AcAdemic writing (PPS1503) For PoStgrAduAte StudentS iPB univerSity Bogor, August 2023 UNIT 1 SENTENCE WRITING: THE SIMPLE SENTENCE Objectives: By the end of the unit, you are expected to be able to: 1. identify different types of subjects/objects/complements; 2. write simple sentences; 3. write sentences using different types of pronouns. Before we discuss subject, object, and complement, let’s have a look at their functions in a simple sentence. The Simple Sentence A simple sentence has at least a SUBJECT and a PREDICATE. Look at the following summary of a simple sentence: Function SUBJECT PREDICATE OBJECT/ COMPLEMENT Form Noun Pronoun Gerund To Infinitive Filler/Expletive Action Verb/ Linking Verb Noun Pronoun Gerund To Infinitive Adjective Adverb Size Word Phrase Word Phrase Word Phrase Page | 1 A subject can be in the form of a Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, To Infinitive, or Filler/Expletive (It/There). A predicate can be in the form of an Action Verb like BUY or a linking verb like BE. Not all sentences have an object. When the predicate of a sentence is a transitive verb, then the sentence needs an object. An intransitive verb does not have an object. The component that comes after a linking verb is called a complement. An object can be in the form of a Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or To Infinitive. These forms can also function as a complement. Besides one of those forms, a complement can also be in the form of an adjective or an adverb. Examples: 1. Ann bought a new car. S (noun) 2. Bobby slept early last night. V 3. She felt tired. C (adj) 4. Studying the whole day is tiring. S (gerund) 5. To have a true friend is a gift. S (to infinitive) 6. It is sunny most of the time. S (expletive) 7. There are more than ten students in the room. S (expletive) 8. The teachers like them. O (pronoun) 9. During the break we want to eat. S (pronoun) 10. In my spare time I enjoy reading. O (gerund) 11. Most of the participants are in their first year. C (adverb) 12. We are discussing simple sentences. O (noun phrase) Page | 2 Exercise 1 Identify whether the underlined part is a Noun (phrase), a Pronoun, a Gerund (phrase), an Infinitive (phrase), an Adjective, an Adverb, or a Filler. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Mr. Johnson is in the office right now. To visit a new place is always interesting. It is always interesting to visit a new place. The girl in red is reading a beautiful poem. These apples are too ripe. Do you like them? The lectures are very long. Do you like them? Living in a big town is sometimes frustrating. Over the past ten years he has lived by himself. None of the students are excited to go on a field trip. They really appreciate being invited to the seminar. There were a lot of people on the street this morning. Yesterday they went downtown to buy new furniture. Exercise 2 Find the subject of each sentence, and then identify whether it is a NOUN (phrase), an INFINITIVE (phrase), a GERUND (phrase), a PRONOUN, or a FILLER/an EXPLETIVE. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. To get a good mark needs hard work. Swimming in a river can sometimes be fun. On the way to his office, he got an accident. To live in a big city is sometimes frustrating. There were some books on your table yesterday. During the interview, he only gave short answers. It is not easy to please everybody at the same time. Yesterday many students came late to the first meeting. Lately the radio has announced the campaign program. Reading English novels can help you improve your vocabulary. Page | 3 Exercise 3 Identify the SUBJECT, the VERB, the OBJECT, or the COMPLEMENT in each sentence below 1. Some girls are singing in the hall. 2. Most of the students were exhausted. 3. To write a long composition is not easy. 4. On the way to campus, we met our old friends. 5. The bicycle in the parking lot has very big wheels. 6. We left our house early this morning. 7. Reading novels can improve your vocabulary. 8. The students are doing some experiments in the laboratory. 9. One of the girls near the counter is my niece. 10. Whoever made this mess should be punished. Exercise 4 Identify each component in the following sentences based on its function and form. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. We are academics. It seems dark outside. Dina went overseas last Sunday. Cindy is taking English this semester. To be fluent in English needs practice. Memorizing difficult words takes time. In rush hours traffic cannot move quickly. During the holidays some canteens are closed. Some scientific journals are now available online. We have registered the names of the participants. After getting familiar with the components of a simple sentence, we now move to focus on pronouns, which can function as a subject, an object, or a complement in the sentence. Page | 4 Pronoun Subject Object I We You You He She It They me us you you him her it them Possessive Adjective my our your your his her its their Pronoun mine ours yours yours his hers theirs Reflexive/ Emphatic myself ourselves yourself yourselves himself herself itself themselves Others many any one ones that who etc. Examples: 1. We met John at the library. He was searching for a topic for his paper in the reference section. 2. During the summer holiday a lot of people go to the beach. Most of them go sunbathing and swimming. 3. A new department store is being built in the middle of town. It will become the biggest department store in our town. 4. The book that you lent me is very interesting. I think it is very useful for our program. 5. I have a lot of pens. Would you like one? Exercise 5 Complete the following sentences with the appropriate pronouns. 1. The cat is not eating _______________ food. 2. My neighbors are nice. I like _______________. Page | 5 3. That is Maria Carey. _______________ is British. 4. My office is not big. _______________ is very small. 5. Look! Mike is coming. Can you see _______________? 6. Peter has his book but I don’t have _______________. 7. Do you live by _______________ or with other people? 8. John taught _______________ to swim. He did not take any lessons. 9. The girl ______you met at the party is one of the smartest in our class. 10. Leny and Bruce have two children. _______ names are Ken and Eva. Exercise 6 I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate pronouns from the list. A. him B. his C. it D. himself E. they John really likes (1)__________ new job. The job enables (2) __________ to travel quite a lot. Although (3) __________ is not well-paid, he enjoys it very much. He makes friends with everybody. He (4) __________ is friendly and helpful. He has a lot of friends. (5) __________ sometimes go out together in the evening. II. A. he B. her C. herself D. it E. its One of the main reasons why Samantha has to live in Indonesia is 6)_______ father. (7) ________ is the Ambassador of her country. Actually, she likes living here because of (8) __________ beautiful weather and wonderful scenery. When her father returns home, Samantha has to live by (9)__________ for a while. However, she is not worried because (10) __________ has a lot of friends. III. A. where B. who C. one D. any E. we During the summer vacation my friends and I went to a small town in the south. The hotel (11) _______ we stayed was quite comfortable. We met the owner of the hotel (12) __________ was very friendly. (13) _______ had a long chat. We wanted to see a cow, but she didn’t have (14) ________. However, on the way back from the river we managed to see (15) ________. Page | 6 7
