SENTECE STRUCTURE

Understanding and Production of English Writing – LTA 586

SOURCE:
PAGE, Mary ellen Muñoz. ESL – Writing (Intermediate & Advanced). USA: Research &
Education Association. 2010.
ELC Study Zone – http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/410-
embedded-questions.htm
 SENTECE STRUCTURE

This story is interesting.

Bob lives in a large White house.
We love to visit Grandma.
SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT

This story is interesting.

Bob lives in a large White house.
We love to visit Grandma.
 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Tony did not see the movie.

The bells were not ringing at midnight.

 SUBJECT + AUXILIARY + NEGATIVE +
VERB + COMPLEMENT

Tony did not see the movie.

The bells were not ringing at midnight.

 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Do you have any free time today?

Have they posted the grades yet?

Would he support the candidate?

 AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB +
COMPLEMENT ?

Do you have any free time today?

Have they posted the grades yet?

Would he support the candidate?

 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Isn’t Peter going to the park with us?

Shouldn’t they speak louder?

Hasn’t the teacher given the exam yet?

 AUXILIARY + NEGATIVE +SUBJECT +
VERB + COMPLEMENT?

Isn’t Peter going to the park with us?

Shouldn’t they speak louder?

Hasn’t the teacher given the exam yet?

 SENTECE STRUCTURE
How many times did they call you last
week?

How long will you be collecting money for

the charity?

When did Leslie invite us to the party?

 QUESTION WORD + AUXILIARY +
SUBJECT + VERB + DIRECT OBJECT +
COMPLEMENT?
How many times did they call you last
week?

How long will you be collecting money for

the charity?

When did Leslie invite us to the party?

 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Tom gave me the package.

Her father wrote her a long letter last

week.
 SUBJECT + VERB + INDIRECT OBJECT
(PRONOUN) + DIRECT OBJECT

Tom gave me the package.

Her father wrote her a long letter

last week.
 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Harry wrote them to me.

Mother read it to us

Dali painted it for Gala.

 SUBJECT + VERB +DIRECT OBJECT +
INDIRECT OBJECT
Harry wrote them to me.

Mother read it to us

Dali painted it for Gala.

 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Ted will not introduce us to his boss.

Mark had not written it to her.

 SUBJECT + AUXILIARY + NEGATIVE +
VERB + D.O. + I.O.
Ted will not introduce us to his boss.

Mark had not written it to her.

 SENTECE STRUCTURE

Why won’t you give us the day off?

When are they bringing him his new

car?

Where did Joe take you to eat dinner?

 QUESTION WORD + AUXALIARY +
SUBJECT + VERB + I.O. + D.O.
Why won’t you give us the day off?

When are they bringing him his new

car?

Where did Joe take you to eat dinner?

 REVIEW OF WRITING COMPLETE
SENTENCES
4 TYPES OF SENTENCES

• SIMPLE
• COMPOUND
• COMPLEX
• COMPOUND-COMPLEX
 SIMPLE SENTENCES
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that
make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed
thought IN ONE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE.

An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its

own, by itself. It does not need to be joined to any other
clauses, because it contains all the information necessary
to be a complete sentences.

The subjects, verbs, and any objects may be single or

compound.
 SIMPLE SENTENCES
SINGLE SUBJECT + VERB: The Seahawks won.

COMPOUND SUBJECT: Melvin and Harry live in

Omaha
COMPOUND VERB: Gregory hines acts and
dances well.
COMPOUND OBJECT: Shakespeare wrote plays
and sonnets.
 COMPOUND SENTENCES
A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of
two independent clauses (or complete sentences)
connected to one another with a coordinating
conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are easy to
remember if you think of the words "FAN BOYS":
• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So
 COMPOUND SENTENCES
Examples of compound sentences:

Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before

noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.

Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I

arrived, so I did not see them at the bus station.
 COMPLEX SENTENCES

Complex sentences contain one main clause and

one or more dependent clauses.
Examples:

While the children were getting dressed, their

father prepared their breakfast.

The students were late because there was na

accident and the police set up a detour.
COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
Compound-complex sentences have at least two
main clauses and one or two dependent
clauses.

Even though the weather is bad, Tracy is driving

to north Caroline and Harry is flying to Phoenix.
 DEPENDENT CLAUSE
A dependent clause is a clause that does not express a complete
thought.

A clause can be dependent because of the presence of a:

Marker Word (Before, after, because, since, in order to, although,
though, whenever, wherever, whether, while, even though, even if)
Conjunction (And, or, nor, but, yet)

Dependent clauses MUST be joined to another clause, in order to

avoid creating a sentence fragment.
Because I forgot my homework.
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES,
OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Unless the sentence is a comand, there must be
na expressed subject, a verb, and a complete
thought.
The following contain subjects and verbs, but
they do not convey a complete idea:
When the lights went out (what happened?)
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

Running for the bus at 8:00 in the morning.

We don’t know WHO was running or what

happened.

Running for the bus at 8:00 in the morning, I slipped

and fell.
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
In the garden in front of the house.

This example consists of two prepositional

phrases, neither of which could ever be a
subject; and there is no verb.

In the garden in front of the house is a

beautiful gardenia bush.
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
While the wind was blowing that afternoon.

This only na introductory phrase containing a

subject (wind) and the verb (was blowing), but it
does not convey a complete thought. It does not
tell what happened.

While the wind was blowing that afternoon,

our boat capsized.
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Climbed the tree as quickly as he could.

This phrase has no subject. WHO climbed the

tree?

The little boy climbed the tree as quickly as he

could.
 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, OR
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Something big, hairy, and ugly standing by the
window.

This example contains no verb. Standing is only

a gerund with no conjugeted verb to indicate
the tense.

Something big, hairy, and ugly WAS standing

by the window.