Sentences

Simple Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that is made up of a subject and a
predicate(s). It is normally started by a capital letter and ended with a full
stop.
There are four types of sentences but for this study, three would be
considered which could as well give a guide to the forth. The four types of
sentences are the:
Simple sentence, Compound sentence, Complex Sentence and the Compound
complex sentence.
The simple sentences is a clause that contains one main idea and a finite
verb.
The simple sentence can occur in forms that include:
1. Subject + verb
2. Subject + verb + object
3. Subject + verb + complement or adjunct
4. Subject + verb + object + complement or adjunct
5. Complement or adjunct + subject + verb + object
Note that the simple sentence cannot have anything more than a single finite
verb.
Below are examples of the forms of simple sentences presented above:
1. Subject + verb
a. John/S/ is dancing/V/.
b. Grace/S/ danced/V/.
c. He/S/ has been eating/V/.
2. Subject + verb + object
a. I/S/ want/V/ to dance/O/.
b. Grace/S/ slapped/V/ John/O/.
c. Singing/S/ is/V/ a bad exercise/N/.
3. Subject + verb + complement
a. Singing/S/ is/V/ good/C/.
b. To sing/S/ is/V/ wonderful/C/.
c. Broken glasses/S/ are/V/ dangerous/C/.
4. Subject + verb + object + Adjunct
a. John/S/ loves/V/ dancing/O/ in the morning/A/.
b. John/S/ visited/V/ me/O/ in the afternoon/A/.
c. John/S/ slapped/V/ Grace/S/ on her face/A/.
5. *Complement or adverb + subject + verb + object*
a. In the morning,/A/ John/S/ saw/V/ his mum/O/. b. Invented by an
Indian house wife in 1889,/C/ the first dishwasher/S/ was driven/V/ by
a steam engine/prepositional phrase/. A prepositional phrase consists
of a preposition that is followed by a noun and it does not tell, time,
place, manner, intensity, reason in respect to the verb etc. c. After a
long day at school and work,/A/ Lashae/S/ found/V/ her roommate
Ben/O/.
The sentences above have been analysed in a way that they show the various
parts of speech that could connect together to form sentences. Complements
are same as adjectives as they give some information to or complete the noun
while adjuncts are adverbs as they give some information to the verbs.
Assessment
Identify the parts of speech in the sentences below.
1. To eat in the morning is bad.
 2. Grace slapped John
3. The train was late
4. Grace loves singing.
5. I looked for Mary and Samantha in the bus.
6. John and Grace love dancing in the morning.
7. Having eaten a lot of food, John could not eat for three days.
8. I will shop at the store this weekend.
Compound Sentences
The compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two or more clauses that are
linked by a coordinating conjunction. Some coordinating conjunctions that we
studied earlier are: and, but, or, then etc.
Here are examples of compound sentences:
a. I love you and I want to marry you.
b. Emmanuel attended all the lectures but he did not sit for the exams.
c. Should I come or are you coming?
d. He ate the food then he cleared the table.
The compound sentence consists mostly of two simple sentences or independent
clauses. It would be noted that these clauses each contain a finite verb so unlike
the simple sentences, there is normally more than one finite verb in a compound
sentence. They are underlined in the sentences above. Example number 3 is made
up of two questions so they start with auxiliary verbs and are separated from the
main verbs. Another form of the compound sentence avoids the repetition of the
subject so two finite verbs are connected or two main verbs are connected with the
first having the auxiliary verb beside it. Example:
a. She conceives and bares her young.
b. We will sweep and mop the house.
Assessment
Write out the two main clauses in these compound sentences and underline the
finite verbs in each.
a. I would visit her or I will go on a vacation.
b. I am hungry but I wouldn’t eat.
c. Swimming is a good exercise and it keeps the body fit.

Complex Sentence
The complex sentence contains a main clause with one or more subordinate
clauses. The main clause is a group of words that contain a finite verb and can
stand on its own to pass across a message. The subordinate clause has a finite
verb but cannot pass across a complete message and it is in most cases introduced
by a subordinate conjunction.
The subordinate conjunctions that we studied in the previous class are those that
make part of the subordinate clauses.
Examples of complex sentences are:
i. She left because she was annoyed.
Explanation: she left is the main clause, clearly stating an information while
because she was annoyed is the subordinate clause giving an additional
information to she left. ‘Because she was annoyed’ cannot stand on its own.
Reason being that it starts with a subordinate conjunction.
Complex Sentences Based on the Types of Subordinate Conjunctions
Complex Sentences with Adverbials
A quick reminder; below are the subordinate conjunctions that introduce adverbials
clauses:
Reason include; because, since, so that, so as to etc.
Time: when, since, after, while etc.
Concession: although, though, even though, however, never the less, etc.
Result: that, to, etc.
Condition: yet, if, unless etc.
Adverbial clauses occur in this manner:
a. Since I was born, I have never seen this.
b. Unless you cook by yourself, you will not eat.
c. He helps no one even though he is a wealthy man.
d. It took so long that we all slept before they arrived.
These are complex sentences that contain adverbials as their subordinate clauses.
The underlined part of each sentence is its subordinate clause.
Here are steps that facilitate one to understand the adverbial clauses.
i. The subordinate conjunctions starts the subordinate clauses in each case.
ii. The subordinate clause can occur before the main clause, after the main finite
verb or after the main clause.
The adverbial clause usually contains information that modifies the verb in the
main clause. You would notice that: each complex sentence contains more than
one finite verb one in the main clause and the other in the subordinate clause. The
finite verbs in the sentences above are:
Sentence a: was and have never seen
Sentence b: cook and will not eat
Sentence c: helps and is
Sentence d: took and slept
Remember that every finite verb used alone can change from present to past
tense.
-Sentence 1: was (am) and have never seen (the non finite verb seen is modified
by
a have verb and a negation never to help in function in the capacity of a finite
verb.
Note that negations are: not and never and can occur with verbs.)
-Sentence 2: cook (cooked) and will not eat (future tense that is modified by
auxiliary
verbs)
-Sentence 3: helps (Helped) and is (was)
-Sentence 4: took (takes) and slept (sleep)
Here are some simple sentences with adverbial phrases.
a. While in the Kitchen, we heard a loud sound.
b. They arrived at 1:00 pm.
Quite different from the previous set of sentences, the above are simple sentences
with an adverbial phrase as the adverbials do not contain finite verbs.
Every subordinate clause has a grammatical name and the name of the above
clauses are: Adverbial clauses. They each function in this manner:
a. It modifies the verb have never seen.
b. It modifies the verb will not eat.
c. It modifies the verb helps.
d. It modifies the verb took.
The ones in the next set of sentences are: Adverbial phrases and they have the
following functions.
a. It modifies the verb heard.
b. It modifies the verb arrived.
You would notice that the verb that is modified in each case is the finite verb in
 the main clause.
Assessment
Underline the adverbials in these sentences and state if they are
clauses or phrases.
a. If she comes, we will eat.
b. Do not go outside until you finish eating.
c. Whether you eat or not, we a travelling.
d. She is not a Christian however, she goes to church.
e. He laid in the car.

Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses

The noun clause is a group of words that describes an idea, thought,
thing or concept and it normally contains a finite verb.
The subordinate conjunctions that introduce nouns include:
The fact that, that, where, why, who, whom, what, which, whoever,
whomever, whatever, when, how etc.
Some verbs that are commonly followed by nouns include: perceive,
think, understand, consider, mention, see, say, convince, reveal,
realise, believe, remind, advise, encourage, expect, tell, warn, ask,
require, allow, enable, force, hire, invite, order, permit, urge, choose,
need, prepare, promise, want, wish, would like, argue, give etc.
The noun clause occurs in diverse ways in sentences. It can serve as
the subject or the object in a sentence, therefore:
i. It normally starts a sentence or comes before the verb of
the sentence.
ii. It can come immediately after the verb of the sentence.
iii. It can come after the noun as a complement to the object of
the sentence.
iv. In many cases, it starts with any of the subordinate
conjunctions that introduce noun clauses.
v. It can be a complete sentence that comes after the verb of a
sentence.
Sentences with noun clauses occur in this manner:
a. The fact that I am your friend does not mean that you will
disrespect me.
There are two subordinate clauses in this sentence, therefore two
subordinate conjunctions are in the sentences. They are, the fact that
and that. Without the subordinate conjunctions, you would find that
what comes after the sentences are: “I am your friend” and “You will
disrespect me” which are both complete sentences.
The fact that I am your friend and that you will disrespect me are both
noun clauses. They function as the subject and the object of the
sentence. And the verbs in these clauses, am and will disrespect are
finite that is why they are called clauses. The main finite verb that
connects the subject and the object is, does not mean.
Here are more examples with noun clauses:
a. Why she travelled to the village is still unacceptable.
b. Where you are standing is a holy ground.
c. I perceived she wasn’t comfortable with the idea.
d. I think that he will soon get married.
The noun clauses in the sentences above have been underlined. It
would be discovered that they contain finite verbs and they serve
either as the subject or the object of each of the sentences.
The grammatical name and function of each underlined subordinate
clause is noun clauses while in each case they function as:
a. It is the subject of the verb is.
b. It is the subject of the verb is.
c. It is the object of the verb perceived.
d. It is the object of the verb think.
Assessment
a. Identify the finite verbs in the noun clauses above.
b. Make 4 sentences with noun clauses in them.
Complex Sentences with Adjectival Clauses
These are complex sentences that contain the relative or adjectival
clauses. If you can remember, the relative or adjectival clauses
include: who, that, which, whom etc.
Here are examples of complex sentences with relative clauses.
a. The teacher who teaches English Language is my
mother.
b. The girl who is in SHS 2 is a traitor.
c. The boy that lives in Bukuru is friendly.
d. We repaired the car that was damaged.
e. The woman we saw is Jane’s mother.
Adjectival clauses come immediately after a noun in the subject or the
object position, giving some information to the noun. A vivid example is
the noun phrase, “The teacher” which is qualified by the adjectival
clause “who teaches English Language”. This gives more information
and distinguishes the noun phrase “the teacher” from any other
teacher. In that case, the relative clause that comes after it serves as
an adjectival clause because it plays the role of an adjective. It is a
clause because it contains the finite verb teaches.
All the above underlined parts in the sentences are adjectival clauses
and they function in this manner:
a. It qualifies the noun teacher.
b. It qualifies the noun girl.
c. It qualifies the noun boy.
d. It qualifies the noun car.
e. It qualifies the noun woman.
If the noun and the subordinate conjunction are underlined,
the grammatical name will automatically be, noun clause.
Assessment
a. Underline the adjectival clauses in the sentences below.
b. Write out the finite verb in each of the adjectival clauses and
change those that can be changed from present to past tense or
past to present tenses.
i. The car that was stolen has been found.
ii. The man whose bag was missing is here.
iii. I saw the cup which he uses.
iv. The woman that came to this office lives in Lagos.
v. The car which was labelled new, belongs to Miss James.
vi. The room that the event took place has been burnt down.