Download A Sentence

Chapter 3
Sentence Development
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Business English at Work, 3/e
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
A Sentence
A sentence consists of words correctly
arranged to form a complete statement or
idea.
A sentence
 begins with a capital letter.
 ends with an ending mark of punctuation.
PP 3-2
Ask these questions to determine
whether words are a sentence.
Do the words make sense?
 Do the words indicate a complete thought?
 Does the group of words begin with a
capital letter?
 Does the group of words end with a period,
question mark, or exclamation point?

PP 3-3
Four Purposes of Sentences

Express statements (declarative sentences).
 End

with a period.
We offer a 30-day return policy.
Ask questions (interrogative sentences).
 End
with a question mark if direct questions.
Are the new brochures available yet?
 End
with a period if indirect questions.
He asked whether I planned to revise the news
release.
PP 3-4a
Four Purposes of Sentences
continued

Give commands and requests (imperative sentences).


End with a period.

Direct command
Place your order within two days to receive a discount.

Courteous request (Do you expect the person to act rather
than answer yes or no?)
Will you please call me by the end of the week.
Express emotions (exclamatory sentences).

End with an exclamation point.
Always satisfy your customers!
PP 3-4b
Sentences Have Two Parts
Subject
 Is often a noun or pronoun.
 Indicates who is speaking, who is spoken to, or
who or what is spoken about.
Predicate
 Is a verb (action or “to be” form).
 Tells what the subject is doing or what the subject
is.
PP 3-5
Simple Subject
The simple subject is the main word of the
subject.
 Users can schedule unlimited sales calls
with contact management software.
 We offer a discount to our employees.
 Outstanding customer service is our goal.
PP 3-6
Compound Subject
The compound subject is two or more main
words in a subject.



Hudson Communications and Cellular Depot
are in an office building in the Redwood Business
Park.
Evening hours and free parking interest
customers.
Focus groups, phone messages, and postal card
responses are all ways to obtain user opinions.
PP 3-7
Complete Subject
The complete subject consists of the simple
or compound subject plus any of its modifiers.



Most customers comment on our window
displays.
Sales brochures describe our products.
Free upgrades and extra bonus miles attract
some travelers.
PP 3-8
Simple Predicate
The simple predicate is a single verb or
verb phrase.




Tim speaks softly.
I take inventory once a week.
Our store hours are convenient.
We have advertised our sale in the local
newspaper.
PP 3-9
Compound Predicate
The compound predicate is two or more verbs.
 I researched our orders and designed our latest
sales brochure.
 Our accountant and the sales manager analyzed
our sales and recommended new pricing of
products.
 Other companies have visited our call center and
have ordered similar telephone headsets.
PP 3-10
Complete Predicate
The complete predicate consists of the simple or
compound predicate plus all modifiers that limit or
describe the verbs.



Teresa developed a training program for new
customer service representatives.
Our company has an extensive video training
library.
Our Web site analysts reviewed a wide range of
customer service issues.
PP 3-11
A Direct Object


Can be a noun or pronoun.
Completes the verb by answering the questions
whom? or what? after the verb.
 Glenda plans seminars for our company.
 Service companies need outstanding delivery
records.
 My supervisor praised me for resolving the
problem.
PP 3-12
An Indirect Object
Can be a noun or pronoun.
 Answers the questions to whom? or for
whom?
 Usually precedes the direct object.
 Usually follows verb forms such as give,
offer, wish, ship, make, refuse, present,
or send.

PP 3-13a
Examples of Indirect Objects
continued
Dynamic Designs offers me a 15 percent
discount.
 The warehouse shipped Kerry the furniture
last week.
 Our company gives customers a moneyback guarantee.

PP 3-13b
A Subject Complement
Is a predicate noun or predicate pronoun
that follows a linking verb (am, are, is was,
were).
 Renames the subject.
 Richard Herrera is a customer service
representative.
 We are the best sales team.

PP 3-14
A Predicate Complement


Is a predicate adjective that follows a linking
verb (am, are, is, was, were).
Modifies (describes) the subject.
 Billboard advertising is expensive.
 Customers are a company’s most
important asset.
PP 3-15
Sentence Order
Normal Order
The subject appears first and the predicate follows.
 Jerry responded.
 Your company’s competitors hired several young
salespeople.
 I received the sales totals.
 We wish you success.
 The training video is free.
PP 3-16a
Sentence Order
continued
Inverted Order
The predicate or part of the predicate is before the
subject.
 There are many compliments about our customer
service.
 Here is the latest inventory report.
 Should we offer discounts to attract customers?
 How much will a customer satisfaction survey cost?
 On the Web site are the details about our shipping
policies.
PP 3-16b
Phrase
A phrase is a sequence of words that has neither a
subject nor a predicate.

Prepositional phrase: Begins with a preposition such
as of, in, at, and for and ends with a noun or
pronoun. Does not include a verb.
in our call center
at our warehouse
Infinitive phrase: Begins with to and includes a verb
form.
to offer a compromise
to request a refund
PP 3-17
Clause
A clause is a sequence of words with both a subject
and a predicate.
Independent clause: Is a complete sentence and
can stand alone.
We send a confirmation e-mail for each online order.
Dependent clause: Is not a complete sentence and
cannot stand alone. It must be joined to an
independent clause to make sense.
When you call our customer service department,
PP 3-18a
Clause
continued
When a dependent clause introduces an
independent clause, place a comma at the end
of the dependent clause.


If the office furniture was damaged in moving, our
standard guarantee still applies.
Because we have 24-hour customer service, we
have three customer service shifts.
PP 3-18b
Sentence Formations
Simple sentences
 Compound sentences
 Complex sentences
 Compound-complex sentences

PP 3-19
Simple Sentence
A simple sentence is one independent clause in a
subject-verb pattern.




We placed the order last week.
Rachel and I purchased a subscription to Advertising
Age.
Our customers shop online and refer others to our
Web site.
The human relations specialist and my manager
recommended less phone work and offered me
another position.
PP 3-20
Compound Sentence
A compound sentence is two independent clauses
connected by a coordinating conjunction.
 Many
of our customers are self-employed, and
they purchase items for themselves.
 Limited quantities of this product are available, but
we will ship your order next week.
PP 3-21
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence consists of an independent
clause and a dependent clause.



When a product is listed as out of stock, your
order will be filled as soon as possible.
If your order cannot be shipped within 30 days, we
will cancel the order.
Because I arrived late for the sale, I could not find
the items that I wanted.
PP 3-22
Compound-Complex Sentence
A compound-complex sentence consists of more than
one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses.
 If
your order has not been shipped within 30 days, we
will notify you of this delay by e-mail, and you will have
the option to cancel your order.
 When you receive a promotional code, enter it on your
order, but only one promotional code may be used for
each order.
PP 3-23
Sentence Fragment
A sentence fragment consists of words, phrases,
or dependent clauses that cannot stand alone even
though they may contain subjects and predicates.
The multiple gift certificates
Ordered by phone last week
PP 3-24
Run-On Sentence
A run-on sentence is a complete sentence with
period or comma faults.


I want to order online credit card thefts worry me.
Your serial number is provided with your product
documentation you can also find the serial
number by opening the software and clicking on
the Help menu.
PP 3-25a
Run-on Sentence
continued
A comma without a coordinating conjunction (and, but,
or, or nor) between two independent clauses is referred
to as a comma splice and results in a run-on
sentence.
 Jerri answers the phones, she responds to customers’
e-mail inquiries.
 The customer returned the damaged computer
monitor, we sent a replacement yesterday.
PP 3-25b