Sentence Structure

By: [email protected]
 A sentence is a group of
words that expresses a
complete thought, but
there are two types of
1. What is a sentences.
sentence?
SentenceF Complete
ragment Sentence
2
Sentence fragment
Words that don’t have a
complete idea. You can
only understand them if
they are in a context. It
may be clear in a
conversation, but not in
writing. For example,

3
 out to
lunch possibly
Sentence fragment not
Words that don’t have a
complete idea. You can
only understand them if from time
they are in a context. It to time
may be clear in a
conversation, but not in
start at
writing. For example, night

in some hours

4
 out to
lunch possibly
Sentence fragment not
Words that don’t have a
complete idea. You can
only understand them if from time
they are in a context. It to time
may be clear in a
conversation, but not in
start at
writing. For example, night
Guess what the context is in some hours
for each one of these
fragments.
5
Complete
Sentence
In written form, a
complete sentence
always begins with a
capital letter and
always ends with a
punctuation mark to
signal that an idea
has finished, like the
following,
6
Complete
Sentence
In written form, a
complete sentence
always begins with a
capital letter and
always ends with a
punctuation mark to
signal that an idea period question mark exclamation mark
has finished, like the
following,
7
There are four types of complete sentences with different
characteristics. Classify them in the correct columns.
TYPE

OBJECTIVE

CHARACTERISTICS

FREQUENCY IN
WRITING

EXAMPLE

8
 TYPE Declarative Interrogative Exclamatory Imperative

OBJECTIVE It states a fact. It asks a question Expresses a strong Makes a request or gives an
emotion order

· Begins with capital · Begins with capital · Begins with · Begins with a capital
CHARACTERISTICS letter letter capital letter letter
· Ends with a period · Ends with a · Ends with an · Ends with exclamation
question mark exclamation mark mark or period,
depending on how
forceful the command is
· Doesn’t have a subject

FREQUENCY IN
Most common Common Rare Rare
WRITING

EXAMPLE The local wildlife refuge When will tomorrow That was a fabulous Always read the safety
is home to over seventy morning’s band party! instructions before using a
species of birds. rehearsal begin? new power tool.
9
2. Parts of a sentence

10
Subject

What the sentence is talking about.

My younger sister Ingrid once worked as a

costume designer.

11
Subject

What the sentence is talking about.

Its nucleus is the simple subject.

My younger sister Ingrid once worked as a

costume designer.

12
Subject

What the sentence is talking about.

Its nucleus is the simple subject.

My younger sister Ingrid once worked as a

costume designer.
Whatever that is not part of the
subject. It says what the subject is
or does.

Predicate 13
Subject

What the sentence is talking about.

Its nucleus is the simple subject.

My younger sister Ingrid once worked as a

costume designer.
Whatever that is not part of the
subject. It says what the subject is
or does. Its nucleus is the verb.

Predicate 14
Compound
Subject

It is two or more things that work

together as the subject, joined by
the word and or the word or.

Dogs and cats sometimes enjoy living together.

15
Compound
Subject

It is two or more things that work

together as the subject, joined by
the word and or the word or.

Dogs and cats sometimes enjoy living together.

Subject
Compound subject
Simple subject
16
The giant tree bent and swayed in the wind.

Two or more verbs that describe

what the subject does, joined by
the word and or the word or.

Compound
verb 17
 Compound verb

Predicate

The giant tree bent and swayed in the wind.

Two or more verbs that describe

what the subject does, joined by
the word and or the word or.

Compound
verb 18
 Compound verb

Predicate

The giant tree bent and swayed in the wind.

Two or more verbs that describe

what the subject does, joined by
Note: It is not so common the word and or the word or.
to have a sentence with
both compound subjects Compound
and compound verbs.
verb 19
 Exercise: Find the subject,
simple subject, the predicate and
verb. Also tell if it is simple or
compound.

20
 1. Fifty-three officers
2. Little Amy fell asleep
received medals at the
and snored under the
Police Department
kitchen table all night.
awards ceremony.

Exercise: Find the subject, 3. The number of

simple subject, the predicate and businesses in this
verb. Also tell if it is simple or country has increased
compound. every year for the past
decade.
5. A car and a
truck crashed last 4. Birds and dinosaurs are
night. biologically related.
21
3. Four types
of sentence
structure

22
Clause: It is a group of words with a subject and a verb (like a
sentence, but with some differences). There are two types.

Europa is one
of the moons of
Jupiter.

Independent
23
Clause: It is a group of words with a subject and a verb (like a
sentence, but with some differences). There are two types.

Subordinate Because
conjunction:
If Europa has
After oceans filled
Because
Since with water, like
Although the Earth.
When
Until

Independent Subordinate
24
Clause: It is a group of words with a subject and a verb (like a
sentence, but with some differences). There are two types.

Because Subordinate Because

conjunction:
Europa has If Europa has
After oceans filled
oceans filled
Because
with water, like Since with water, like
Although the Earth.
the Earth.
When
Until

Independent Subordinate
25
Clauses are important to know because they are part of the
four types of sentence structures:

Simple
sentence
Life may exist on
One Europa.
independent
clause

26
Clauses are important to know because they are part of the
four types of sentence structures:

Compound sentence Many astronomers

Two or more independent
believe in extraterrestrial
clauses joined either by life; others disagree.
-a semicolon;
-a comma and a coordinating Many astronomers
conjunction: For
And believe in extraterrestrial
Nor
But life, but others disagree.
Or
Yet
So
27
Clauses are important to know because they are part of the
four types of sentence structures:

Complex sentence
An independent clause and one or
more subordinate clauses
If extraterrestrial life is
introduced by a subordinate ever discovered, it will
conjunction: change human history.
After, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as,
as though, because, before, by the time, even, even if, even
though, every time, if, if only, if then, if when, in case, in order
that, in the event that, inasmuch, just as, lest, now, now since,
now, that, now when, once, only, only if, provided, provided
Subordinate clause +
that, rather than, since, so, so that, supposing, than, that, the independent clause
first time, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where,
where if, whereas, wherever, whether, whether or not, which,
while, who, whoever, why, 28
Clauses are important to know because they are part of the
four types of sentence structures:

Compound-complex
sentence
Although no sign of life on
Two or more independent clauses other worlds has yet been
and one or more subordinate
found, the search continues,
clauses. It must contain at least 3
clauses. and many predict success.
Note: Some writers in English wrote sentences that
could go on for many clauses, even for a complete
page. William Faulkner used to write sentences with Subordinate clause + independent
10, 12, or even more clauses.
clause + independent clause
29
There is a big mistake to avoid:

Run-on sentence
I like clowns, they can be
Two independent clauses that are scary though, I saw three
joined but without a semicolon or
yesterday at the circus.
any FANBOY. Normally they are
written with a comma.
Independent clause + independent
clause + independent clause

30
There is a big mistake to avoid:

Run-on sentence
I like clowns; they can be
Two independent clauses that are scary though. I saw three
joined but without a semicolon or
yesterday at the circus.
any FANBOY. Normally they are
written with a comma.
To correct it, you can just include a Independent clause + independent
semicolon, any of the FANBOYs or clause + independent clause
just split the sentences with a
period.

31
Exercise: Decide if the sentences are simple, a compound, a
complex, a compound-complex sentence, or a run-on sentence.
1. Jazz is the greatest American musical form, and Duke Ellington is its
greatest genius.
2. Although young women want to participate in sports as much as young
men, women’s sports often don’t receive equal funding from colleges.
3. Mount Kilimanjaro is the subject of a stunning new IMAX ® documentary
film.
4. The author Mark Twain was fascinated by technology, he was the first writer
ever to deliver a typed manuscript to his publisher.
5. When I visited California last summer, I spent one week in San Francisco,
and I visited the nearby Napa Valley with my cousin.
32
Answers:
1. Jazz is the greatest American musical form, and Duke Ellington is its greatest
genius. - Compound sentence
2. Although young women want to participate in sports as much as young men,
women’s sports often don’t receive equal funding from colleges.- Complex
sentence
3. Mount Kilimanjaro is the subject of a stunning new IMAX ® documentary film.-
Simple sentence
4. The author Mark Twain was fascinated by technology, he was the first writer
ever to deliver a typed manuscript to his publisher.- Run-on sentence
5. When I visited California last summer, I spent one week in San Francisco, and I
visited the nearby Napa Valley with my cousin.- Complex compound sentence
33
Thanks!
Bibliography
Adapted from:
The Complete English Grammar
Series DVD 1 Sentence
Structure
irlanguage.com

34