Download About Sentences - Write Reflections

LANGUAGE
SENTENCES
In this sentence reference guide, we cover:
1.
Subject-Predicate Construct (Clauses).
2.
Sentence Structures: Simple, Compound and Complex
3.
Sentence Types: Declarative, Imperative, interrogative and exclamatory
4.
Run-on Sentences.
5.
Sentence Fragments.
6.
Prepositional Phrases.
7.
Subject-Verb Agreement.
1. Subject Predicate Construct (Clauses)
A sentence expresses a complete idea or thought, and every sentence has a subject (what the
sentence is about) and a predicate (what the subject is doing). A subject + a predicate = a “clause”.
An independent clause (such as the one below) can stand alone as a sentence.
A family of rabbits went for a walk in the forest.
Subject
Predicate (always includes a verb)
2. Sentences Structures
A. A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought.
•
•
John plays soccer on Mondays.
Alice and her mom like to eat cookies.
B. A compound sentence contains two unrelated or independent clauses joined by a coordinator
(such as: and, or, but, so, for, nor, yet).
•
•
John plays soccer and Alice plays lacrosse. (see how soccer and lacrosse are not related)
I wanted to go to the party but my mom said I needed to study. (party and study are not
related)
C. A complex sentence has an independent clause joined to one or more related or dependent
clauses by a subordinator (such as: because, after, given, since, after, when, although) or
pronoun (which, who, that).
•
•
I went to the party after I finished my homework. (going to the party is related to
finishing homework)
My teacher gave me a poor grade because I didn’t complete my work. (the poor grade is
related to not completing the work)
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LANGUAGE
SENTENCES
3. Sentences Types
There are four types of sentences. It is important that you use all of these types when writing a
story or essay. That makes the writing more interesting and gives the reader a variety of passages.
A. A declarative sentence makes a statement or conveys an idea. It is punctuated with a period.
•
•
Today is my birthday.
My favorite color is green.
B. An imperative sentence makes a request, gives a command or expresses a wish. It can be
punctuated with a period or an exclamation mark.
•
•
•
Come to the movie with us.
Please clean your room.
Take a look at this cool picture!
C. An interrogative sentence asks a question. It ends with a question mark.
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•
Did you finish your homework?
Do you have a game today?
D. An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong emotion or feeling of surprise. It ends in an
exclamation mark. Be careful not to overuse these sentences or they will lose their impact.
•
•
I can’t believe we won the State championship!
Stop bullying me!
4. Run-On Sentences
Run-on sentences have two or more independent clauses (complete sentences) joined without
appropriate punctuation or conjunction. They can be corrected by separating them with a period, a
comma, semi-colon or subordinate conjunction:
Run-On Sentence:
The test will be very hard, you should start studying now.
Corrections:
The test will be very hard. You should start studying now.
The test will be very hard so you should start studying now.
Since the test will be very hard, you should start studying now.
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LANGUAGE
SENTENCES
5. Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences because they do not form a complete idea. They are
missing something.
Fragment:
Sentence:
He went.
He went to school.
Fragment:
Sentence:
On the bookshelf next to your glasses.
Your keys are on the bookshelf next to your glasses.
6. Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, pronoun or clause (the
"object" of the preposition). Even though the phrase has a noun, it never contains the subject of
the sentence.
Examples of prepositional phrases are underlined here (the sentence is completed in brackets):
• In the book…(you will find many interesting characters.)
• From my teacher…(, I learned many things.)
• Without even thinking…(, I ran out of the building as fast as I could.)
7. Subject-Verb Agreement
A subject should always agree with its verb. For example, if the subject is singular (the man), then
the verb should be singular (went). Here are some examples:
Incorrect:
Correct:
We plays soccer.
We play soccer
Incorrect:
Correct:
My cat always get tangled in the yarn ball.
My cat always gets tangled in the yarn ball.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Either Sheila or her mom are going to come to pick up the book.
Either Sheila or her mom is going to come to pick up the book.
(the verb is singular because the subject is one person – either Sheila or her mom)
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