Transcript Sentence Help - WordPress.com

Developed from Purdue’s OWL
 Readers want to follow the shape of each sentence
from beginning to end, trying to understand the single
complete thought the writer is expressing.
 Your writing needs to flow smoothly from word to
word, phrase to phrase, and sentence to sentence.
 The term “sentence fluency” refers to the way
individual words and phrases sound together within a
sentence, and how groups of sentences sound when
read one after the other.
 The most basic type of sentence is the simple sentence,
which contains only one clause. A simple sentence can be
as short as one word:
 Jump!
 Usually, however, the sentence has a subject as well as a
predicate (object) and both the subject and the predicate
may have modifiers. All of the following are simple
sentences, because each contains only one clause:





Melt!
Ice melts.
The ice melts quickly.
The ice on the river melts quickly under the warm March sun.
Lying exposed without its blanket of snow, the ice on the river
melts quickly under the warm March sun.
 A compound sentence consists of two or more
independent clauses (or simple sentences) joined by
co-ordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," and "or":
 Simple: China is a rich country.
 Simple: Still, it has many poor people.
 Compound: China is a rich country, but still it has many
poor people.
 A compound sentence is most effective when you use it
to create a sense of balance or contrast between two
(or more) equally-important pieces of information:
 New York has better clubs, but Los Angeles has better
restaurants.
 A complex sentence contains one independent clause
and at least one dependent clause. Unlike a compound
sentence, however, a complex sentence contains
clauses which are not equal. Consider the following
examples:
 Simple: My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to
go.
 Compound: My friend invited me to a party, but I do not
want to go.
 Complex: Although my friend invited me to a party, I do
not want to go.
 Simple: My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.
 Compound: My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want
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
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to go.
Complex: Although my friend invited me to a party, I do not
want to go.
In the first example, there are two separate simple sentences:
"My friend invited me to a party" and "I do not want to go."
The second example joins them together into a single sentence
with the co-ordinating conjunction "but," but both parts could
still stand as independent sentences -- they are entirely equal,
and the reader cannot tell which is most important.
In the third example, however, the sentence has changed quite a
bit: the first clause, "Although my friend invited me to a party,"
has become incomplete, or a dependent clause.
 Avoid interrupting the main clause with a subordinate
clause if the interruption will cause confusion.
 clear (subordinate clause at the end):
 Industrial spying is increasing rapidly because of the
growing use of computers to store and process corporate
information.
 clear (subordinate clause at the beginning):
 Because of the growing use of computers to store and
process corporate information, industrial spying is
increasing rapidly.
 When you have a series of words, phrases, or clauses,
put them in parallel form (similar grammatical
construction) so that the reader can identify the
linking relationship more easily and clearly.
 Things to make sure are parallel: tenses (time), plural
(number), objects (things)
 clear (parallel):
 In Florida, where the threat of hurricanes is an annual
event, we learned that it is important (1) to become
aware of the warning signs, (2) to know what
precautions to take, and (3) to decide when to seek
shelter.
 not as clear (not parallel):
 In Florida, where the threat of hurricanes is an annual
event, we learned that it is important (1) to become
aware of the warning signs. (2) There are precautions to
take, and (3) deciding when to take shelter is important.
 With the -ing form (gerund) of verbs:
 Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
 With infinitive verb phrases:
 Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a
bicycle.
OR
 Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
Note: Use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the
first one—don’t mix.
 Clause:
 group of words containing S + V which forms part of a
sentence
 A parallel structure that begins with clauses must
continue with clauses.
 The coach told the players that they should get a lot of
sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up
exercises before the game.
Which sentences show parallel structure?
 Dino does not like to sing, dance, or acting.
 Dino does not like singing, dancing, or acting.
 The production manager was asked to write his report quickly,
accurately, and thoroughly.
 The production manager was asked to write his report quickly,
accurately, and in a detailed manner.
 Aldus was a poor student because he waited until the last minute
to study, completed his lab problems carelessly, and lacked
motivation.
 Aldus was a poor student because he waited until the last minute
to study, was always completing his lab problems carelessly, and
his motivation was low.
 Modifier
 Describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about other
words in a sentence
 Can be a word or group of words (phrase)
 Misplaced modifier
 A modifier in the wrong place in a sentence
 Makes sentences awkward, confusing, or
(unintentionally) humorous
Do these sentences have different meanings?
Why?

The dog under the tree bit Carrie.


The dog under the tree bit Carrie.
The dog bit Carrie under the tree.
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The dog bit Carrie under the tree.
 How can you correct this sentence?
 Buffy called her adorable kitten opening the can of
food and filled the bowl.
 Opening the can of food, Buffy called her adorable kitten and
then filled the bowl.
 Process:
 What is the modifier?
 What word does it describe, clarify, or give more detail
about?
 Where should the modifier be placed?
 Modifiers go next to the word or phrase they modify.
 How can you correct this sentence?
 Portia rushed to the store loaded with cash to buy
Guy’s birthday present.
 Portia, loaded with cash, rushed to the store to buy Guy’s
birthday present.
 Process:
 What is the modifier?
 What word does it describe, clarify, or give more detail
about?
 Where should the modifier be placed?
 Modifiers go next to the word or phrase they modify.
 Review
 Misplaced Modifier:
 modifier in the wrong place in a sentence
 Process to correct misplaced modifiers:
 What is the modifier?
 What word does it describe, clarify, or give more detail
about?
 Where should the modifier be placed?
 Modifiers go next to the word or phrase they modify.
 Dangling Modifier:
 does not sensibly modify anything in its
sentence
 modifier is present, but it has nothing to
modify
 often occur at the beginning or end of a
sentence
 What is the modifier modifying?
 Having finished dinner, the rugby match was
turned on.
 Remember, modifiers go next to the words or
phrases they modify.
 3 ways to fix dangling modifiers:
 Name the appropriate doer of the action as the subject
of the main clause
 Having finished dinner, Jude turned on the rugby
match.
 Place the subject of the action within the dangling
modifier:
 After Jude finished dinner, he turned on the rugby
match.
 Combine the phrase and clause.
 Jude turned on the rugby match after finishing dinner.
 How might you correct the following sentence?
 Playing solitaire on the computer for three hours,
Michael’s paper was not finished.
 Playing solitaire on the computer for three hours,
Michael did not complete his paper.
 Because Michael played solitaire on the computer for
three hours, he did not complete his paper.
 Michael did not complete his paper because he played
solitaire on the computer for three hours.
 Process:
 Do you need to insert doer?
 Where should the modifier be placed?
 Modifiers go next to the word or phrase they modify
 How might you revise the following sentences?
 To work as a loan officer, an education in financial
planning is required.
 To work as a loan officer, one needs an education in
financial planning.
 To improve her grade, the test was completed
again.
 She repeated the test to improve her grade.
 After reading the original study, the article remains
unconvincing.
 After reading the original study, I find the article
unconvincing.
 Review
 Dangling modifier:
 modifier is present, but it has nothing to modify
 often occur at the beginning or end of a sentence
 Process to correct dangling modifiers:
 Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action
as the subject of the main clause
 Place the subject of the action within the dangling
modifier:
 Combine the phrase and clause.
 Even though, people can judge Asian people they are
the first one that graduate in high rate from high
school and college. Also are extremely intelligent on
math.
 Why does Asian Americans strive hard to succeed in
life?
 Yang have a mind of his own, he did not want to be a
follower he wanted to lead his own life by his own
rules.
 In the essay “Paper Tigers” narrated by Wesley Yang
the narrator discussed how his race is being
overlooked.