Time for your medicine!

Sentence Elements Simplified

Sentences contain words that function in a variety of roles. We assign words to a word class, depending on the role it is performing in a sentence.

Nouns name persons, places, things, ideas. Verbs express action or state of being. Adjectives describe or “modify” nouns. Adverbs describe or “modify” verbs, adjectives, other adverbs,

and entire sentences.

There are also phrases & clauses that correspond to each of these word classes, e.g., noun phrase, noun clause.

The diligent students discussed freedom in class today.Their conscientious professor is at a conference this week.

Phrases

A phrase is a group of words that functions as a single part of speech. For example, a prepositional phrase (PP) can function as an adverb:

The diligent students discussed freedom in class today.

Here, the phrase in class answers this question: Where did the students discuss freedom today?

The subject of the sentence is a noun phrase (NP): the diligent students.

Clauses

A clause has a subject and a predicate (the predicate is the verb and its modifiers). If the clause can stand alone, we call it an independent clause (IC). If it can’t because it is preceded by a subordinating conjunction, we call it dependent (DC).

The diligent students discussed freedom in class today while the teacher was away at a conference.

Sentence Elements, con’t.

Pronouns take the place of nouns. Prepositions introduce prepositional phrases (PP) that express the

relationship between two sentence elements (e.g., direction, time, location, manner).

Articles (the, a, an) introduce a noun phrase (NP) and mark nouns as definite (the book) or indefinite (a book).

Conjunctions connect sentence elements. Interjections are exclamatory utterances: Ouch!

The diligent studentsNPdiscussedV freedomN in classPP todayADV. Their conscientious professorNP isV at a conferencePP this weekAdvP. SheP will returnVP soonAdv andConj shareV what she learnedNP with her

studentsPP.

Subordinating Conjunctions connect sentence elements of unequal value. They introduce dependent clauses, which cannot stand alone.

Notice that some of them function as prepositions when they’re followed by a noun phrase.

Examples:

•After class, I /studied in the library. (prepositional phrase)

•After the teacher /dismissed class, I /studied in the library. (subordinate—also known as “dependent”--clause)

The independent clause I studied in the library carries more weight.

Here are a few:After

unlessBefore

ifThough

sinceWhile

asBecause

whereasWhen

although

Coordinating Conjunctions connect sentence elements of equal value. They introduce independent clauses and can begin a sentence.

FANBOYS

For And Nor But Or Yet So

The princess kissed the brave feline, and he was instantly transformed into a handsome prince. For the good fairy had heard his wish to become human.

Transition Words, also known as conjunctive adverbs, join independent clauses and introduce sentences.

Here are some familiar ones:

Besides otherwiseLikewise in additionMoreover as a resultConsequently alsoThen meanwhileTherefore henceNevertheless thusHowever on the other hand

He’s absent frequently; therefore, his grade is low.

Four Basic Sentence TypesForm

1. Simple

2. Complex

3. Compound

4. Compound/Complex

Simple Sentence: One IC

Subject/Predicate (verb + modifiers)

In the examples below a slash separates the subject from the predicate.

The noisy students and their dogs/ disturbed the English teacher.

The students /studied in the library.

(you) /Go!

The Complex Sentence: Only one IC + at least one DC

After the noisy students /disturbed the English teacher, they /sneaked out of the room before the class /was dismissed.

The diligent students /completed the assignment before the teacher /asked for it.

Compound Sentence: At least two IC’s and NO DC’s

The noisy students /tormented the teacher, but the quiet ones /inspired her.

The noisy students /tormented the teacher; however, the quiet ones /inspired her.

The noisy students /tormented the teacher; the quiet ones /inspired her.

Compound/Complex Sentence: At least two IC’s + at least one DC

The screeching cat /chased her tail, and the confused dog /yelped, while their guardian/ slept soundly.

Before he /left for work, the man /opened a can of tuna for breakfast, but it /tasted funny, so he /gave it to his cat.

Sentence Fragments

. . . little pieces of sentences that are punctuated as complete sentences

Avoid writing inappropriate sentence fragments!

In the house.She worked in the house.

Before he left for work.

Before he left for work, he walked the cat.

Because I like to read.Because I like to read, I enjoy my

solitude.

Which they already had heard.

The boss told his employees the big news, which they already had heard.

Run-Together Sentences

ifwewrotewithoutpunctuationtheworldwouldbeaveryconfusingplaceandheavenknowsit’sconfusingenoughasitis

Don’t write run-together sentences.

The lazy cat slept all day it was no surprise that he prowled the house all night.

The lazy cat slept all day, so it was no surprise that he prowled the house all night.

How would you fix this?

Sometimes students enroll in too many courses in one quarter they don’t enjoy learning then they may eventually drop out.

Sometimes students enroll in too many courses in one quarter, so they don’t enjoy learning. Then they may eventually drop out.

You must be feeling better by now. Have fun!