Sentence Structure Advanced Rules - Johnson County Community ...

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 1JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGETHE SENTENCE PART II­­STRUCTUREThe four types of sentence structures (syntax) are simple, compound, complex, compoundcomplex.SIMPLE­­A simple sentence consists of a subject, verb and/or complement, and any modifiers(words or phrases). A simple sentence is one independent clause (independent because it can, ofcourse, stand alone and it expresses a complete thought).Example:S V DOThe hardworking students studied their algebra for many hours.Note: If a writer organizes his/her ideas in mostly simple sentences, his/her writing will bechoppy and weak. If he/she combines his/her sentences into compound, complex or compoundcomplexstructures, he/she will achieve emphasis, variety, and, most of all, readability for his/herreader.COMPOUND­­A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences or independentclauses.Writers may join two simple sentences or independent clauses with a coordinatingconjunction, such as but, and, or, nor, for, so. When punctuating a compound sentence,the writer must include a comma before the conjunction.Example:BEFORE:AFTER:The hardworking students studied their algebra for many hours.The unconcerned students partied all night.The hardworking students studied their algebra for many hours, butthe unconcerned students partied all night.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 2Another method of combining simple sentences into a compound sentence is to join themwithout a coordinating conjunction. Punctuation for this sentence structure is a semicolonbetween the two main or independent clauses.Example:The hardworking students studied their algebra for many hours; theunconcerned students partied all night.If a conjunctive adverb, such as therefore, however, nevertheless, moreover, is used tointroduce the second main or independent clause, a semicolon must be used before theconjunctive adverb and a comma after.Example:The hardworking students studied their algebra for many hours;however, the unconcerned students partied all night.NOTE: One must not confuse compound subjects or verbs with compound sentences. Towrite a compound sentence the writer must have two or more independent clauses.Examples:Simple sentence with compound verb:S V DO V DOThe violinist tucked his instrument (under his chin) and played the music.Compound sentence:S V IO DO Conj S V V DOWealth can give you security, but it does not ensure happiness.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 3Simple sentence with compound verb:S V V DOThe Newton Insurance Company built and financed this building.Compound sentence:S V Conj S V DOAllan works during the day; nevertheless, he attends school at night.Practice Exercise AWrite ten simple sentences. Mark the simple subject, verb and complement. Combine the tensentences into five logical compound sentences. Use both methods of combining to join simplesentences to make compound sentences.COMPLEX­­A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependentclauses. A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject, verb and possible complementwith modifiers of these principal parts. A dependent clause cannot stand alone, because it issubordinate to or dependent on the idea presented in the main clause or independent clause.There are three types of dependent clauses: noun, adjective, and adverbial.A noun dependent clause can serve as the subject, object, complement, or appositive ofthe main or independent clause. A noun clause is usually introduced by one of thefollowing words: that, whatever, whoever, who, what, why, when, where and whether.Examples:Noun clause as objects:DOBob suggested that we go fishing this weekend.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 4S V Object of prepositionYou may go in wherever you want.Noun clause as a complement:S LV PNMary is whom I want.Noun clause as subject:SVWhoever broke that dish will be severely punished.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 5SLV PAThat we are friends is clear.Noun clauses as appositivesS Appos. V DOThe realization that they were lost struck them.Note: The conjunction that may not always be expressed.Example:The teacher said [that] I was wrong.Practice Exercise BUnderline each noun clause in the sentences below. Indicate whether the noun clause is used as asubject, object, complement, or appositive.Example: Ed saw that many people had already left. Direct object1. Whoever reads the novels of Faulkner and Hemingway will have a better understanding ofpeople.2. When he was trying to break into the movies, Marion Morrison decided that he would changehis name to John Wayne.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 63. We will sell our house to whomever you suggest.4. Their complaint that there was no heat was ignored.5. At the end of the evening, he asked when they might go out again.6. When he released the ball, he knew that he had thrown a strike.7. In writing your term paper, you may draw material from whatever has been written on thesubject.8. When we leave is important.9. His problem is that he is lazy.10. The ancient Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was immortal.Practice Exercise CComplete each sentence by adding a noun clause (NC) where indicated.Example:(NC) should plan to eat dinner early.Whoever is going to the movie should plan to eat dinner early.1. The awareness (NC) comforted him.2. Phil said (NC).C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 73. (NC) should be ready to defend his or her actions.4. To control the waiting crowd, the security officer ordered (NC).5. The subject of Dr. Broyles' lecture was (NC).Practice Exercise DIn the following sentences, the noun clauses used as subjects and complements could beconsidered stilted or awkward. Revise the sentences to eliminate this possibility.Examples:Bedtime is when I enjoy reading.I enjoy reading at bedtime.That the building would collapse was certain.It was certain that the building would collapse.1. Whether or not the college should regulate dormitory hours was the issue.2. A free and open society is what I believe in.3. Unfortunately, in our society the successful individual usually is considered to be whoevermakes the most money.4. Failure to understand another person's point of view is why many arguments occur.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 85. If they were able to make all of the arrangements, that they would call and report to us beforewe had to leave was understood.An adjective dependent clause acts as a modifier or descriptive word, modifying,limiting or pointing out a noun or pronoun in the main clause. The adjective clause isnormally positioned after or immediately following the noun or pronoun it modifies. Theclause may or may not be punctuated according to whether or not it is essential orrestrictive or nonessential or nonrestrictive.An adjective clause that is essential or restrictive is necessary to the meaning ofthe sentence and does not require commas enclosing it.Example:SV PAThe book that I am reading is boring.An adjective clause that is nonessential or nonrestrictive is not necessary to themeaning of the sentence and does require commas enclosing it.Example:S V DOWe saw Jim, who you thought had moved, after schoolyesterday.Adjective clauses are usually introduced by the following subordinating words:who, whom, that, which, whose, where, when or why. Like the functioningsubordinating words of noun clauses, these words are used within the adjectiveclause as pronouns (subject, object, complement), adjectives, or adverbs.Examples:SVThe person who studies hard will succeed.S LV PNThis is the paper I wrote.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 9S V DOWe saw John, whose paper received an F.Practice Exercise EUnderline each adjective clause in the sentences below. Then identify the noun or pronounmodified by each clause. Some sentences have more than one adjective clause. Remember that insome adjective clauses the relative word is omitted.Example:Any runner who leaves the track will be disqualified.1. The police officer who apprehended the suspect should be commended for her bravery.2. At the Gettysburg battleground we visited the spot where Pickett led his famous charge.3. Business Law is a course in which you have to work hard but one in which you learn a lot.4. When we chose our new rug, we tried to select a color which would match our draperies.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 105. Egypt is one country I hope to visit.6. The alligators that are found in the Everglades are descendants of the Protosuchians whichflourished in the late Triassic period.7. The lettuce we are having in our salad came from the garden we planted last spring.8. The film suggested some reasons why modern Americans feel alienated.Practice Exercise FWrite each adjective clause into a sentence by adding a main clause and any other necessarywords.Example:where we first metThe park where we first met is no longer there.1. who believes that whales must be protected2. where the tribal elders were holding a conference3. why you were unable to find a store open4. from whom we obtained directionsC:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 115. that television creates in young peoplePractice Exercise GRewrite each sentence, adding one or more adjective clause(s). Then underline the noun orpronoun modified by each adjective clause.Example:My aunt took us to see a film.My aunt, who is visiting from Chicago, took us to see a film that wasreally good.1. Alex Haley's novel Roots traces his African and Afro­American heritage.2. A press conference was called to explain the reason.3. We discovered some old bones.4. The advertisement convinced Walter to buy a machine.5. At the exhibit, Randy saw paintings and statues.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 12An adverb dependent clause acts as a modifier or descriptive word by modifying,limiting or pointing out a verb, adverb, or adjective in the main clause. Adverbial clausesmay be positioned before, after, or in the middle of main clauses. Adverbial clausespositioned at the beginning of the sentence or before the main clause require a commaplaced after them. If the adverbial clause is positioned after the main clause no comma isnecessary. The commonly used subordinating conjunctions introducing adverb clausesare the following words:Time (when, before, after, since, while, until, as)S VMary left before I could stop her.Manner (as if, as, as though)S VHe looks as if he is sick.Place (where, wherever)We went wherever we wanted.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 13Result (that, so that)We left early so that we could get home on time.Cause (because, since, as)She went home because she was sick.Purpose (that, in order that)He studied that he might pass.Condition (if, unless, provided that, on condition that)If I were you, I would study harder.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 14Concession (although, though, even if)I want to go even if I don't have enough money.Comparison (than, as)Your dress is prettier than mine is.Examples:adverbial clause modifying adverb:C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 15The lesson was so difficult that we could not finish it.adverbial clause modifying adjective:We are sorry that we were delayed.NOTE: Sometimes the subordinate clause is modifying the entire main clause. Todetermine this look at the meaning of the sentence.Practice Exercise HUnderline each adverb clause in the sentences below. If the adverb clause modifies a verb,adjective, or adverb, write that word below the sentence. If it modifies the entire main clause,write MC in the space. Some sentences have more than one adverb clause; others have none.Examples:We arrived at the post office after it closed. arrivedIf I can save enough money, I'll go to Spain. MC1. Albert Einstein published his "Special Theory of Relativity" when he was twenty­six yearsold.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 162. If you are domineering and regal, you were probably born under the sign of Leo.3. He rigged the camera so that it would photograph anyone who opened the door.4. As long as you are going out, you might as well stop at the post office because we needstamps.5. After they spotted me hiding behind a large leaf, they acted as if they had never seen an elfbefore.6. You may have until the end of the week to complete your assignment.7. The strike will last longer if both sides refuse to negotiate.8. Old Bozo is content when he has a bone to gnaw.Practice Exercise IComplete each sentence by adding an adverb clause after the bold word(s). (The bold word(s)will connect the adverb clause to the main clause.)Example:After the painting dried, we placed it in a frame of dark wood.1. Provided that ________________________ we will have enough food in the future.2. Three crewmen were able to survive in a lifeboat until3. A chameleon changes color when4. Mr. Devlin bought eight tickets so that5. Unless ________________________________________ you will be unhappy.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 17Practice Exercise JRewrite each sentence adding one or more adverb clauses. After each sentence indicate the typeof relationship between each adverb clause and what it modifies (time, place, direction, cause,effect, condition, manner, or concession.)Example:The librarian told us to be quiet.When we were laughing, the librarian told us to be quiet because wewere disturbing people. [time; cause]1. We were able to survive on the island.2. To most children, cough medicine tastes better.3. We toured the ancient ruins.4. She attended Harvard Law School.5. The nation was threatened.COMPOUND­COMPLEX­­A compound­complex sentence consists of one or more dependentclauses added to a compound sentence or two or more independent clauses.Example:We stayed at the party until it was very late, but our parents did not seemto care.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 18Practice Exercise KIdentify each bold clause by writing one of the following numbers next to the sentence:1. noun clause 3. adverb clause2. adjective clause 4. independent clause1. You should not make these accusations unless you have real proof.2. Television has changed the rules by which politicians plan their campaigns.3. Some of us wonder if the strike will ever be settled.4. Business will suffer if the strike is not settled soon.5. Do you believe there's a possibility of an early settlement?6. At first, George felt isolated and friendless; later on, he became acquainted with severalinteresting co­workers.7. Roger drove slowly while Roberta studied the crudely drawn map.8. Michael has some difficulty with mathematics, but his other grades are good.9. Do you know which candidate Senator Thompson is backing?10. Do you know the candidate that Senator Thompson is backing?11. It seems almost a miracle that all five people survived the crash.12. All of us are happy that you have returned to Centerville.13. I reject Malcolm's argument that the public schools are overstaffed.14. I reject the argument that Malcolm just presented.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 1915. Living conditions on the campus will soon improve; by next June the new dormitory willbe ready for occupancy.16. Mr. Adams' new partner is a man who was once arrested for forgery.17. There was a time when many musicians considered Beethoven's early works dull.18. Within three years Jim's salary was larger than his father's.19. Have the police revealed whose fingerprints were found on the gun?20. The police arrested the person whose fingerprints were found on the gun.Practice Exercise LReview: Identify the kinds of sentences­­simple, compound, complex, or compound­complex­­inthe following paragraphs. Use the abbreviations S, CD, CX, and CD­CX.1. A person who is just learning to skin dive usually begins in water that is somewhere betweentwenty­five and fifty feet deep.2. At this depth there is no danger from pressure, and there is an abundance of fish and plant life.3. After the person has been diving in shallow water for several weeks or months, he may go onto deeper water.4. Below one hundred feet there is the problem of pressure, and one must be especially careful toavoid the hazards of deep diving.5. One of the most common hazards that threaten the deep diver is caisson disease, or "thebends."6. Nitrogen builds up in his bloodstream when he dives below one hundred feet.7. If, when the diver is ready to surface, he ascends too quickly, the nitrogen expands and thenforms bubbles in his bloodstream and body tissues.8. The nitrogen bubbles cause extreme pain.9. If the case is very severe, the person may die, but the effects of caisson disease are not usuallythat serious.10. Fortunately, a cure was discovered in the late nineteenth century.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 2011. When a person is put back under pressure, the nitrogen bubbles dissolve, and the person nolonger feels pain.12. Now a recompression chamber is used for a diver who suffers from the bends.13. Another hazard of deep diving is nitrogen narcosis.14. The nitrogen that the diver breathes is under pressure and consequently has a strange effecton the brain.15. When a diver is suffering from nitrogen narcosis, he acts very much like a drunk man.16. He may do many ridiculous things.17. On one occasion a diver who was suffering from nitrogen narcosis began to play golfunderwater.18. He used fish for his clubs.19. Luckily he did not choose a shark for one of his clubs, or the story would not be funny.20. Like caisson disease, nitrogen narcosis can be fatal to the unwary diver.Practice Exercise MThe following sentences are compound­complex. Underline the separate clauses and indicatewhether they are independent or subordinate.1. When we returned from camp, we were very tired, but we had many pleasant experiences toremember long afterward.2. On our way up to the camp, which is built around a lake in the mountains, we sang songs, andsome of the counselors entertained us with stories about past summers at the camp.3. The minute that the bus stopped at the campsite, we all climbed hurriedly out, for we wereanxious to see our cabins.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc

Sentence Part II—Structure—handout 214. Some cabins were in the woods, and because they were shaded by many trees, they were cool.5. We were all pleased with our accommodations, and we set to work immediately to find namesfor our cabins so that we would really feel at home.6. Later in the day, a committee came around to judge the names, and from the many good onesthat were tacked above the cabin doors, the committee finally chose "Linger Longer" as the bestname.Practice Exercise NWrite ten simple sentences or use the same sentences written earlier. Then by subordinationmake five complex sentences from the ten simple sentences.C:\Documents and Settings\blove.JCCC­EMPLOYEE\Desktop\WritingCenter\Sentence II Sentence Structure.doc