Sentence Structure
Avoiding common problems
What is a sentence?
What is a sentence?
 Subject
What is a sentence?
 Subject
 Predicate (verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.)
What is a sentence?
 Subject
 Predicate: verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.
 Starts with a capital letter, ends with a period
What is a sentence?
 Subject
 Predicate: verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.
 Starts with a capital letter, ends with a period
 Expresses a complete thought
What is a complete thought?
What is a complete thought?
 It can stand alone
What is a complete thought?
 It can stand alone
 It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
What is a complete thought?
 It can stand alone
 It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
 Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
What is a complete thought?
 It can stand alone
 It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
 Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
 Examples--after, although, as, as if, because,
before, even if, even though, if, in order to,
since, though, unless, until, whatever, when,
whenever, whether, and while
What is a complete thought?
 It can stand alone
 It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
 Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
 Examples--after, although, as, as if, because,
before, even if, even though, if, in order to,
since, though, unless, until, whatever, when,
whenever, whether, and while
 These words can make an independent
clause into a dependent clause
Make sure you know the difference
Make sure you know the difference
 Independent clause: subject and predicate
and can stand alone
Make sure you know the difference
 Independent clause: subject and predicate
and can stand alone
 Dependent clause: subject and predicate and
cannot stand alone
All sentences are not created equal
All sentences are not created equal
 There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
All sentences are not created equal
 There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
 “The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
All sentences are not created equal
 There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
 “The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
 There are compound sentences: two
independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, or, but, for, nor)
All sentences are not created equal
 There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
 “The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
 There are compound sentences: two
independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, or, but, for, nor)
 “The student in the library read many
interesting books, but none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
All sentences are not created equal
 There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
All sentences are not created equal
 There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
All sentences are not created equal
 There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
 There are compound-complex sentences: two
independent clauses and at least one
dependent clause
All sentences are not created equal
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
All sentences are not created equal
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
 The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
All sentences are not created equal
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
 The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
 First independent clause: none provided the
information needed for the research paper
All sentences are not created equal
 Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
 The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
 First independent clause: none provided the
information needed for the research paper
 Second independent clause: and she began
to despair.
Why does any of this matter?
Why does any of this matter?
 Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
Why does any of this matter?
 Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
 Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
Why does any of this matter?
 Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
 Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
 Sentences that are “too long” (comma splices
or run-ons)
Why does any of this matter?
 Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
 Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
 Sentences that are “too long” (comma splices
or run-ons)
 WARNING: A long sentence is not
necessarily a run-on sentence
Sentence fragments
Sentence fragments
 May be missing something
Sentence fragments
 May be missing something
 Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
Sentence fragments
 May be missing something
 Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
 May be a dependent clause
Sentence fragments
 May be missing something
 Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
 May be a dependent clause
 Which is the reason why I was always
confused
Sentence fragments
 May be missing something
 Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
 May be a dependent clause
 Which is the reason why I was always
confused
 Although I always come to class
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
 But lacks proper punctuation
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
 But lacks proper punctuation
 John read the book he liked it a lot.
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
 But lacks proper punctuation
 John read the book he liked it a lot.
 John read the book. He liked it a lot.
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
 But lacks proper punctuation
 John read the book he liked it a lot.
 John read the book. He liked it a lot.
 It’s snowing outside let’s go play.
Run-on sentence
 “Too long”
 Contains more than one independent clause
 But lacks proper punctuation
 John read the book he liked it a lot.
 John read the book. He liked it a lot.
 It’s snowing outside let’s go play.
 It’s snowing outside. Let’s go play.
However = but (not)
However = but (not)
 But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
However = but (not)
 But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
 The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
However = but (not)
 But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
 The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
 However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
However = but (not)
 But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
 The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
 However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
 But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
 The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
 However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
 Wrong, wrong, wrong.
However = but (not)
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
 Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
 Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
 Or: The man ate the sandwich, but he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
 The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
 Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
 Or: The man ate the sandwich, but he was
soon hungry again.
 Or: The man ate the sandwich. However he
was soon hungry again.
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
 But can become repetitive
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
 But can become repetitive
 Compound sentences add variety
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
 But can become repetitive
 Compound sentences add variety
 But can become long and unwieldy
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
 But can become repetitive
 Compound sentences add variety
 But can become long and unwieldy
 Complex sentences provide perspective
Skilled writers use a mix
 Simple sentences are easy to read
 But can become repetitive
 Compound sentences add variety
 But can become long and unwieldy
 Complex sentences provide perspective
 But can be confusing
A simple sentence
 Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A simple sentence
 Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A simple sentence
 Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A compound sentence
 But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
 But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
 But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
 But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A complex sentence
 Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
 Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
 Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
 Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
 who has long played less of an operational
role is a dependent clause
Credit
 Sentence examples adapted from:
 Al Qaeda Chiefs Are Seen to Regain
Power
 NYT, Feb. 19, 2007