WEEK 9: WRITING - SENTENCES

SENTENCES

A Formal Definition of Sentence

A sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and
predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting of a main
clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.
Oxford Dictionary

(http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/sentences.htm accessed January 31, 2018)

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Types of Sentences

There are four main types of sentences:

1. Simple or Declarative Sentence

2. Command or Imperative Sentence
3. Question or Interrogative Sentence
4. Exclamatory Sentence

Depending on your purpose, you will use one of the above types of sentences in your writing.

Declarative Sentences
These sentences are used to state information. They are the most commonly used sentence type.
Most academic writing employs simple or declarative sentences. Declarative sentences end with
a period. For example:

 Two plus two doesn't make five.

 Snow is white.
 I like coffee.
 We didn't watch TV last night.
 John was working all night.
 Two plus two doesn't make five.
 Very few people have actually met an alien.

Imperative Sentences
These sentences give commands or make requests. Imperative sentences end with a period or an
exclamation mark. For example:

 Don't move!
 Open the window.
 Now wash your hands!
 Kindly help yourself to fruit.
 Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is off.
 Remove the packaging. Open the blue box and connect the two wires.

Interrogative Sentences
These sentences ask questions. Accordingly, they end with a question mark. For example:

 Is it cold outside?
 Was the film good?
 Does it taste good?
 What's the time?
 Where is the toilet please?
 Where shall we go?
 How do you open this?
 Did you complete the assignment?

Exclamatory Sentences
These sentences express emotion and, as such, end with an exclamation mark.

 What a liar he is!

 How silly I am.
 How sad it was!
 Hey! What a brilliant idea that is!
 Oh, how I wish I were there now.
 What a mess you've made!

Exclamatory sentences are not common in academic writing. You should only use them if you
have to convey a strong emotion, which does not happen often in academic writing as it tends to
be objective and formal.
http://plato.algonquincollege.com/applications/guideToGrammar/?page_id=3243 accessed
January 13, 2019
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/type-declarative.htm accessed January 13, 2019
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/type-imperative.htm accessed January 13, 2019
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/type-interrogative.htm accessed January 13, 2019
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/type-exclamative.htm accessed January 13, 2019
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English Sentence Structure

The following statements are true about sentences in English:

 A new sentence begins with a capital letter.
o He obtained his degree.
 A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point).
o He obtained his degree.
 A sentence contains a subject that is only given once.

o Smith he obtained his degree.

 A sentence contains a verb or a verb phrase.
o He obtained his degree.
 A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order.
o He (subject) obtained (verb) his degree (object).
 A sentence must have a complete idea that stands alone. This is also called an
independent clause.
o He obtained his degree.

Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and
modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.
Key: bold = subject; underline = verb, italics = object, regular font =prepositional phrase

Here are a few examples:

 She read.
 She completed her literature review.
 He organized his sources by theme.
 They studied APA rules for many hours.

Compound Sentences
A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses.  These two independent
clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon.
Key: independent clause = bold; coordinating conjunction = underlined

Here are a few examples:

 She completed her literature review, and she created her reference list.
  He organized his sources by theme; then, he updated his reference list.
 They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was still much to
learn.

Complex Sentences
A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the sequence/time (since,
while), or the causal elements (because, if) of the independent clause. If a sentence begins
with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on the other hand, the sentence
begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.
Key: independent clause = bold; dependent clause = italics

Here are a few examples:

 Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to work on her methods
section.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
 Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his readers to follow.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
 They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
o Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an
independent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentences
Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence contains at least two
independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Key: independent clause = bold; coordinating conjunction = underlined; dependent clause =
italics

Here are a few examples:

 She completed her literature review, but she still needs to work on her methods
section even though she finished her methods course last semester.
 Although he organized his sources by theme, he decided to arrange them
chronologically, and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for organization. 
 With pizza and soda at hand, they studied APA rules for many hours, and they
decided that writing in APA made sense because it was clear, concise, and objective.

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/sentencestructure accessed January

13, 2019
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EXERCISE
A. Sentence Structure:
1. This is a simple sentence.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
2. I like playing basketball, and my brother likes playing tennis.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
3. I'll help you if you help me.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
4. Her name is Sachiko and she comes from Japan.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
5. My mother cooked dinner while I was doing my homework.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
6. While I was doing my homework, my father cooked the dinner and my mother was
asleep in front of the television.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
7. Do you want to go swimming tomorrow, or would you prefer to play tennis?
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
8. I've brought my umbrella with me in case it rains.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
9. I don't know why he did that.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
10. My family came to Germany when I was in grade 5, but I never learned to speak
German very well.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
11. I'm so pleased that you can come to my party.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
12. He told me that he is returning to London next summer.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
13. I have not seen my grandmother since I came to Germany.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
14. We were doing a mathematics test when the fire alarm rang yesterday.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
15. She runs every day, so she is very fit.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
16. Because she runs every day, she is very fit.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
17. The new girl in our ESL class has a brother in grade 7 and a sister in grade 9.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
18. You should read every day if you want to improve your English more quickly.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
19. Although it was cold and the rain was getting heavier, we decided to go fishing as
planned.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
20. You should start working a little harder or you are going to fail your test.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
21. I didn't know what time it was so I was very late to class.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
22. Most European countries now use the Euro, but the United Kingdom still uses the
 pound (£).
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
23. To build a doll's house you need wood, a hammer, a saw, and lots of nails.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
24. She failed her driving test because she didn't look in her mirror often enough.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex
25. He got up, walked over to the window, and jumped out.
Simple / Compound / Complex / Compound-complex

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/multi/satzType.htm accessed July 21, 2017

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B. Types of Sentences
Give your own examples of:

1. Declarative Sentences
- ……………………………………………………………...
- ………………………………………………………………

2. Imperative Sentences
- ……………………………………………………………...
- ………………………………………………………………

3. Interrogative Sentences
- ……………………………………………………………...
- ………………………………………………………………

4. Exclamatory Sentences
- ……………………………………………………………...
- ………………………………………………………………

r.a. 2020