Unit 1

The Sentence
What is a Sentence?
• A group of words
• Begins with a capital letter and ends with a period
• Conveys ideas and meaning

Which of the following is a sentence?

A. Apples economy understood happy.
B. People should think before they speak.
What is a Sentence?
• If you chose B, then you are correct.
• Notice that when you read A, you see a list of words, but you do not
get any meaning from the list.
• When you read B, you learn an idea, get a complete thought, or
understand someone’s opinion or point of view.
How is a Sentence Constructed?
The most essential parts of a sentence are the subject (who or what the sentence
is about) and the predicate or verb (action or what happens in the sentence).
Some people think of a sentence like
a bicycle:
• The subject and predicate form the basic
structure of a sentence, in the same way
as wheels form the basic structure of a
bicycle.
• Other words, phrases, and clauses are
descriptive information that provide
more information in the sentence.
Identify Parts of the Sentence
Can you identify the subject and predicate (verb) in the following sentences?
Who or what is the sentence about (subject)?
What happened (predicate or verb)?

1.The elephant ran.

2.The baby elephant ran.
3.The baby elephant ran into the forest.
4.When the hunters arrived, the baby elephant ran into the forest.
5.When the hunters arrived, the baby elephant ran into the forest for safety.
Identify Parts of the Sentence

elephant ran
Identify Parts of the Sentence
1.The elephant ran.
2.The baby elephant ran.
3.The baby elephant ran into the forest.
4.When the hunters arrived, the baby elephant ran into the forest.
5.When the hunters arrived, the baby elephant ran into the forest for safety.

Notice that the subject and predicate are the same in each of the sentences. Each
sentence includes additional words that provide descriptive information, but the
subject and predicate are the foundation for each of the sentences.
The Sentence
Sentences can communicate complex thoughts and ideas.
• Most sentences include more than just a subject and predicate.
• Sentences can express complex thoughts.
• There are ways to include descriptive words, phrases, and clauses to help people
get a full meaning and see how ideas relate to one another.

Like a sentence, a bicycle includes many interrelated parts, including a seat,

handlebars, pedals, and carrier that support its main components - the wheels.
Who or What After the Predicate
A common sentence structure includes who or what after the
predicate.
• The batter hit the ball out of the park.
• The subject is “the batter,” and the predicate is “hit.”
• “The ball” is essential to complete the idea.
• “Out of the park” is descriptive information.

In a similar way, in the following sentence, “hero” follows the subject

and predicate and is essential to the meaning of the sentence:
• My father is my hero.
Adding Descriptive Words
Notice how you can write a simple sentence
(subject) (predicate)
• The faucet dripped.

and include words (adjectives and adverbs) to add description and

meaning:
• The leaking faucet dripped continuously.
Adding Descriptive Words
Notice how you can write a simple sentence
(subject) (predicate)
• The man hiked.

and add phrases to make it more descriptive:

• Longing for adventure, the man hiked to the top of the mountain to
look over the cliff.

You can also add descriptive words:

• Longing for adventure, the young man hiked eagerly to the top of the
mountain to look over the cliff.
Clauses and Conjunctions
Adding descriptive ideas (clauses) connected with joining words (conjunctions)
Notice how you can write a simple sentence
(subject) (predicate) (who or what after the predicate)
• The woman found her keys.

and add ideas to make it more descriptive:

• When the woman looked under the seat of her car, she found her keys.

and add other descriptive information to make the sentence more meaningful:
• Worried that she would not be on time for her interview, when the frustrated
woman looked under the seat of her car, she found her keys.
Understanding Sentence Structure
How can understanding the structure of sentences help my writing?
• You will be able to express descriptive and complex ideas that will help your
readers get full meaning from your writing.

How can understanding the structure of sentences help my reading?

• You will be able to identify the subject and predicate, which are the most
important parts of a sentence.
• You will be able to identify descriptive information, such as words, phrases, and
clauses, and review their meaning in relation to the subject and predicate.
Analyze the Structure
(introductory descriptive phrase) (subject) (predicate) (who or what after the verb)
Because of the many tasks on my schedule, I need to manage my time wisely.

(introductory descriptive clause) (subject) (predicate) (who or what after the verb)
Whenever I think about where I grew up, I remember lazy summer afternoons

(descriptive phrase) (descriptive phrase)

sitting on the porch with my family.

When trying to understand a complex sentence, identify the subject and

predicate first because these will tell you what the sentence is about. All
other information will provide more meaning related to the subject and
predicate.
Conclusion
What did you learn in this presentation?
• A sentence is the foundation for writing and reading in English.
• The most fundamental parts of a sentence are the subject and predicate. These
will tell you what the sentence is about.
• You can write sentences that express complex ideas by adding descriptive words,
phrases, and clauses.
• Understanding how sentences are constructed will help you express your ideas in
English and will help you analyze sentences in your reading for better
comprehension.