Writing Sentences

First, review: How to Write a Sentence and Paragraph and Review: Sentence Structure.

How did you do?

Now study the following information:

Sentences and Fragments: The Differences and When to Use Each One

A. THE BASIC PATTERN

The basic pattern for a simple sentence is subject - predicate.

 SUBJECT

 PREDICATE

 I

 feel tired.

 Jose

 stayed after school.

 Maria

 went to your house.

This is better thought of as: SUBJECT - VERB - COMPLEMENT

B. COMPOUND SENTENCES
This may mean a compound subject or a compound predicate or both.

 SUBJECT 

 VERB

 COMPLIMENT

 Grandma and I

 are going

to the circus

 We

must go find

 Ben and Jerry.

 Robert

ate and drank

everything in sight.

You can also connect two "sentences" (independent clauses) using coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, for, nor, yet, so.

We walked around the block, and George met us at the gate

Coordinating conjunctions can also be used to connect two sentences into one, such as:

accordingly, also, anyway, besides, certainly, consequently, conversely, finally, furthermore, hence, however, incidentally, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, otherwise, similarly, specifically, still, subsequently, then, therefore, thus

Note that some punctuation (a comma or semi-colon) is necessary to use between the two clauses to reinforce the independent nature of the clauses.

C. COMPLEX SENTENCES

Another way to create more complex sentences is by using an independent clause joined with word groups (individual words, phrases or clauses) that modify the independent clause but take a less important place in the sentence than the independent clause.
These are called complex sentences; let's look at this in practice:

George has been angry since Bob was here.

In this example, "since Bob was here" modifies the main part of the sentence.

Here is the list of subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even though, if, in order that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whether, while

There are other adverbs which also introduce subordinate elements and indicate the relationship between the parts of the sentence: how, what, whatever, which, whichever, who, whom, whoever, whomever, whose, why

D. RECOGNIZING AND USING FRAGMENTS

1.When NOT to use them.

A sentence fragment is a group of words which is used as a sentence but does not have the subject-predicate form described above.

Here's how to see if you have a fragment:

FRAGMENT TEST
If there is NO VERB -- it is a fragment.
If there is NO SUBJECT -- it is a fragment.
If it is a SUBORDINATE CLAUSE OR PHRASE STANDING ALONE NOT MODIFYING AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE -- it is a fragment.

Examples of fragments:

Because we are leaving the next day.
The left side of the screen.

Here are two easy ways to fix unwanted sentence fragments:

1.Hook the fragment on to the sentence nearby which it is modifying.

Because we are leaving the next day, we want to visit the Louvre on Tuesday.

2.Turn the fragment into a sentence by adding the missing parts.

The left side of the screen only showed Mulder's face.

2.When you SHOULD use them

There are specific and limited instances when sentences fragments are effective writing. Make sure that you have one of these purposes in mind when you spot a fragment in your proofreading.

For emphasis: The most dangerous place in your house? Not the bathroom or even your kitchen. Your garage.
As a transitional element: Next, the facts.
Answering a question: When will the bus be picking you up? About eight o'clock.
In an exclamation: Yikes! Five babies!

If you are not doing one of these things, fix the fragment as directed above.

E. MAJOR SENTENCE ERRORS

Aside from fragments, there are a couple of major errors that writers make in sentence construction. The problem with all of these is that they do not accurately depict the relationship between the two clauses, and that can cause misunderstanding for your reader. Do you see any of these in your writing?

Fused sentences: these are two complete sentences -- two independent clauses -- that have no joining words or punctuation between them:

It was the twelfth of July Sally was still looking for a job.

Comma splices: these are two complete sentences that are only joined with a comma.

Marla will fly out of Minneapolis, I will meet her in Chicago.

Run-on sentences: two complete sentences joined together only with a coordinating conjunction:

The tickets have always been sold that way and he has never explained why.

You can fix these problems in various ways, depending on what you want the sentence to mean:
You can make the sentence into a proper compound sentence by including both the comma and the coordinating conjunction or adverb. This will indicate an equal relationship between the two ideas:

It was the twelfth of July, and Sally was still looking for a job.

You can use a semi-colon to make the reader think about the two ideas together but not in relationship to one another:

It was the twelfth of July; Sally was still looking for a job.

You can make one of the clauses a subordinate clause to specify a modifying relationship in the sentence:

By the twelfth of July, Sally was still looking for a job.

Notice that there are slightly different shades of meaning in each of these sentences, so you need to ask yourself what exactly you want the sentence to say.

VARIETY IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Taken from THE LIVELY ART OF WRITING by Lucile Vaughan Payne

Types: Loose Sentence, Periodic Sentence, Combination Sentence, Expanding subject, verb, and object, Exercises

Two sentence patterns are of major importance:

The Loose Sentence
The Periodic Sentence

Every sentence in the English language will fit into one of these categories or will be a combination of both. Once you understand the two patterns, you can write any kind of sentence you like without the slightest fear of going astray.

You can master these patterns easily if you first get a grip on one important principle: The principle of the basic statement
(main idea).

The following are basic statements:

1. Bells rang.

2. Love is blind.

3. The cat scratched Sally.

4. John gave his mother flowers.

5. The teacher considered him a good student.

Every English sentence contains a basic statement. It may stand alone as one short sentence as in the examples above, or it may be
buried inside a longer sentence. It is the kernel that you have left after you chop away everything in a sentence except its essential
meaning; it is the kernel you build on when you want to make a sentence longer.

THE LOOSE SENTENCE: This sentence is a basic statement with a string of details added to it.

Basic statement: Bells rang.

Loose sentence: Bells rang, filling the air with their clangor, startling pigeons into flight from every belfry, bringing people into the
streets to hear the news.

Basic statement: The teacher considered him a good student.

Loose sentence: The teacher considered him a good student, steady if not inspired, willing if not eager, responsive to instruction
and conscientious about his work.

THE PERIODIC SENTENCE: In this sentence, additional details are placed before the basic statement. Delay, of course, is the secret
weapon of the periodic sentence.

Basic statement: John gave his mother flowers.

Periodic sentence: John, the tough one, the sullen kid who scoffed at any show of sentiment, gave his mother flowers.

Basic statement: The cat scratched Sally.

Periodic sentence: Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the lovable cat scratched Sally.

THE PERIODIC (INTERRUPTIVE): In this sentence, additional details are added inside the basic statement:

Basic statement: Love is blind.

Periodic sentence: Love, as everyone knows except those who happen to be afflicted with it, is blind.

THE COMBINATION: In this sentence, additional details are added before and after the basic statement.

Once you have learned to recognize and use the two major sentence patterns, you can forget about adhering to them strictly. You can
combine elements of both if you wish.

Suppose you are working with a short, simple sentence--A sentence reduced to the barest basic statement: John was angry.

This short sentence may sound exactly right inside your paragraph--just short enough and sharp enough to have the force you want. In
that case, leave it alone. But perhaps that nagging inner ear tells you that it isn't quite right; it needs something.

Thus, you make it a shade more periodic: John was suddenly, violently angry.

Or you make it even more periodic: John, usually the calmest of men, was suddenly, violently angry.

Or you decide to add detail at the end: John, usually the calmest of men, was suddenly, violently angry, so angry that he lost control completely.

Now the sentence is both periodic and loose. You could shake it up still more by moving some of the detail up front: Usually the calmest of men, John was suddenly, violently angry, so angry that he lost control completely.

EXPANDING THE SUBJECT, VERB, AND OBJECT

Periodic structures usually expand the subject or verb. Loose structures expand the verb or object.

Expanding the Subject: The easiest way to start the details flowing is to think of the subject as being followed by a pause. Make yourself hear that pause. It is
exactly the same kind of pause that occurs in your own conversation every day, in sentences like the following. Notice these sentences
are periodic (interruptive)and they expand the subjects.

That boy, the one wearing glasses, is in my history class.

This piecrust, tough as it is, tastes pretty good.

The class (pause) read the assignment.

The class, a mixture of juniors and seniors in advanced math, read the assignment.

The class, usually noisy and inattentive, read the assignment.

The class, with a subdued rustle of books and papers, read the assignment.

When expanding the subject, consider these methods of expansion: description, appositive, adjective, prepositional phrase, participles,
etc.

Expanding the Verb: Expand the verb by showing how its action progresses. Any phrase that tells how or when a verb acts is related grammatically to the
verb.

The class read, listlessly at first, and then with growing interest, the assignment.

The class read, after trying unsuccessfully to divert the instructor, the assignment.

Expanding the Object (or the rest of the sentence):

The class read the assignment, a full chapter.

I saw Mr. Hassenfeffer, the instructor.

The class read the assignment, a full chapter, with a dismaying number of difficult-looking statistical tables.

I saw Mr. Hassenfeffer, the instructor, flat-nosed, beady-eyes, on guard every minute.

COPY AND PASTE THESE QUESTIONS INTO YOUR WORDPROCESSOR AND COMPLETE THESE EXERCISE.

1. Write a loose (cumulative) sentence at least twenty words long using each of the basic statements. Do not change the basic statement; just add to it.

The moon rose.
The man was dead.
She liked the song.
They had a good time.

2. Using the following basic statements, write four periodic sentences at least fifteen words long:

Mary left the room.
Hate is based on fear.
The man was dead.
The circus was his life.

3. Expand the subject on the sentence below:

The old man shuffled out of sight.

4. Expand the verb of each of the following sentences.

The girl walked across the playground.
The boy talked about fishing.

5. Add a simple appositive to the noun at the end of each sentence below:

He liked the car.
John read the book.
They listened to the lecture.
He called the dog.

6. Using prepositional phrases and participles, add detail to each of the appositives in the four sentences you have just written. Make each
sentence at least fifteen words long.



Types of sentences: declarative, interogative, exclamatory and imperative.