Unit 1 Understanding Sentence Basics

UNIT

Understanding Sentence Basics

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Organization

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

UNDERSTANDING SENTENCE BASICS

TYPES OF SENTENCES

SIMPLE SENTENCE

COMPOUND SENTENCE

COMPLEX SENTENCE

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE

COMMON SENTENCE ERRORS

Learning Objectives

• To learn about the sentence basics
• To learn how to write four types of sentence correctly

Parts of a Sentence

• Verb

• Subject

• Object

• Other information

What is a sentence?

• It’s a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

e.g. Joe likes basketball. The weather is cold today.

• Words can go together to make sentences.
• Sentences can go together to make a paragraph.
• Paragraphs can be combined into an essay.

Parts of a Sentence

• Every sentence has two main parts:
• the subject (S)
• the verb (V)
• Sometimes there is an object and/or other information after the verb.

Sentence Basics

SUBJECT

• The subject is the person or thing that does the action.
• The subject can be a noun or a pronoun and can be two (or more) nouns/ pronouns.
• However, the nouns / pronouns must share the same verb (s).

e.g. Maria and her sister go to piano class every week.

Sentence Basics

VERB

The verb tells what the subject is doing. The verb:

• is usually an action word, such as go, speak, write, swim and watch
• sometimes does not have much action, such as be (am, is, are, was, were), like want, and need
• can have two (or more) actions for one subject.

e.g. They create and play beautiful music.

Sentence Basics

OBJECT

• The object is the thing or person after the main verb.
• The object:
• Receives the action of the verb
• Can be a noun or a pronoun
• Can be two (or more) nouns / pronouns

e.g. Maria’s brother plays guitar and violin.

Sentence Basics

OTHER INFORMATION

• Sentences can contain other information after the verb and the object, such as time words / phrases or place phrases.
• When a sentence has a time word / phrase and a place phrase, the time word / phrase usually comes last.

e.g. Maria and her sister practice the piano at home everyday.

TYPES OF SENTENCES

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

TYPES OF SENTENCES

There are four types of sentence.

1. Simple sentence

2. Compound sentence

3. Complex sentence

4. Compoun-Complex sentence

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Simple Sentence

• Simple sentence can have one of several possible formulas.
• Four possible formulas of simple sentence:
1. S V
2. S S V
3. S V V
4. S S V V

• The Star Wars movies were international hits.

• Young people and adults enjoyed them.

• The films entertained and thrilled audiences everywhere.

• Luke Skywalker and his friends battled evil and made us laugh at the same time.

Practice

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Compound Sentence

• A compound sentence has two or more subject-verb combinations.

• It is composed of at least two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction.
• Possible formula: S V , Coord. Conj. S V.

Example:

We went shopping yesterday, but we didn’t buy anything.

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Compound Sentence

• Use ’comma’ before a coordinating conjunction in compound sentences only.
• Do not use a comma to join two words or two phrases in a simple sentence.

Example:

1. We went shopping yesterday, but we didn’t buy anything.
2. The stores were crowded, and they were noisy.
3. We went shopping yesterday but didn’t buy anything.
4. The store were crowded and noisy.

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Compound Sentence

• For has the same meaning as because, used to introduce a reason or cause.
• And joins sentences that are alike.
• Nor means ‘not this and not that’; use nor to join two negative sentences.
• But joins sentences that are opposite or show contrast.
• Or joins sentences that give choices or alternatives.
• Yet is used when the second part of the sentence says something unexpected or surprising.
• So joins sentences when the second sentence expresses the result of something described in the first sentence.

Coordinating Conjunctions

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence is a combination of one independent clause and one (or) more dependent clause (s).e.g. Anna left the party early because she was tired.

• An independent clause can be a sentence by itself. It’s another name of simple sentence.

e.g. Anna left the party early.

• A dependent clause can not be a sentence by itself because its meaning is not complete.

• It depends on something else to complete its meaning.

e.g. …. because she was tired.

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Complex Sentence

Subordinating Conjuctions (Subordinator)

• Time Subordinators: after, as , as soon as, before, since, until, when, whenever, while
• Reason Subordinators: because, since, as
• Place Subordinators: where, where ever

TYPES OF SENTNECES

Compound-Complex Sentence

• A compound-complex sentence is a combination of a compound sentence with a complex sentence.
• It contains at least two independent clauses (like a compound sentence) and at least one dependent clause (like a complex sentence).

Example:

1. The man was mean because he was lonely, but his attitude only made his situation worse.
2. The dog ran off when I chased him, but I didn’t care.
3. When I went to the store, my parents wanted me to pick up some milk, but I didn’t have enough money.

Common Sentence Errors

Subject-Verb Agreement

Common Sentence Errors

Subject-Verb Agreement

• When writing, it is important that the verbs agree with the subjects. Notice the subject-verb agreement rules for the simple present.

Common Sentence Errors

Subject-Verb Agreement

Exercise

A Fragment

Common Sentence Errors

A Fragment - An Incomplete Sentence

• A sentence without a subject or without a verb is called a Fragment.
• It is a piece of sentence.
• It is a dependent clause. A dependent clasue is never a complete sentence.

NOTE: To correct a sentence fragment:

• add a subject or verb, or
• combine two clauses

I went to Italy last summer. Was a wonderful trip. (no subject) I went to Italy last summer. It was a wonderful trip. Only 120 students majored in art. Because they are worried about job opportunities. (a dependent clause)Only 120 students majored in art because they are worried about job opportunities.

A Run-On Sentence

Common Sentence Errors

A run-on sentence

• It is two sentences in correctly joined without a comma or a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, so, yet, nor, for).

NOTE: To correct a run-on sentence:

• add a comma and a connecting word, or
• seperate the sentences into two with a period.

I went to Italy and saw Rome I didn't get to see Milan. I went to Italy and saw Rome, but I didn't get to see Milan. (add comma and connecting word) I went to Italy and saw Rome. I didn't get to see Milan. (seperate into two sentences)

A Comma Splice

Common Sentence Errors

A Comma Splice

• It occurs when two or more sentences or independent clauses are connected with a comma.

I went to Italy last summer, it was a wonderful trip. I went to Italy last summer, and it was a wonderful trip. (add connecting word) I went to Italy last summer. It was a wonderful trip. (create two sentences) Only 120 students majored in art, because they are worried about job opportunities. Only 120 students majored in art because they are worried about job opportunities. Because they are worried about job opportunities, only 120 students majored in art. (add a subordinating conjunction)

Three Common Sentence Errors

A Comma Splice

NOTE: To correct a comma splice:

• add a connecting word after the comma,
• create two sentences from the one, or
• combine the most important words from the two sentences into one sentence and add a subordinating conjuction (because, since, although)

Exercise

Thank You!

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