Writing Sentences

Successful writing means putting sentences together precisely. It can be compared to

baking. If you don’t follow the recipe or if you leave out a key ingredient, the cake will
not turn out right. To ensure baking success, it is important to follow a recipe. To ensure
writing success, it is important to know that sentences have recipes too. As you
proofread, edit, and revise your work, remember that the basic recipe is very simple:
Combine one subject with one predicate to yield one complete thought.

Examples
Bears stand in cold mountain streams.
Subject Predicate
The girl ate macaroni and cheese.
Subject Predicate

Sometimes the predicate appears first in the sentence.

Example
Lucky are the few who survived the Battle of the Bulge
Predicate Subject
.

Simple Subjects and Simple Predicates:

Subjects are nouns (a person, place, thing, or idea). The simple subject is the key word in
the sentence. The subject of the sentence can appear almost anywhere in the sentence, so
it can often be difficult to locate. One strategy for finding the subject is to find the verb
(an action or linking word) or predicate first.

Example
The children carved the pumpkins. / Carved is the verb in this sentence.When you ask
“Who or what did the carving?” the answer is children, so children is the subject.

Example
Down the street rolled the car.
The verb in the example sentence is rolled.
Who or what rolled? The answer is car, so car is the subject.
The verb that you identify is the simple predicate— the main action of the subject. Just as
the simple subject is the key noun in a sentence, the simple predicate is the key verb. The
verb can be one word or a verb phrase such as are jumping, will jump, has jumped, might
have jumped, etc.When the verb is a phrase, all parts of the verb phrase make up the
simple predicate.
Example
Juan has ridden his bicycle to work.
In the example sentence, the simple predicate is has ridden.

Compound Subjects and Compound Predicates

A sentence can have more than one subject that uses the same verb. When there are two
subjects connected by and, or, or nor, they are called compound subjects.
Example
Manuel and Jonathan held the flag.
The compound subject in the example sentence is Manuel and Jonathan.
A sentence can have a compound predicate, also connected by and, or, or nor.
Example
Julian cannot speak or read French.
The compound predicate is speak or read.

Exercise 1
Underline the subject once and the predicate twice in the following sentences. Remember,
it is often easier to find the predicate (verb, or action word) first and then the subject (the
noun that is performing the action)

1. Larry ate the sushi.

2. Akiko changed the diaper.
3. In the haunted house went the children.
4. Bobby and Devone sat in their chairs.
5. Campbell fished and hunted in the Cascade Mountains.
6. They were running to catch the bus.
7. Mary and Al skipped the previews and watched only the feature presentation.
8. Adam and I made a soap box derby car.
9. The paper route was taking too long.
10. The building and the house caught on fire.

Objects
The direct object of a sentence is the part of the predicate that is receiving the action of
the verb or shows the result of the action. For example, if the subject of a sentence is
Mary, and the verb is throws, you need an object—what Mary throws.
Example
Nina brought a present to the birthday party. The subject of the sentence is Nina, the verb
is brought, and the object is present.

Some sentences also contain an indirect object, which tells to whom or for whom the
action of the verb is done and who is receiving the direct object. A sentence must have a
direct object in order to have an indirect object. A common type of indirect object is an
object of a preposition. Prepositions are words such as to, with, of, by, from, between, and
among.
Example
Nina gave a present to Sarah.
This sentence has two objects—a direct object, present, and an indirect object, Sarah.
_ Clauses
Together, the subject and predicate make up a clause. If the clause expresses a complete
thought, it is an independent clause. Independent clauses can stand alone as complete
sentences, as you can see in the following examples.
Examples
The team won the game.
Amy and Georgia live in New Mexico.

If the clause does not express a complete thought, it is not a complete sentence and is
called
a dependent or subordinate clause. Dependent or subordinate clauses are often incorrectly
separated from the sentence where they belong. When this happens, a sentence fragment
is created, as you can see in the following examples.
Example
though I was tired
Example
when he caught his breath

_ Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments do not make complete sentences all by themselves. Often they occur
as a result of faulty punctuation. If you put a period in the wrong place, before a complete
thought is expressed, you will create a fragment. If you omit a subject or predicate, you
will also create a sentence fragment.
Example
FRAGMENT: I thought I saw. The new teacher taking the bus.
To correct this example, simply change the punctuation.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: I thought I saw the new teacher taking the bus.

Example
FRAGMENT: “An American in Paris.”A great movie.
To correct this example, you must add a predicate or verb.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: “An American in Paris” is a great movie.

Exercise 2
Proofread and revise the following sentence fragments. Make them complete sentences
by adding
the missing subject or predicate. Write the revised sentences on the lines provided. Note:
There may be many ways to revise the sentences depending on the words you choose to
add. Some need both a subject and a predicate. Try to make them the best sentences you
can, and don’t forget to add the appropriate end punctuation.

11. Ran for student body president

____________________________________
12. Was wearing my shin guards
____________________________________
13. Luis to Puerto Rico rather frequently
____________________________________

14. Chose the new soccer team captains,Michael and Jose

____________________________________

15. Played the electric guitar in her new band

____________________________________

16. Sent me an e-mail with a virus

____________________________________

17. The cat while she ate

____________________________________

18. After the accident happened in front of the school

____________________________________

19. Put too much syrup on his pancakes

____________________________________

20. Rarely gets up before noon on Saturdays

____________________________________

Sentence fragments also occur when a subordinating conjunction—like after, although,

as, as much as, because, before, how, if, in order that, inasmuch as, provided, since, than,
though, that, unless, until, when, where,while—precedes an independent clause.

Example
FRAGMENT: Until the players began stretching.
This sentence fragment can be remedied by either eliminating the conjunction, or by
adding a clause to the fragment to form a complete thought.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: The players began stretching.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: Until the players began stretching, they had many pulled
muscles.
Coordinating conjunctions—like and, but, or, nor, and for—are often a quick fix for both
sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
Example
FRAGMENT: The newspaper and a loaf of bread on your way home.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: Pick up the newspaper and a loaf of bread on your way
home.

Exercise 3
Proofread and revise the following sentences and then add the proper punctuation.Write
the revised sentences on the lines provided. 11. Ran for student body president
____________________________________
12. Was wearing my shin guards
____________________________________
13. Luis to Puerto Rico rather frequently
____________________________________
14. Chose the new soccer team captains,Michael
and Jose
____________________________________
____________________________________
15. Played the electric guitar in her new band
____________________________________
16. Sent me an e-mail with a virus
____________________________________
17. The cat while she ate
____________________________________
18. After the accident happened in front of the school
____________________________________
19. Put too much syrup on his pancakes
____________________________________
20. Rarely gets up before noon on Saturdays
____________________________________

Sentence fragments also occur when a subordinating conjunction—like after, although,

as, as much as, because, before, how, if, in order that, inasmuch as, provided, since, than,
though, that, unless, until, when, where,while—precedes an independent clause.

Example
FRAGMENT: Until the players began stretching.
This sentence fragment can be remedied be either eliminating the conjunction, or by
adding a clause to the fragment to form a complete thought.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: The players began
stretching.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: Until the players began stretching, they had many pulled
muscles.
Coordinating conjunctions—like and, but, or, nor, and for—are often a quick fix for
both sentence fragments and run-on sentences.

Example
FRAGMENT: The newspaper and a loaf of bread on your way home.
COMPLETE THOUGHT: Pick up the newspaper and a loaf of bread on your way
home.

Exercise 3
Proofread and revise the following sentences and then add the proper punctuation.Write
the revised sentences on the lines provided.

21. After we saw the movie. We went to the café and discussed it.
____________________________________
22. Because the announcer spoke quickly. We didn’t understand.
____________________________________
23. Our basketball team won the state title. Three
years in a row.
____________________________________

24. Although Oregon is a beautiful state. It tends

to rain a lot.
____________________________________

25. The two-point conversion.Made football

games more exciting.
____________________________________

26. Sewing the Halloween costume. I stuck my

finger with the needle.
____________________________________

27. Unless you know how to drive a manual

transmission car. Buy an automatic.
____________________________________

28. Because dock workers had no contract. They

discussed going on strike.
____________________________________

29. After the concert was over. I bought a T-shirt

of the band.
____________________________________

30. Since we had eaten a big breakfast.We just

snacked the rest of the day.
____________________________________

Run-On Sentences
Run-on sentences are like the person at the all-youcan- eat buffet who overfills a plate
when he or she could have simply gone back for a second helping Run-on sentences are
two or more independent clauses written as though they were one sentence. The main
cause of run-on sentences, like fragments, is faulty punctuation.
Example
This run-on sentence is missing punctuation:
RUN-ON: Julie studies hard she is trying to win a fellowship next year.

CORRECT: Julie studies hard. She is trying to win a fellowship next year.
Semicolons (Lesson 15) can also be used to revise run-on sentences..
Example
RUN-ON: The soccer game ended at four, it was too late to go to the birthday party.
CORRECT: The soccer game ended at four; it was too late to go to the birthday party.

Commas, when used with a conjunction, can transform run-on sentences. Conjunctions
come in three types: coordinating, correlative, and subordinating. Coordinating
conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, so, for, yet) can be used to correct run-on sentences.

Example
RUN-ON: Gillian lived in Portland she lived in New York.
CORRECT: Gillian lived in Portland, and she lived in New York.
Correlative conjunctions (both . . . and, neither . . . nor, not only . . . but
also, whether . . . or, either . . . or) join similar kinds of items and are
always used in pairs.

Example
RUN-ON: They saw aquatic animals like moray eels and sharks they
saw gorillas and chimpanzees.
CORRECT: They not only saw aquatic animals like moray eels and
sharks, but they also saw gorillas and chimpanzees.

Subordinating conjunctions (after, although, as far as, as if, as long

as, as soon as, as though, because, before, if, in order that, provided
that, since, so that, than, that, unless, until, when, whenever, where,
wherever, whether, while) join clauses with the rest of a sentence.

Exercise 5
Add end marks, commas, or semi-colons to fix the following
sentences.Write the revised sentences on the lines provided.
1. Will you come to the party we think you’ll have fun.
____________________________________

2. We spent a year traveling in Asia, consequently, we speak some

Chinese.
____________________________________

3. The Avinas live on Old Germantown Road, they’ve lived there for
thirty years.
____________________________________

4. Powdered fruit drinks taste good, nevertheless, they are not as

nutritious as juice.
____________________________________

5. Mrs.Michaels introduced me to the reading instructor. A neighbor of

mine.
____________________________________

6. I sent her flowers. Hoping she would forgive me.

____________________________________

7. Neil locked the gate then we left the ranch.

____________________________________

8. I found it therefore I get to keep it.

____________________________________

9. The flag has thirteen stripes. As most U.S. citizens know.

____________________________________

10. The hockey team also travels to southern states. Such as Texas
and Louisiana.
____________________________________

Sometimes, run-on sentences occur when writers use adverbs such as

then, however, or therefore as if they were conjunctions. This type of
error is easily fixed. By using correct punctuation—such as a semicolon
—or by making two sentences out of one run-on, the writing takes the
correct shape and form.

Example
RUN-ON: I bought a new motorcycle however my license had expired.
CORRECT: I bought a new motorcycle; however, my license had
expired.–
27

_ Types of Sentences
A simple sentence contains only one independent clause and is
typically short. If you write with only simple sentences, your writing will
not have the variety and complexity of good writing. As you learn to
vary your sentences by using compound, complex, and compound-
complex sentences, you will find that you are able to express more
complex relationships between ideas.
A compound sentence contains more than one independent clause
and no subordinate clauses.
Example
The children couldn’t finish the race, Independent clause
but the adults could easily. Independent clause
- A complex sentence contains only one independent clause and at
least one subordinate clause.
Example
As soon as we sat at the table, Subordinate clause
the waiter brought menus. Independent clause
- A compound-complex sentence contains more than one
independent clause and at least one
subordinate clause.
Example
When Danny finally enrolled in college, Subordinate
clause
he studied very hard, Independent
clause
for he had missed the first two weeks of classes. Independent
clause

Remember, compound, complex, and compound- complex sentences

add depth to your writing, but they need to be punctuated correctly or
they become run-on sentences. If you use only simple sentences, your
writing sounds very choppy. Simple sentences are short. They say one
thing. They don’t give much detail. They don’t flow. A good piece of
writing uses both short and long sentences. When you write,
alternating the length of sentences is a good idea, as long as the short
sentences aren’t fragments and the long sentences aren’t run-ons.

Exercise
Fix the following sentence fragments and run-on sentences by adding a
conjunction and any necessary punctuation.Write the revised sentence on the
lines provided. Answers can be found at the end of the lesson.

1. I wanted to buy a bicycle.My paycheck wasn’t

enough.
____________________________________

2. I ate the ice cream my stomach hurt.

____________________________________

3. I wore my new shoes I got blisters.

____________________________________

4. You play the guitar. I practice my singing.

____________________________________

5. It rains. The field turns to mud.

____________________________________