Sentence Structure Summary
Complete Thought
Complete Thought: including a topic and controlling idea
Int. – Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Complete thought
- Stream of consciousness
- Topic–controlling idea
- Written vs. Spoken
- Practice 1 – identify
- Practice 2– complete
Why are 20% of Americans unable to find the U.S. on a map?
"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so (find the U.S. on a map) because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children."
Sentence Elements
Subject / Predicate: identifying basic elements in a sentence
Int. – Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Subject / predicate
- Subject and modifiers
- Predicate and modifiers
- Practice 1 – identify subject
- Practice 2 – identify predicate
- Practice 3 – identify sentence parts
Charlie raised his hand.
Feeling confident, Charlie raised his hand.
Clever Charlie, my good friend, raised his hand.
Charlie raised his hand in the air.
Charlie enthusiastically raised his hand.
Charlie raised his hand hoping to answer.
Finite / Nonfinite: verbs and clauses
Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Primary v. Secondary Verbs
- Primary v. Secondary Verb Forms
- Nonfinite Clause Examples
- Grammar Notes
- Practice 1- identify verb category
- Practice 2- identify nonfinite clauses
- Practice 3- identify verb form type
Charlie raised his hand. (tensed verb)
Raise your hand. (imperative)
I suggest you raise your hand before speaking. (subjunctive)
Charlie wants to raise his hand.
Charlie likes raising his hand.
Charlie, annoyed, raised his hand.
Auxiliary Verbs: distinct properties
Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Auxiliary Properties
- Dual Category Verbs
- Auxiliary Types
- Auxiliary Combinations
- Auxiliary "Be"
- Modal Properties
- Grammar Notes
- Practice 1- identify lexical v. aux.
- Practice 2- identify auxiliaries
- Practice 3- identify verb form type
Charlie hasn't raised his hand. (negation)
Has Charlie raised his hand. (inversion)
Charlie has raised his hand and I have too. (code)
They don't think he raised his hand, but he has. (emphasis)
Charlie was raising his hand.
The question has been raised.
Sentence Parts (clauses)
Clause/ Fragment identifying larger parts of a sentence
Int. – Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Sentence Parts
- Phrase
- Clause – independent/ dependent
- Sentence– spoken/ written
- Common Mistakes
- Practice 1 – identify
- Practice 2 – edit
*Each year, millions of people travel to the U.S. In fact, eighty-six million. (fragment)
*Put your suitcase down. Over there. (fragment)
How about a visa? (fragment)
*error in sentence
Run-on Sentences: identifying simple and compound sentences
Int. – Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Simple Sentence
- Compound Sentence with conjunctions or semicolons
- Exceptions
- Practice 1 – identify
- Practice 2 – edit
My friend and I blogged and read over his shoulder.
My friend blogged, and I read over his shoulder.
Cleft Sentences: spliting sentences to allow a shift in focus
Adv. ESL, Native Speaker
- Cleft Sentences
- What Clefts
- It Clefts
- Who/ Where/ What/ Why Clefts
- Grammar Notes
- Practice 1 – identify
- Practice 2– complete
- Practice 3– edit
His energy amazed me.
What amazed me was his energy.
His energy was what amazed me.
It amazed me that he had so much energy.
Sentence Tree Diagrams
because |
Justin wore his winter pants because it was snowing. |
present |
The wind blows. / The wind blows leaves / The wind is strong. / The wind blows in the winter. |
pres. progressive |
Isabela is working tonight. / Helen is jogging around the track. |
gerund-participle |
Starting a sentence with a gerund is common. |
gerund-participle |
Charlie dislikes sitting all day. (nonfinite clause) |
if clause |
We take an umbrella if it is raining (prep + clause) |
infinitive clause |
To start a sentence with an infinitive is awkward |
It / an extraposed subject |
It is hard for him to sit all day. (gerund clause with a subject) |
verb + infinitive |
|
verb + object + infinitive |
Ed persuaded Frida to do the painting Ed intended Frida to do the painting. |
auxiliary verbs |
|
modals |
|
subject |
Clever Charlie next to you raised his hand. |
predicate |
|
rather than |
We walked home rather than drove home. / We walked home rather than get stuck in traffic. |
so that / such that |
The meteor was so beautiful that we watched it all night. / It was such a beautiful meteor storm that we watched it all night. |
because |
Justin wore his winter pants because it was snowing. |
dative verbs |
You bought me a gift. / You bought a gift for me. / Thank you for the gift. |
participle clause / adjunct modifier |
The man who is seated beside the host is the guest. The man seated beside the host is the guest. |
participle clause |
Congress which consists of two houses in on a break. / Congress consisting of two houses is on a break. |
participle clause |
The federal agency locating the prison on Alcatraz preferred the isolated location. |
participle clause |
The Golden Gate Bridge located in SF Bay was designed by Strauss. |