Sentence structure

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Pre-Task: Week 18

Using academic language: The structure of a sentence

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There are three main types of sentences in English.

• Simple sentences;

• Compound sentences;
• Complex sentences.

You need to be familiar with how to construct different types of sentences accurately! We are going to focus on simple and complex sentences.

Here you can include a relevant data to highlight

• A simple sentence must have – at a minimum – a subject and a verb.
• It also usually has an object.
• The subject will always be a noun (or a noun phrase).
• It tells you who or what the sentence is about (who or what does the action).
• The verb tells you what the subject does (or is).
• The object will also be a noun (or a noun phrase).
• It shows you what or who is affected by the action described by the verb.

Features of simple sentences

Examples Subjects, verbs, objects

Psychologists study human behaviour. Different students have different methods of studying. Typical pets are cats and dogs. Popular subjects include Chemistry and Business Studies.

• When you need to do this, you can join two simple sentences together to form a compound sentence (‘compound’ means ‘made up of two or more parts’).
• Co-ordinators can be used to join the simple sentences.
• Co-ordinators are words such as ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘or’.

What about when you need to connect two simple sentences (to express a more complex idea)?

What are compound sentences?

Compound sentences have more than one verb and contain two or more clauses.The clauses in a compound sentence still make sense on their own and so we use coordinating conjunctions, such as 'and', 'but' and 'so' to link them together.For example:George realised he had forgotten his wallet so he walked quickly back to the house.Both clauses on each side of 'so' make sense on their own.Compound sentences are useful for connecting events and ideas in your writing.

Combine each pair of simple sentences into one compound sentence using one of these words: and, but, so.

The experiment yielded unexpected results. The team had to modify their hypothesis.

She applied for several internships over the summer. None of the companies responded to her applications.

The lecture was scheduled for 10 a.m. There was a last-minute change, and it started at 11 a.m.

They conducted extensive fieldwork in remote locations. They faced numerous logistical challenges along the way.

What are complex sentences?

Complex sentences include a dependent clause.Dependent clauses are known as 'dependent' because they need the main part of the sentence to make sense. They don’t make complete sense on their own.For example:George wanted to stay outside despite the driving rain and wind.The dependent clause here (‘despite the driving rain and wind’) does not make sense on its own.We use dependent clauses to add extra information to the main clause.Using complex sentences is an effective way to add more detail and interest to your writing, which is great for your reader!

The student finished her essay, but she forgot to submit it on time.

What type of sentence is this?

Complex sentence

Compound Sentence

Simple sentence

Next

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He submitted his application early to avoid any issues.

Compound sentence

Complex sentence

Simple sentence

Next

Try again

QUIZ LOREM IPSUM

1/5

The data was incomplete, so the research team requested more information.

Compound sentence

Simple sentence

Complex sentence

Try again

QUIZ LOREM IPSUM

1/5

Next

Because she was running late, Maria missed the first part of the lecture.

Complex sentence

Compound Sentence

Simple Sentence

Well done!

Try again

QUIZ LOREM IPSUM

1/5

The step-by-step interactive visual communication:

• Plan and structure your communication.
• Prioritize and give visual weight to the main points.
• Define secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow throughout the content.
• Measure the results.

They conducted extensive fieldwork in remote locations, but they faced numerous logistical challenges along the way.

The experiment yielded unexpected results, so the team had to modify their hypothesis.

She applied for several internships over the summer, but none of the companies responded to her applications.

The lecture was scheduled for 10 a.m., but there was a last-minute change, and it started at 11 a.m.