Sentence Structure

I. Clauses:

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. A clause is a group of

words that contains (at least) a subject and a verb.
These are clauses: These are not clauses:
ecology is a science to protect the environment
because pollution causes cancer after working all day

There are two kinds of clauses: independent and dependent.

a. Independent Clauses
An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses
a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence by itself. An
independent clause is formed with

Subject + verb (+complement)

Students normally spend four years in college.
I will declare my major now, but I may change it later.
Many international students experience culture shock when
they come to the United States.

b. Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause begins with a subordinator such as when,
while, if, that, or who. A dependent clause does not express a
complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence by itself. A
dependent clause is formed with
Subordinator + subject + verb (+ complement)
…although students normally spend four years in college…
…if I declare my major now…
…when they come to the United States…
…who was accepted at Harvard University…
…that the experiment was a success…
Exercise 1:
Write INDEP next to the independent clauses and put a period (.) after
them. Write DEP next to the dependent clauses.
1. Jet lag affects most long-distance travelers
2. Which is simply the urge to sleep at inappropriate times
3. During long journeys through several time zones, the body's inner
clock is disrupted
4. For some reason, travel from west to east causes greater jet lag
than travel from east to west
5. Also, changes in work schedules can cause jet lag
6. When hospital nurses change from a day shift to a night shift, for
example
7. Although there is no sure way to prevent jet lag
8. There are some ways to minimize it
9. Because jet lag is caused at least partially by loss of sleep, not just a
change in the time of sleep
10.A traveler should plan to arrive at his or her destination as late as
possible
11.Upon arriving, he or she should immediately go to bed
12.Then the traveler should start to live in the new time frame
immediately

II. Kinds of Sentences

A sentence is a group of words that you use to communicate your ideas.
Every sentence is formed from one or more clauses and expresses a
complete thought.
There are basically four kinds of sentences in English: simple, compound,
complex, and compound-complex. The kind of sentence is determined by
the kind of clauses used to form it.
a. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is one independent clause.
I enjoy playing tennis with my friends every weekend.
I enjoy playing tennis and look forward to it every weekend.
My friends and I play tennis and go bowling every weekend.
Notice that the second sentence has two verbs, enjoy and look forward
to. This is called a compound verb. Because there is only one clause, this
is a simple sentence. The third sentence has a compound subject as well
as a compound verb, but it is still a simple sentence because it has only
one clause.

b. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined
together. There are three ways to join the clauses:
1. With a coordinator I enjoy tennis, but I hate golf.
2. With a semicolon I enjoy tennis; I hate golf
I enjoy tennis; however, I hate
golf.

Let's study each type of compound sentence in more detail:

1. Compound Sentences with Coordinators
A compound sentence can be formed as follows:
Independent Clause, + coordinator + independent clause

Notice that there is a comma after the first independent clause. The
following sentences illustrate the meanings of the seven "FAN BOYS"
coordinators.
Exercise no. 2
For each pair of sentences below, choose a coordinator that best fits the
meaning, and join the two independent clauses to form a compound
sentence. Use each FAN BOYS coordinator once.
1. The accident at the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in the
United States created fears about the safety of this energy source.
The disaster at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union confirmed
them.
2. Solar heating system are economical to operate. The cost of
installation is very high.
3. Energy needs are not going to decrease. Energy sources are not
going to increase. (Use nor and question word order in the second
clause, deleting the word not)
4. Burning fossil fuels causes serious damage to our planet. We need
to develop other sources of energy.
 5. Ecologists know that burning fossil fuels causes holes in the ozone
layer. People continue to do it.
6. Poorer nations especially will continue this harmful practice. They
don't have the money to develop "clean" energy sources.
7. All nations of the world must take action. Our children and
grandchildren will suffer the consequences.

2. Compound Sentences with Semicolons

A compound sentence can also be formed by a semicolon alone:
Independent Clause; independent clause
My older brother studies law; my younger brother studies medicine.
Poland was the first Eastern European country to turn away from
communism; others soon followed.

This kind of compound sentences is possible only when the two

independent clauses are closely related in meaning. If they aren't
closely related, they should be written as two simple sentences, each
ending with a period.

Exercise no. 3
Place a semicolon between the two independent clauses in the following
compound sentences.
1. The American way of life apparently does not foster marital
happiness half of all American marriages end in divorce.
2. Motherhood causes some women to quit their jobs others
continue working despite having young children to care for.
3. Three hundred guests attended his wedding two attended his
funeral.

c. Complex sentences
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one (or
more) dependent clause(s). in a complex sentence, one idea is
generally more important than the other one. The more important
 idea is placed in the independent clause, and the less important idea is
placed in the dependent clause.
Examples of Complex sentences:
(Dependent Clauses are in bold)
1. Although women in the United States could own a property, they
could not vote until 1920.
2. Men who are not married are called bachelors.
3. Last year we vacationed in the Red Sea, which features excellent
scuba diving.
4. Scientists believe that excess chlorofluorocarbons in the
atmosphere are responsible for creating it.
Exercise no. 4
Underline the dependent clause of each sentence.
1. When students from other countries come to the United States,
they often suffer from culture shock.
2. Because the cost of education has risen, many students are having
financial problems.
3. Engineers, who have an aptitude for drafting and mechanics, must
also be artistic and imaginative.
4. While the contractor follows the blueprint, the engineer checks the
construction in progress.
5. Since the blueprint presents the details of the engineer's plans, it
must be interpreted accurately by the contractor.

Exercise no. 5
Change the following compound sentences to complex sentences by
subordinating one of the clauses. Use the subordinator given. Note: Be
sure to add the subordinator to the correct clause so the resulting
sentence is logical.
Example: It was raining, so I took an umbrella to work. (because)
Not logical: It was raining because I took an umbrella to work.
Logical: I took an umbrella to work because it was raining.
1. In the former Soviet Union, men and women had access to equal
education and job opportunities, for that reflected the Soviet
philosophy. (since)

2. The 1937 Soviet constitution declared that women and men had
equal rights and responsibilities, and women joined the workforce.
(after)
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3. Also, millions of Russian men were away in military during World
War II, so Russian women filled their places at work. (because)
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4. Soviet women worked full time at their jobs, but they also had the
primary responsibility for taking care of the family. (although)
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5. They finished their work, and they had to shop, cook the evening
meal, and perhaps wash, iron, or perhaps mend the family's
clothes. (as soon as)
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