Sentence pattern

Writing a sentence

Simple Sentence

• Consists of at least

• A subject, and ...

• A verb

• I walk to school every day.

• It may have

• An object

• I have breakfast.

‘To school everyday’ modifies ‘walk’

Simple Sentence

• A complement

• The sky is blue.

• Modifier

• I am contemplating quietly at a corner of the main library.

Compound Sentence

• Is a combination of 2 simple sentences

• I come to school early every day. [1 simple sentence]

• I have breakfast at the cafeteria. [1 simple sentence]

• I come to school early every day, and I have breakfast at the cafeteria. [1 compound sentence]

Complex Sentence

• Adverb clause

• 2 [two] simple sentences joined together with conjunctions

• When

• Because

• Although

• If

• Etc...

Complex Sentence

• When I was young, I lived in Chieng Mai.

• Although I don’t like math, I try very hard to get an A in this subject.

• Attention!

• There are 2 [two] clauses in a complex sentence

• Writing only 1 sentence will definitely result in FRAGMENT

Complex Sentence

• When I was young. >>wrong

• When I was young, I usually went to the playground near my house. >> right

• Because it is fascinating. >> wrong

• I love watching the night sky because it is fascinating. >> right

Check Point

• When writing a sentence, always-always-always pay attention to

• Subject-verb agreement

• Verb must conjugate with its subject

• The girl cry as her cat is missing.>>wrong

• The girl cries as her cat is missing. >>right

Check Point

• FRAGMENT

• Write a complete sentence

• If I were you. >>wrong

• If I were you, I would buy that car. >>right

• A lovely white kitten in the kitchen >>wrong

• A lovely white kitten sits/is sitting in the kitchen

Check Point

• FRAGMENT

• Refer to COMPLEX SENTENCE again for a lesson on how to write a complete sentence

Check Point

• Part of speech

• She idle flipped the page. >>wrong

• She idly flipped the page. >>right

• Tense

• I went shopping and buy a new pair of shoes. >>wrong

• I went shopping and bought a new pair of shoes.>> right

Check Point

• COMMA SPLICE

• A comma [,] is NOT used to join sentences

• You need a CONJUNCTION and a comma to join sentence

• Jack wants to be a king of the world, Rose

wishes for a blue diamond. >>wrong

• Jack wants to be a king of the world,and Rose wishes for a blue diamond. >>right