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Purdue OWL: Sentence Punctuation Patterns

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Sentence Punctuation Patterns

S ummary: This handout describes eight sentence punctuation patterns with examples. Contributors:Dana Lynn Driscoll, Allen Brizee Last Edited: 2011-10-05 01:09:36 To punctuate a sentence, you can use and combine some of these patterns. For more information on independent and dependent clauses plus independent and dependent markers, see our handouts on those subjects.

Pattern One: Simple sentence

This pattern is an example of a simple sentence: Independent clause [ . ] E x a m p l e :D o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a .

Pattern Two : Compound Sentence

This pattern is an example of a compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction: Independent clause [ , ] coordinating conjunction independent clause [ . ] There are seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. E x a m p l e :D o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a ,b u t t h e yd o n ' tk n o wt h er e a s o n sf o ri t .

Pattern Three: Compound Sentence

This pattern is an example of a compound sentence with a semicolon. Independent clause [ ; ] independent clause [ . ] E x a m p l e :D o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a ;
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Purdue OWL: Sentence Punctuation Patterns

t h e ya r eu n s u r eo fi t sc a u s e .

Pattern Four: Compound Sentence

This pattern is an example of a compound sentence with an independent marker. Independent clause [ ; ] independent marker [ , ] independent clause [ . ] Examples of independent markers are the following: therefore, moreover, thus, consequently, however, also. E x a m p l e :D o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a ; t h e r e f o r e ,t h e yh a v ec a l l e df o rm o r er e s e a r c hi n t oi t sc a u s e s .

Pattern Five: Complex Sentence

This pattern is an example of a complex sentence with a dependent marker. Dependent marker dependent clause [ , ] Independent clause [ . ] Examples of dependent markers are as follows: because, before, since, while, although, if, until, when, after, as, as if. E x a m p l e :B e c a u s ed o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o m a s t h m a ,t h e yh a v ec a l l e df o rm o r er e s e a r c hi n t oi t sc a u s e s .

Pattern Six: Complex Sentence

This pattern is an example of a complex sentence with a dependent marker. Independent clause dependent marker dependent clause [ . ] Examples of dependent markers are as follows: because, before, since, while, although, if, until, when, after, as, as if. E x a m p l e :D o c t o r sa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a b e c a u s ei ti sac o m m o n ,t r e a t a b l ei l l n e s s .

Pattern Seven
This pattern includes an independent clause with an embedded non-essential clause or phrase First part of an independent clause [ , ] non-essential clause or phrase , rest of the independent clause [ . ] A non-essential clause or phrase is one that can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence or making it ungrammatical. In other words, the non-essential clause or phrase gives additional information, but the sentence can stand alone without it.
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Purdue OWL: Sentence Punctuation Patterns

E x a m p l e :M a n yd o c t o r s ,i n c l u d i n gb o t hp e d i a t r i c i a n sa n df a m i l yp r a c t i c e p h y s i c i a n s ,a r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o ma s t h m a .

Pattern Eight
This pattern includes an independent clause with an embedded essential clause or phrase First part of an independent clause essential clause or phrase rest of the independent clause [ . ] An essential clause or phrase is one that cannot be removed without changing the overall meaning of the sentence. E x a m p l e :M a n yd o c t o r sw h oa r ec o n c e r n e da b o u tt h er i s i n gd e a t hr a t ef r o m a s t h m ah a v ec a l l e df o rm o r er e s e a r c hi n t oi t sc a u s e s .

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