1. Simple Sentence 2. Compound Sentences 3. Complex Sentences 4. Topic Sentence 5. Supporting Sentences 6. Concluding Sentences 7. Fragments 8. Run-Ons 9.

Unity, Coherence 10. Expository Par 11. Narrative Par 12. Process 13. Reason And Result 14. Opinion
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Structure of Simple Sentences What is a sentence? The sentence is the basic unit of composition in English. The sentence is all the words between the capital letter of the beginning word and the final mark of punctuation, which may be a period(.), an exclamation mark(!), or a question mark(?). A proper English sentence must meet other requirements too. These are requirements of content, grammar and style.

For example, a sentence needs at least a subject and a verb. A sentence with one subject-verb combination is called a simple sentence. It is called an independent clause. SUBJECT + (Noun) People (pronoun) He (Clause) What makes a man (Phrase) That man VERB work. works. is employment. has been working hard.

Other possible elements are adverbs and adjectives. Adjectives describe nouns , so the basic English sentence can be expanded to look like this: ADJECTIVES + SUBJECT + VERB The large bear is sleeping. Adverbs can add information about the verb, so the basic sentence can be expanded to look like this: ADJECTIVES + SUBJECT + VERB + ADVERB(S) Poor people work hard.

Adverbs give information like how, where, when, why how often, etc. They can be single words or groups of words. Although the normal place for adverbs is at the end of the sentence, sometimes they are put in other places for reasons of style or emphasis: ADVERBS + ADJECTIVES + SUBJECT + VERB + ADVERB(S) Yesterday the big boy worked hard.

Some verbs stand completely alone without passing the action on to another noun - the object. Other verbs have objects, with the verb and object forming a unit. ADJECTIVES + SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT The serious student is buying a book.

Some verbs are not action verbs at all; they are connecting or linking verbs. Nouns or adjectives following these verbs are not objects. They refer back to the subject and are called subject complements. ADJECTIVES + SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT + ADVERBS happy seem The young children now.

The verb to be is the most common linking verb. Other common ones are seem, appear, become, feel, look, sound and taste.
A simple sentence can have more than one subject or more than one verb.

EXERCISE 1 : Identifying
1.
2. 3. 4. 5.

sentence parts. Good doctors understand their patients. adj. + S. + v.t + obj. Large sunflowers grow fast. adj. + S. + v.i + adv. Rose and John are the oldest cousins. Compound S. + linking v. + adj. + subj. complement Expensive cars seem popular nowadays. adj. + S + linking v. + subj. complement + adv. The boys loved New York and want to return soon. S + Compound v. + Compound object. + adv.

EXERCISE 2 : Constructing sentences from basic elements.

1. ( team) (won) ----------------------------------------------------------2. (Americans ) (grow) ----------------------------------------------------------3. (weather) (seem) ----------------------------------------------------------(Answers will be discussed in class)

EXERCISE 3 : Changing adjective phrases into sentences with linking verbs.

1. The delicious cake
2. The loud music 3. The soft kitten

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The cake tastes delicious. The music sounds loud. The kitten feels soft. The girl looks beautiful. The test is difficult.

4. The beautiful girl

5. The difficult test

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