
The sentence has a subject (I), a verb-predicate used to), and it makes sense. It is an independent sentence and
we call it a simple sentence.
If you have a subject and a verb-predicate that match each other, but the sentence does not make sense, then you
deal with a fragment. Since it cannot exist on its own, we call it dependent or subordinate clause. This sentence
can be attached to an independent (main) clause to make a complex sentence. You will need a comma in a
complex sentence only if the dependent (subordinate) clause comes before the independent (main) clause.
For example,
When I was little.
The sentence has a subject (I), a verb-predicate (was), but it doesn't make sense. It is a dependent (subordinate)
clause and can't exist on its own. It has to be attached to an independent sentence, and both they will make a
complex sentence.
When I was little, I used to watch a lot of cartoons.
A sentence that consists of two or more independent (main) clauses is called
a compound sentence. These clauses have to be connected with the help of a coordinating conjunction and a
comma that goes before the conjunction.
For example,
I used to watch a lot of cartoons, but my brother used to play soccer.
If we have a combination of at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause, we deal with a
compound-complex sentence.
0 Gary Devino, 2020
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