SENTENCES andSENTENCES andSENTENCE SENTENCE

STRUCTURESSTRUCTURES

SENTENCES andSENTENCES andSENTENCE SENTENCE

STRUCTURESSTRUCTURESOCS English IOCS English IMrs. BonifayMrs. Bonifay

What IS a Sentence?• A sentence has a subject and a

predicate that work together to make a complete thought.

Pick which of the following is a sentence:• Throughout people’s ears grow. • Because ears grow.• Throughout people’s lives their

ears.• People’s ears grow throughout

their entire lives.

Pick which of the following is a sentence:• Throughout people’s ears grow. • Because ears grow.• Throughout people’s lives their

ears.• People’s ears grow throughout

their entire lives.

A Subject?• The subject of a sentence is a

noun or pronoun that tells who or what the subject is.

• Example: This horse is brown.

A Predicate?• A predicate is a verb or verb

phrase that tells what the subject is doing

• Example: The horse is runningaround the track.

REVIEW• So, we know a sentence is a group

of words that: 1. has a subject (noun or pronoun). 2. has a predicate (verb or verb

phrase). 3. expresses a complete thought.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• To find the subject, ask : “Who or what is the sentence about?”

• To find an action verb, ask: “What is the subject doing?”

• If you can’t find an action verb, look for a linking verb such as is, will, are, or has. Example: The cat is brown.

Which comes first? The subject or the verb?

• In most sentences, the subject will come before the verb.

• However, in questions, for example, the verb will often come before the subject.

• Example: The fish is in the pond. Is the fish in the pond?

Clauses • There are two types of clauses: 1. independent: can stand alone

because they have a subject and verb; a complete sentence!

2. dependent: cannot stand alone because they do not express a complete thought even though they have a subject and verb.

Sentence Structure:The Fab Four

• Independent and dependent clauses can be used in ways to form the four basic types of sentences:

1. simple 2. compound 3. complex 4. compound-complex

Simple Sentences• A simple sentence has one

independent clause. That means it has one subject and one verb.

• A simple sentence can also have adjectives and adverbs.

• A simple sentence cannot have another independent clause or any dependent clauses.

Examples of Simple Sentences:

• One subject, one verb: Americans eat a lot of apples.• Compound subject, one verb: Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are

basketball players.• One subject, compound verb: My son toasts and butters his bread.

Compound Sentences• A compound sentence consists of

two or more independent clauses.• The independent clauses can be

joined in two ways: 1. with a coordinating conjunction

(for, and, nor, or, but, yet, so) 2. with a semicolon (;)

More Compound Sentences:

• As with a simple sentence, a compound sentence cannot have any dependent clauses.

Independent

Clause

ConjunctionOr

Semicolon

Independent

Clause

Sally went to the store and

John picked her up an hour later.

The largest mammals are found in the sea

;there is nowhere else to put them.

She loves to play volleyball

butshe is better at basketball.

Complex Sentences• A complex sentence has one independent

clause (called the main clause) and at least one dependent clause.

• These sentences use subordinating conjunctions to link (until, while, when, and even though).

Example: The lake dries up (independent clause) when (subordinating conjunction) the heat comes (dependent clause/includes subordinating conjunction).

Compound-Complex Sentences

• A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

• The dependent clause can be part of the independent clause.

Example: I planned to drive to work (independent), but I couldn’t (independent) until the mechanic repaired my car (dependent).

A little practice!• For the following sentences, label

each simple (1), compound (2), complex (3), or compound-complex (4):

1. If at first you don’t succeed, try,try again.

2. The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

3. You never really learn to be independent until you learn to drive.

4. It takes about half a gallon of water to cook spaghetti and about a gallon of water to clean the pot.

5. Monday is an awful way to spend one-seventh of your life.

6. Global warming explains the warm winter and if you don’t believe that, why not?

7. To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to fall below your principles.

8. Two wrongs don’t make a right.9. When oxygen is combined with anything,

heat is given off, a process known as combustion.

10. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

Answers1. Complex 7. Complex2. Simple 8. Simple3. Complex 9. Compound-4. Compound complex5. Simple 10. Compound6. Compound-complex

Sentence Functions• There are four sentence functions in

English: 1. Declarative sentences state an

idea. 2. Exclamatory sentences show

strong emotions. 3. Interrogative sentences ask a

question 4. Imperative sentences give orders

or directions.

Examples• Declarative: The dogs likes to sleep

on the porch.• Exclamatory: What a mess this

room is!• Interrogative: Why did Jane go to

the early movie?• Imperative: Sit down and be quiet.

Sentence Errors• There are two basic types of

sentence errors: 1. Fragments 2. Run-ons

Sentence Fragments• A sentence fragment is a group of

words that do not express a complete thought. Most of the time, a fragment is missing a subject, a verb, or both.

Example: Because I said so! Used to cure ticks and

fleas.

Run-On Sentences & Comma Splices

• A run-on sentence is two incorrectly joined independent clauses. Example: Godzilla wants to sleep he is exhausted from destroying Tokyo.

• A comma splice is a run-on sentence with a comma where the two independent clauses run together. Example: The sun is high, put on some sunblock.

Run-Ons• Run-on sentences are not

necessarily long. Example: She walked he ran.

• The second clause of a run-on often begins with a pronoun. Example: Godzilla wants to sleep he is exhausted from destroying Tokyo.

Corrections• Godzilla wants to sleep. He is exhausted from

destroying Tokyo. (Two sentences)• Godzilla wants to sleep, for he is exhausted

from destroying Tokyo. (Coordinating conjunction)

• Godzilla wants to sleep, because he is exhausted from destroying Tokyo. (subordinating conjunction)

• Godzilla wants to sleep; he is exhausted from destroying Tokyo. (semi-colon)