Sentence structure

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Sentence structure

• Skill focus The production of grammatically
  correct, structurally sound and meaningful
  sentences.

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• Development of clause structure in writing
• pre-conjunction (sequence alone)
• rudimentary (conjunction plus sequence)
• subordinated clauses
• embedded clauses hierarchical and logical order
  predominant.
• Kress (1994)

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Sentence Structure intro

• Sentences have a verb, and the verb usually has a
  subject and object.

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Sentence Structure intro

• Miranda held the book.
• Verb - held
• Subject Miranda (Who or what held?)
• Object the book
• Subject may be implied (Go!)
• Object may not be needed (She ran.)

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Incorrect sentences - one

• long and rambling
• I woke up to find that I had grown long
  beautiful hair and was wearing a fantastic new
  ball gown and the crown had changed to be made of
  silver and when I ran to look out of the window I
  was looking at a completely new place and there
  were horses and glittering streams and birds all
  over the place and I was extremely happy about
  all that but I did not know anyone there at all.
• This sentence needs to be broken up into a number
  of smaller sentences.

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Incorrect sentences - two

• fragment
• Because I went there.
• In the mountains during winter and just before
  the snow begins to fall.
• Verb errors
• The crystal broken. (this could be fixed by the
  insertion of was broken, is broken, will be,
  cant be, broke etc)
• He must of gone to the shop. (must have)

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Simple and compound sentences

• I found the plates. They looked awful. (simple)
• They were chipped and had lots of cracks.
  (compound)
• I picked them up but I could not hold them.
  (compound)
• The compound examples given here use linking
  words (and and but) to join two separate ideas.
  The two sections of the compound sentence can be
  written in the other order without changing the
  position of the linking word or the meaning of
  the clauses.
• They had lots of cracks and were chipped.
• I could not hold them but I picked them up.

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Complex sentences

• A complex sentence has a main clause and at least
  one dependent clause. It has two or more verbs.
• The main clause can stand alone. The other
  clauses depend on the main clause for meaning.
• There are many different types of dependent
  clause.

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Binding words and complexity

• Sometimes it is hard to decide if a sentence is
  compound or complex when the two parts are joined
  by a common word such as because.
• Because is an example of a binding conjunction
  which triggers a complex sentence.
• I am hungry. I am going to eat. (2 simple
  sentences)
• I am going to eat because I am hungry. (complex
  sentence)

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Binding words and complexity

• Unlike the examples with the conjunctions and or
  but the two sections of the sentence using
  because cannot be moved while leaving because in
  the same place as it changes the meaning. Because
  needs to travel with the dependent clause
• Because I am hungry, I am going to eat. (complex
  with the dependent clause in the first position)
• One test for whether a clause is using a binding
  conjunction is to consider whether the clause and
  its conjunction can be moved to the first
  position (before the main clause).

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Binding words and complexity
If it is a complex relationship then 1. the
binding word 'sticks' to the rest of the clause
and has to be moved with it AND 2. it makes
sense when you move it to first position   The
boys finished their soccer game because the bell
rang. Because the bell rang, the boys finished
their soccer game.   So here we have complexity
because the clause needs the conjunction AND
because it works in first position.    
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More binding words
This is why if works to make a complex
sentence If I take you will you stop
crying? Will you stop crying if I take you?   but
and then does not   I picked it up and then I
hugged it. And then I hugged it, I picked it up.
  However and then does work to create a
compound sentence I picked it up and then I
hugged it. I hugged it and then I picked it up.
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So and complexity
Is so a binding conjunction? The bell rang so
the boys finished their soccer game.   So the
boys finished their soccer game, the bell rang.
This sentence now has a different meaning. To
move to the first position this sentence needs a
different verb form   So that the boys WOULD
finish their soccer game, the bell
rang.complex This substantially changes the
meaning of the sentence.   Although 'so' is bound
to the second part of the sentence for
meaning, the clause does not move to first
position without a change to the sentence and so
does not create complexity in the first example.
When the so actually means so that you do get
a complex sentence.  
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So that and complexity
  'So that' is different again I paid for a
driving lesson so (that) you would learn to drive
(complex) So (that) you would learn to drive, I
paid for a driving lesson (complex)   If you
think the joining word or words might be a
trigger for complexity try the first position
clause test as above. If it works, (taking the
conjunction with the clause to first position) it
is complex. If it does not then it is
compound.    
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Dependent clause types

• Adverbial clauses work like adverbs to modify a
  verb (for example to give more information about
  place, time, condition purpose and reason).
• Adjectival clauses modify (or give more
  information about) nouns.
• Verbless clauses do not have a verb but the verb
  is understood when we read the sentence. Eg
  Although usually late, Jane arrived on time
  today.
• (This could be written as Although she was
  usually late)
• Non-finite clauses use non-finite verbs. A finite
  verb has tense, for example I sent a card. (past
  tense)
• To send a card however has a non-finite (or
  timeless) verb (not fixed in a particular time).

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Complex sentences - examples

• I ran to the window because I needed to escape.
  (adverbial clause using a binding conjunction)
• Because I needed to escape, I ran to the window.
• (adverbial clause in the first position)
• The hat, which was colourful, lay on the floor.
  (adjectival)
• In this example the dependent clause cannot be
  moved to the first position.

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Complex sentences - examples

• When I awoke, I was terrified. (adverbial in
  first position)
• She fell from the cliff, clawing at the air
  (non-finite see next slide) as she plummeted to
  her untimely death. (adverbial)

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Complex sentences - examples

• I went looking for my grandmother (in order) to
  ask her about the car. (non-finite)
• A finite verb has tense, for example I sent a
  card.
• To send a card however has a non-finite (or
  timeless) verb (without tense).

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• The use of thinking and saying verbs allow 2
  verbs in a sentence
• I said that I was
• I thought that I might go
• I decided that I would take...
• I wondered whether it was moving
• These constructions are common in spoken
  language.
• In written language the use of this type of
  construction does not align with development of
  sophisticated control of sentences.
• While technically they make grammatically
  complex sentences, for the application of this
  rubric, they are NOT considered complex.

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Activity 1 - Building complex sentences

• Create 3 separate complex sentences using the
  simple sentence groups below
• 1.The dog smelled disgusting. He was covered in
  mud and slime.
• 2.The magician is very old. He knows many tricks.
  
• 3. We landed with a bang. We fell out onto the
  ground. We were not hurt.

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Activity 1 possible answers

• The dog smelled disgusting because he was covered
  in mud and slime.
• The magician who knows many tricks is very old.
• Although we landed with a bang and fell onto the
  ground, we were not hurt.

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Activity 2 identifying sentences

• Answer these questions for each example given in
  Activity 2 use the handout of sentences to
  write your answers. Answers are given on the next
  slides. The dependent clauses are underlined in
  the solutions. Main (independent) clauses are
  blue.
• Is the sentence correct?
• Is it simple or compound or complex?
• If it is complex
• What is the main clause?
• What kind of dependent clause does it have?

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Activity 2 solutions 1

• Dark Magic is all around us. simple
• Many princesses like to live in castles. Some
  princesses like to live in swamps. two correct
  simple sentences
• I had a suitcase full of weapons and I was
  incredibly strong. compound

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Activity 2 solutions 2

• The king who was threatening me, adjectival
  clicked his fingers at the guard.
• It was a very bad idea because the noise woke up
  the crocodile. adverbial
• Five minutes later I heard the noise again.
  simple (only one verb)
• I ran to the oval but I couldnt see them
  anywhere. compound

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Activity 2 solutions 3

• While the others were sleeping adverbial I crept
  out and stole the diamond.
• After talking to him for a while non-finite
  (adverbial) in first position I asked if he was
  my uncle.

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Activity 2 solutions 4

• You must not go into that room because there is a
  monster in there adverbial that could kill you.
  adjectival (2 dependent clauses)
• Ducking for cover found shelter under a rock.
  incorrect missing subject
• I entered the castle by crossing the drawbridge
  adverbial and was surprised by what the inside
  was like. It looked like a childs fantasy from a
  Disney animation. Two correct sentences one
  simple and one complex. The first sentence also
  has a compound element (and) and two independent
  clauses.

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Activity 2 solutions 5

• When they realised she was getting sicker,
  adverbial in first position Jenny stopped to rest
  while Pete, who was a fast runner, adjectival
  went for help. adverbial
• NOTE While Pete went for help is adverbial. The
  adjectival clause is embedded in it.
• The potion made me do strange things I did not
  understand. adjectival

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Activity 2 solutions 6

• The tiger became vicious, slashing at the ropes.
  non-finite
• Caught in the trap, non-finite in first position
  the tiger became vicious, slashing at the ropes
  with its claws and growling ferociously.
  non-finite
• I decided complaining wasnt the answer. A good
  simple sentence (this is an example of the
  thinking or saying verb leading to two verbs in a
  sentence but not creating complexity).
• Although usually curious, this time I decided not
  to touch the animals. verbless in first position