English Comprehension and Composition – Lecture 5

Objectives:1. Definition of a Sentence2. Sentence Structures:

>Sentence types according to Meaning>Sentence types according to Clauses

3. Modifiers>Dangling modifiers>Misplaced modifiers

Which one of these is a complete sentence???

1. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.2. Outside the window3. Political parties

SENTENCEA group of words that makes complete sense is called a sentence. Examples:

"Children are all foreigners."(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"I have often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can't get my wife to go swimming."(attributed to Jimmy Carter, among others)

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."(Theodor Geisel)

Open the door!

PARTS OF A SENTENCE

• Every sentence has two parts• The part that names the person or thing

we are talking about is called a subject• The part that tells something about the

subject is called the predicate of the sentence.

Example:They wake up early in the morning.

In the following sentences separate the subject and predicate.

1) The boy stood on the burning deck.2) Sweet are the uses of adversity.3) Stone walls do not make a prison.4) The singing of the birds delights us.5) He has a good memory6) Bad habits grow unconsciously.7) Nature is the best physician.8) No man can serve two masters.9) I shot an arrow into the air. 10) On the top of the hill lives a hermit.

Sentence TypesAccording to Meaning

English has four main sentence types:

• Declarative Sentences are used to form statements.Examples: "Mary is here.", "My name is Mary." 

 • Interrogative Sentences are used to ask questions.

Examples: "Where is Mary?", "What is your name?" 

• Imperative Sentences are used for commands.Examples: "Come here.", "Tell me your name.“”

• Conditional Sentences are used to indicate dependencies between events or conditions.Example: "If you cut all the trees, there will be no forest."

Identify the kind of sentence. The first two have been done for you.1. Why do you believe that? interrogative2. I want to know why you believe that. declarative (This is not a question.)3. Please accept my apology.4. Your face is frightening the baby!5. My shoe is on fire!6. When did you first notice that your shoe was on fire?7. My doctor told me to take these vitamins.8. Ask Doris for the recipe.9. Did you solve the puzzle yet?10. Ann, hand me your coat.11. It’s hard to believe that this paper is made from wood.12. There are more apples in the refrigerator.13. We’re on the wrong planet!14. Will Patricia pause to place poached pickles on Paula’s pretty plate?15. I would send her a gift if I were you.16. Send her a nice gift.

Source:http://www.rhlschool.com/eng3n21.htm

SENTENCE STRUCTURES

Sentence TypesOne way to categorize sentences is by the clauses they contain. (A clause is a part of a sentence containing a subject and a predicate.)

There are 4 types of sentences in this category:

Simple• Contains a single, independent clause.

– I don't like dogs.

– Our school basketball team lost their last game of the season 75-68.

– The old hotel opposite the bus station in the center of the town is probably going to be knocked down at the end of next year.

Compound• Contains two independent clauses that are

joined by a coordinating conjunction. The most common coordinating conjunctions are: and, or, but, so.– I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats.– You can write on paper, or you can use a

computer.– A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm, but

none of the students was injured.

Complex

• Contains an independent clause plus one dependent clause. (A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction. Examples: that, because, although, where, which, since.)– I don't like dogs that bark at me when I go past.– You can write on paper, although a computer is

better.– None of the students were injured when the tree fell

through the school roof.

Compound-complex

• Contains 3 or more clauses (of which at least two are independent and one is dependent).– I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats

because they make her sneeze.– You can write on paper, but using a computer is

better as you can easily correct your mistakes.– A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm, but

none of the students was injured although many of them were in classrooms at the top of the building.

Identify compound and complex sentences.1. The horse reared and the rider was thrown.2. The town in which I live is very large.3. I called him but he gave me no answer.4. I went because I was invited.5. I want to find the man who did this.6. Listen carefully and take notes.7. She must weep or she will die.8. God helps those who help themselves.9. We had many fruit trees where we lived previously. 10. He behaved as a brave man should do.

Choose the correct sentence.

1. A. because of your vigilance, lives were saved.B. because vigilant, lives were saved.C. because of your vigilant, lives were saved. 2. A. people who under stress tending to act irrationally.B. people under stress tend to act irrationally.C. people under stress tending to act irrationally. 3. A. to know her is to love her.B. to know her to love her.C. to know her is love her. 4. A. we made her to blush by lavishing praise on her.B. we made her blush by we lavished praise on her.C. we made her blush by lavishing praise on her. 5. A. I secretly admired his bravery when loudly deplored his impulsiveness.B. While loudly deploring his impulsiveness, I secretly admired his bravery.C. I secretly admired his bravery while loudly deplored his impulsiveness.

6. A. He apologized to Macy in order to end the quarrel.B. He apologized to Macy to in order to end the quarrel.C. He apologized to Macy in order that to end the quarrel.

7. A. Give feedback needs both honesty and tact.B. Giving feedback needs both honesty and tact.C. Giving feedback needing honesty and tact.

8. A. Her main aim is earn enough to pay for her son’s college education.B. Her main aim to earn enough paying for her son’s college education.C. Her main aim is earning enough to pay for her son’s college education.

9. A. I spoke frankly not to upset you but help you.B. I spoke frankly not to upset you but to help you.C. I spoke frankly not to upset you to help you.

10. A. The library stayed open till 9 pm every day so enable working adults to enjoy its facilities.B. The library stayed open till 9 pm every day so that enable working adults to enjoy its facilities.C. The library stayed open till 9 pm every day so as to enable working adults to enjoy its faculties.

MODIFIERS

• A word, phrase, or clause that functions as an adjective or adverb to limit or qualify the meaning of another word or word group (called the head).

• Modifiers that appear before the head are called premodifiers. Modifiers that appear after the head are called postmodifiers.

Examples

• This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

• I am an influential and respected man.

• They saw a fence made of barbed wire behind the house.

Topped with hot fudge sauce, my friend could not believe that I ate the whole thing.

Driving on the Park Road at dusk, grizzly bears are foraging for food.

Dangling Modifiers

• A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it modifies (i.e. is placed next to).Two notes about dangling modifiers:

• Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a sentence.

• In most cases, the dangling modifier appears at the beginning of the sentence, although it can also come at the end.

Since having been fixed the night before is placed next to Priscilla, the sentence means that Priscilla was

fixed the night before.

DANGLING MODIFIERS

From the following pairs of sentences, select the one which is correct.Piled up next to the washer, I began doing the laundry.I began doing the laundry piled up next to the washer.

_____While John was talking on the phone, the doorbell rang.While talking on the phone, the doorbell rang.

_____ Standing on the balcony, the ocean view was magnificent.

Standing on the balcony, we had a magnificent ocean view._____

As I was running across the floor, the rug slipped and I lost my balance,Running across the floor, the rug slipped and I lost my balance.

_____While taking out the trash, the sack broke.While Jamie was taking out the trash, the sack broke.

Every Friday, the cafeteria serves pizza to students on paper plates.

I placed the chair in the corner of the room that I had recently purchased.

Misplaced Modifiers

• A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies / describes.

• Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing. Furthermore, they can be downright illogical.

The example above suggests that a gold man owns a watch.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS

From the following pairs of sentences, select the one which is correct.I almost listened to the whole album.I listened to almost the whole album. ______

He was staring at the girl wearing dark glasses by the vending machine. He was staring at the girl by the vending machine wearing dark glasses.

_____We read that Janet was married in her last letter. In her last letter, we read that Janet was married. ______

The faulty alarm system nearly sounded five times yesterday.The faulty alarm system sounded nearly five times yesterday.______

On the evening news, I heard that there was a revolution.I heard that there was a revolution on the evening news.

Recap

• Definition of a Sentence• Sentence Structures:

>Sentence types according to Meaning>Sentence types according to Clauses

• Modifiers>Dangling modifiers>Misplaced modifiers

References

• The material has been adapted front the following links:

• http://www.scientificpsychic.com/grammar/enggram2.html

• http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/sntstrct.html

• http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/modterm.htm

• http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduledangling.htm