Sentence Structure

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Sentence Structure
An Introduction to Clause Analysis

• Adapted from UEL

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The Mechanics of Paragraphs, Sentences
Punctuation
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3 Elements of Sentences

• Individual Words (Parts of Speech)
• Nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, subordinators
• Groups of Words
• Clauses (main, dependent, relative), phrases
• Punctuation
• Commas, colons, hyphens, question marks,
  full-stops

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Text 1
Freud was born in 1856. He was born in Austria.
He attended the Sperl Gymnasium. He graduated in
1873. He turned to medicine as a career. At the
University of Vienna he worked with Ernst von
Brucke. He trained with the psychiatrist Theodor
Maynert. He was appointed lecturer in
neuro-pathology in 1885. In 1938 he was forced
into exile.
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Simple Sentences

• He (subject) studied (verb) hard.
• We (subject) went (verb) to the Skillzone.

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Problems with Simple Sentences

• BORING
• REPETITIVE
• RESTRICTIVE BASED ON FACTS

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Uses of the Simple Sentence

• Instructions
• Reports procedures / methods

• BECAUSE
• They are clear
• They are easy to understand

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Text 2
Freud was born in 1856 and attended the Sperl
Gymnasium and graduated in 1873 then turned to
medicine as a career, so he went to the
University of Vienna and worked with Ernst von
Brucke and trained with the psychiatrist Theodor
Maynert and was appointed lecturer in
neuro-pathology in 1885, but was forced into
exile in 1938.
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Compound Sentences

• Simple sentences joined together by coordinating
  conjunctions
• and, or, but, and then.
• Simplistic
• Monotonous

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Options

• Use no more than one or two
  co-ordinating conjunctions in a compound
  sentence.
• Freud was born in 1856 and attended the Sperl
  Gymnasium.

• Join compound sentences using semi-colons.
• Freud was an educated man he studied medicine.

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The Complex Solution

• Use COMPLEX SENTENCES
• Compress several sentences into one.
• WEIGHTY
• CONSIDERED
• SOPHISTICATED INTERESTING

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Text 3 Example 1
He attended the Sperl Gymnasium and graduated in
1873, subsequently turning to medicine as a
career.
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Example 1 Examined

• Clause 1 expresses main statement
• He attended the Sperl Gymnasium and graduated in
  1873
• Clause 2 adds information
• subsequently turning to medicine as a career

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Text 3 Example 2
After he began training with the psychiatrist
Theodor Maynert, Freud was appointed lecturer in
neuro-pathology in 1885.
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Example 2 Examined

• Main clause expresses main statement
• Freud was appointed lecturer in neuro-pathology
  in 1885.
• Subordinate Clause adds information
• After he began training with the psychiatrist
  Theodor Maynert,

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What is a Main Clause?

• A group of words that conveys the main idea of a
  sentence.
• always has a subject
• always has a main verb.
• Freud went to the University of Vienna.
• He worked with Ernst von Brucke.

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Subordinate Clauses

• Also have a subject
• Also have a main verb
• But
• Are always INTRODUCED by a word like
• although, because, when

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Note Co-ordinate Clauses
Sometimes sentences have more than one clause of
equal importance Freud attended the Sperl
Gymnasium and graduated in 1873. He was appointed
lecturer in neuro-pathology in 1885, but was
forced into exile in 1938. Both parts of each
sentence are of equal importance.
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Caution!

• Main clauses can stand alone as fully functioning
  sentences.
• Subordinate clauses depend for their sense on the
  main clause. They do not make sense by themselves
  because they are incomplete.

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• Main clause COMPLETE
• Freud was appointed lecturer in neuro-pathology
  in 1885.
• Subordinate Clause INCOMPLETE
• After he began training with the psychiatrist
  Theodor Maynert,

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Subordinate Conjunctions
although while which since despite unless even
though subsequently if because where until
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Functions of Subordinate Clauses

• WHEN events happened
• WHY / REASON
• HOW
• WHAT concessions are being made
• WHAT limits are being set
• WHAT conditions are being imposed

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Punctuating Complex Sentences
The comma is the stop used between main and
independent clauses its not always needed, but
sometimes its crucial.
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Examples

• Freud had a daughter, who was a psychotherapist.
  
• (He only had ONE daughter.)
• Freud had a daughter who was a psychotherapist.
• (He had MORE than one daughter.)

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• All the students who were in the Great Hall at
  the time were discussing Freud.
• (ONLY the students in the Great Hall were doing
  this, but there were other students.)
• All the students, who were in the Great Hall at
  the time, were discussing Freud.
• (There were no other students apart from those
  in the Great Hall.)

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• However we may feel, Freuds a scientist rather
  than a humanist.
• (ie it doesnt matter whether we feel hes right
  or wrong.)
• However, we may feel Freuds a scientist rather
  than a humanist.
• (ie on the other hand.)

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Relative Clauses
Defining Relative Clauses The gales which swept
across Britain last night caused widespread
damage. The pipeline which carries the towns
water supplies has been severed.
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Relative Clauses
Non-Defining Relative Clauses The gales, which
swept across Britain last night, caused
widespread damage. The pipeline, which carries
the towns water supplies, has been severed.
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Extended Nouns
Sometimes a whole clause can function as a
noun. In this sense it is an extended Noun.
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Complex Complex Sentences
Complex sentences can consist of a main clause
and several subordinate clauses which may cut
across each other.
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Text 4
Even though he was a famous psychiatrist and
loved his children, Freud got cross with Anna
because she had eaten all the cakes which Martha
had made while he had been busy writing The
Interpretation of Dreams.
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Analysing Text 4

• Freud was cross with Anna Main Clause
• Even though he was a famous psychiatrist Sub Cl
• who loved his children Sub Cl
• because she had eaten all the cakes Sub Cl
• which Martha had made Sub Cl
• while he had been busy writing The Interpretation
  of Dreams Sub Cl

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Shifting the Emphasis
Freud, who was a famous psychiatrist and loved
his children, was busy writing The Interpretation
of Dreams while Anna was eating all the cakes
which Martha had made for him.
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Foregrounding
Identifying the main clause in a sentence helps
you to understand a writers personal view or
slant on what he or she has written.
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The Phrase

• Sentences may also contain PHRASES these are
  not clauses. They
• can be a single word however, recently
• several words on the other hand on a
  good day . . .
• can include verbs, but only ending with
• -ing / -ed / -en / -nt