Sentences can be classified according to their:

1. Syntactic type
2. Discourse Function

3. Structure

Prácticas Discursivas de la Comunicación

Escrita II – Prof. Andrea Fares
1. Declarative Sentences (subject before the verb): Ruth gave David
the book.
2. Interrogative Sentences (formally marked in one of the two
ways):
1. Yes / No Interrogatives: an operator is placed before the subject:
Did Ruth give David the book?
1. Wh- interrogatives: an interrogative Wh-element is positioned
initially and there is generally subject – operator inversion.
What did Ruth give David?
3. Imperative Sentences (no overt or explicit grammatical subject –
verb has the base form)
Give David the book.
4. Exclamative Sentences (have an initial phrase introduced by
what or how, usually with subject-verb order:
What an interesting book David received from Ruth!
1. Statements: used to convey information. They can be
affirmative or negative.
2. Questions: used to seek information
3. Directives: used to instruct somebody to do something
4. Exclamations: primarily used for expressing the extent to
which the speaker is impressed by something.
1. Simple: only one finite or conjugated verb.
Rain falls.
2. Compound: the constituent clauses are grammatically
coordinate, no one being dependent on the others, but all being,
as it were, added together in sequence.
I saw him yesterday and I will see you tomorrow.
I love English but I hate French.
3. Complex: like simple sentences in that they consist of only one
main clause, but unlike simple sentences, they have one or more
subordinate clauses that are grammatically dependent upon the
main clause and that function as an element of the sentence.
Although I know him, he sometimes surprises me with his ideas.
4. Compund-complex: made up of at least two main clauses which
in turn contain subordinate clauses.
He came yesterday and as you were not in, he left this not for you.
§ When analyzing sentences syntactically, please state that
sentence classification according to:
Syntactic type and structure only:

Do you live here? Yes / No Interrogative – Simple

Let’s revise mistakes together
1. Is “for Bill” a Noun Phrase? Which is the head of the
phrase?
2. Can we move “for Bill” as a separate constituent
somewhere else in the sentence?
3. How can you check that “for Bill” is the indirect object?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKQRkW41LzY

We need to carry out constituency tests here….

1. Subject – Verb
agreement; singular
subject- singular verb
2. What do you need to
have a transitive verb?
3. Can a verb be transitive
or intransitive?
PM: Pre- Post-
modifier modifier
 Only tiny is the
SC
1. What type
of verb is
“to be”?

A linking verb is a verb that describes the subject by

connecting it to a predicate adjective or predicate noun. Unlike
the majority of verbs, they do not describe any direct action
taken or controlled by the subject.

The most common linking verb is the verb to be (in all of its
forms, e.g., am, is, are, was, were, will be, was being, has been).
Other common linking verbs relate to the five senses (to look,
to feel, to smell, to sound, and to taste). To appear, to become,
and to seem are common linking verbs too
1. What is the
main verb?
Can a main
verb be a
gerund?
Why? Wy
not?

• Very is an
adverb.
Adverbs
modify verbs
and
adjectives.
• It means: to a
great degree.
What is beyond simple sentences?
§ Classification of clauses:
1. Clauses are classified into:

§ Main (principal, independent, free, matrix) clauses

§ Subordinate (dependent, bound, embedded, etc.)

Ø Main clauses are of the same rank and may be coordinated to each other.
I don’t like sodas and I could not drink one.
Ø Subordinate Clauses are attached to a main clause and the are
subdivided into three groups:
Ø Noun clauses
Ø Relative Clauses
Ø Adverbial Clauses
Differences
§ Use any of the FANBOYS
devices to form
coordinated sentences
(compound sentences)
§ According to certain traditional linguistic theories, a
subordinate clause or dependent clause is a clause that
provides a sentence element with additional information, but
which cannot stand as a sentence.
§ Subordinate clauses will often begin
with subordinating conjunctions, which are words that link
dependent clauses to independent clauses, such as for, as,
since, therefore, hence, consequently, though, due to, provided
that, because, unless, once, while, when, whenever, where,
wherever, before, and after.
a. She never realized that Tom was the killer.
b. The doctor will not diagnose the problem until you go to
hospital.
c. I discovered a new place where you can buy very exotic
food.

1. State type of sentence in terms of syntax and structure.

2. Decide what type of clauses are embedded in each.