Sentence (3)

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Sentence (3)

• How to Write Effective Sentences

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Basic Knowledge about Sentence Structure

• The basic structure of a sentence contains at
  least a subject and a predicate/finite verb.
• If the verb is transitive, there must be an
  object if the verb is a link-verb, there must be
  a predicative or complement.
• Attributes and adverbials help to make the
  meaning clear or complete.

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Simple Use of Punctuation

• A complete sentence begins with a capital letter
  and ends with a (.), a (?), and an (!).
• The use of a comma in place of a (.), a (), a
  (), or a () in English writing is called the
  comma fault.
• In fiction, 2 short sentences closely connected
  in meaning are occasionally joined by a comma.
• In expository writing, the general rule is to use
  a (.) at the end of a complete sentence, whether
  it is long or short.

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Types of sentences
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According to their use Declarative,
Interrogative, Imperative, and Exclamatory
Sentences

• A declarative sentence makes an assertion or a
  statement.
• An interrogative sentence asks a question.
• An imperative sentence expresses a command or a
  request.
• An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong
  feeling or emotion, such as surprise, pain, or
  joy.

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Structure simple, compound, complex, or
compound-complex

• A simple sentence has only one subject and one
  predicate-verb, but it may contain more than one
  object, attribute or adverbial.
• A compound sentence consists of two or more
  independent clauses (or simple sentences) related
  to each other in meaning, and linked by a
  coordinating conjunction, such as and, but, or,
  or by a () without a conjunction.
• A complex sentence contains one main/principal
  clause and one or more dependent/subordinate
  clauses, with a connective word denoting the
  relation between the two parts.
• A compound-complex sentence contains at least two
  main clauses and at least one dependent clausea
  combination of a compound and a complex sentence.

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Note

• Variety in sentence structure is generally
  required.
• Short complex sentences are often used to make
  emphatic or important statements.
• Long complex sentences express complex idea
  clearly and accurately, for they have room for
  all kinds of modifiers.

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A rhetorical point of view Loose, Periodic, and
Balanced Sentences

• A loose sentence puts the main idea before all
  supplementary information in other words, it
  puts first things first, and lets the reader know
  what it is mainly about when he has read the
  first few words.
• Loose sentences are easier, more natural and
  direct.

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A rhetorical point of view Loose, Periodic, and
Balanced Sentences

• A periodic sentence makes the reverse
  arrangement the main idea is expressed at or
  near the end of it, and it is not grammatically
  complete until the end is reached.
• The reader does not know what it is mainly about
  until he finishes reading it. Periodic sentences
  are more complex, emphatic, formal, or literary.

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A rhetorical point of view Loose, Periodic, and
Balanced Sentences

• A balanced sentence is that a sentence contains
  two parallel clauses similar in structure but
  contrasted in meaning.
• Balanced sentences are impressive because of the
  contrast, and pleasing to hear because of the
  rhythm. They are mainly used in formal writing,
  like expository and argumentative prose, and
  speeches.

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Short and Long sentences

• Short sentences are usually emphatic, and
  suitable for the presentation of important facts
  and ideas.
• Long sentences are capable of expressing complex
  ideas with precision, because it may contain many
  modifiers, and suitable for the explanation of
  views and theories, or the description of things
  with many details.
• Long sentences are common in legal, political and
  theoretical writing, which depends on
  modification for accuracy.

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Note

• In fiction long sentences are sometimes used to
  describe a person, a thing or a scene.
• The basic principle is that the structure should
  fit the idea being expressed. In other words, the
  idea determines the choice of the structure, not
  the other way round

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Effective Sentences
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Unity means one

• One complete thought in each sentence
• One main idea in each paragraph
• One thesis in each essay

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Unity

• Unity is the first quality of an effective
  sentence.
• A unified sentence expresses a single complete
  thought. It does not contain ideas that are not
  closely related, nor does it express a thought
  that is not complete by itself.

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Coherence

• Coherence means clear and reasonable connection
  between parts. A sentence is coherent when its
  words or parts are properly connected and their
  relationships unmistakably clear.
• It is not coherent if it has faulty parallel
  constructions, pronouns with ambiguous reference,
  dangling or misplaced modifiers, confusing shifts
  in person and number, or in voice, tense, and
  mood.

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Coherence

• Parallel ideas had better be expressed in
  parallel constructions, which give emphasis,
  clarity and coherence to a sentence.
• A sentence should be consistent in these
  respects, including in person, in number, in
  mood, and in voice respectively. Unnecessary
  shifts should be avoided.

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Conciseness

• A sentence should contain no unnecessary words.
  If the idea is fully expressed, the fewer words
  are used, the better. Wordiness only obscures,
  instead of clarifying the idea.
• Repetition is sometimes necessary for emphasis,
  but unnecessary repetition, either of the same
  words or of different words with the same
  meaning, should be avoided.
• Conciseness can sometimes be achieved by changing
  the sentence structure.

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Emphasis

• In speech people use various ways for this
  purpose, such as speaking loudly, or slowly,
  saying very short sentences, or using a gesture.
• In writing there are also ways for placing
  emphasis on sentences or words that should be
  emphasized.

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About Emphatic Sentences

• Short sentences has been mentioned that short
  sentences are more emphatic than long ones,
  especially at the beginning or end of a
  paragraph, or in the midst of long sentences.
• Sentence Fragments are also called one-member
  sentences, which contain only the few words that
  express the main idea.
• Inverted sentences are emphatic because their
  unusual word order draws the readers attention.

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About Emphasis within the Sentence

• Placing. The beginning and the end, especially
  the end, of a sentence are the two places that
  attract the readers attention.
• Repetition. In a proper context repeating a word
  or an idea in different words may be a means of
  emphasis.
• The verb the active voice. Verbs are generally
  more vivid and emphatic than nouns.

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About Emphasis within the Sentence

• Subordination. This means putting a minor idea in
  a dependent element of the sentence so as to give
  the main idea a prominent position.
• Emphatic words and phrases. There are words and
  phrases that may be used to emphasize other
  words.
• Alliteration. It means the appearance of the same
  consonant sound at the beginning of two or more
  words.

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Emphasis

• Parallel constructions and balanced sentences.
• Periodic sentences. Their climactic word order
  makes them emphatic.
• Rhetorical questions. They are questions in form
  but emphatic statements in meaning.
• Negative-positive statements. They first point
  out what is not the truth, and then what is.
• Sentences with repeated words or phrases.

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Variety

• Variety is essential to good writing. A series of
  sentences of the same structure and length,
  beginning with the same noun or pronoun as the
  subject, would sound monotonous.
• Variety is achieved when short sentences are used
  in between long ones, simple sentences in between
  compound and complex ones, periodic sentence in
  between loose ones.

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Thank You!